State Expansions: Illinois
In 2006, Illinois implemented Governor Blagojevich’s All Kids program, becoming the first state in the nation to offer health coverage to all children. Building on this foundation, the governor proposed the comprehensive Illinois Covered plan to extend coverage to the state’s 1.4 million uninsured adults. However, when the funding mechanism for the proposal (a gross receipt’s tax) came up against opposition from the legislature, the governor scaled back the reform measures.
The state is currently implementing the following health care initiatives:
- Expansion of the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (providing access to screenings for an additional 261,000 women);
- All Kids “Bridge” Expansion – providing young adults up to age 21, who have pre-existing conditions, with continued access to health insurance through the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Program (ICHIP) (expanding coverage for approximately 7,000 young adults); and
- Expanding Family Care to families with incomes up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level (covering an additional 147,000 parents).
Governor Blagojevich implemented the Family Care expansion by emergency rule. The measure was contested by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR), but the Governor pushed forward and on December 1, 2007, Family Care began to enroll families with incomes up to 400 percent of poverty. The constitutionality of this expansion is currently being contested in a Cook County court and the Attorney General has intervened on behalf of JCAR.
Illinois Expansion Resources
Illinois in the News
For general resources on state expansions, see Other Resources.
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