Urge your state legislator to vote yes on HB4447 and HB5296
Background:
All Kids is Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s plan to provide comprehensive health insurance to all uninsured children, up to the age of 18, in Illinois, regardless of income or immigration status. The All Kids benefits package will include all services covered by Medicaid and KidCare. It is expected to be implemented by July 2006.
An estimated 253,000 children will be covered by All Kids, with the majority of these children coming from families with an annual household incomes of $40,000-$80,000/year (based on a family of four).
HB4447 (Patterson) - Amends the Covering ALL KIDS Health Insurance Act. Permits dependent children between the ages of 19 and 23 to buy into the Covering ALL KIDS Health Insurance Program if the child (i) was enrolled in the Program prior to turning 19 years of age, (ii) is enrolled in a post-secondary education program full-time, and (iii) is eligible to be claimed as a dependent for income tax purposes.
HB5296 (Mulligan) - Amends the Covering ALL KIDS Health Insurance Act. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to annually publish in newspapers around the State the premiums or other cost sharing requirements of the Covering ALL KIDS Health Insurance Program. Requires the Department to provide a copy of all contracts awarded for the administration of the Program to certain members of the General Assembly. Requires the Auditor General to perform an annual audit of the program.
March of Dimes Policy:
§ Having health insurance coverage affects how people use health care services. The uninsured report poorer health status. They are less likely to have a usual source of medical care and more likely to forgo needed health care services.
§ Uninsured children are the most likely to have no usual source of medical care –28.8 percent, compared with only 2.5 percent of privately insured youngsters and 5.5 percent of children in public insurance programs.
§ Though uninsured newborns are more likely than insured babies to be sick, they receive fewer hospital services.
