Illinois Health Initiatives Will Expand Coverage to Over Half Million Uninsured

By Margie Stapleton

Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced last week that he would use his executive authority to expand access to health care to hundreds of thousands of low-income and middle-income Illinoisans.

He announced these initiatives:

  • FamilyCare expansion to 400 percent of the federal poverty level for uninsured parents;
  • coverage extension for physician, drug, and hospital services to those without access to coverage with incomes under 100 percent of the federal poverty level;
  • breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment services expansion to all uninsured people;
  • All Kids expansion for youths 19 through 21 who have preexisting conditions and no access to private insurance; and 
  • premium assistance subsidy program expansion to families whose income is up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level and who use employer-sponsored health insurance.

 
The governor’s office estimates that over 500,000 people will be newly eligible for health care under these initiatives. Several of the initiatives were recommended by the Illinois Adequate Healthcare Taskforce, which held hearings around the state and met for over two years to fashion a plan, released in early 2007, for universal health care in Illinois. Several of the recommendations are included in provisions of Senate Bill 5, “the Illinois Covered Plan,” which is pending in the Illinois General Assembly.

The governor’s office estimates that the state cost of the initiatives will be $463 million in the 2008 fiscal year. The details of the funding arrangements for the health initiatives are unclear at press time. However, at the same time that he announced the health initiatives, Governor Blagojevich announced that he would veto approximately $500 million in projects included in the state budget at the request of members of the General Assembly.

On August 14, 2007, The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law issued a press statement in support of the health initiatives. Click here to view this statement.