Nearly $1B in expected spending on health care for noncitizens adds to state budget pressures

SPRINGFIELD – The state estimates an expansion of state-sponsored health care to individuals who are ineligible for Medicaid based on their citizenship status is expected to cost $990 million in the upcoming fiscal year, far outpacing the original price tag cited when the measures became law. In 2020, Illinois made noncitizens aged 65 and older eligible for Medicaid-type coverage, becoming the first state to do so. The Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors program is open to individuals whose income is below the federal poverty level.   It’s a cost born entirely by the state because the individuals are not eligible for the Medicaid program that is split roughly 50-50 between the state and the federal government. Read more from News Channel 20.