Ouditing discoveries that were incorrectly recorded in the health care program in Illinois for non -citizens, while the costs have been significantly reduced

Springfield – JB Pritzker Governor Management has greatly reduced the cost and popularity of health insurance programs for immigrants who are not citizens that ended up with the cost of the country $ 1.6 billion since the initiative began in 2020, according to a audit report issued on Wednesday.

Regardless of the inaccurate expectations of the cost of the programs and the number of people who will register, the review revealed more than 6000 people registered in the programs that were included as “undocumented” despite the presence of social security numbers, and about 700 who were registered in the program for people who are 65 years old or older, although they are smaller than that. In addition, nearly 400 people have been registered in the programs, but they seem to have been in the country for a long time to qualify to get Medicaid, jointly funded by the federal government.

A report from the Illinois Moutino General Review Office was published a week after the proposal of Pritzker to get rid of funding for the program that provides insurance coverage similar to the medical aid of people under the age of 65 in the country without legal permission or in the United States legally but they have not yet qualified for a green card. The reduction, which is estimated to save $ 330 million, was part of the Pritzker plan to close the budget hole as soon as it was linked to more than $ 3 billion.

The costs of the costs were especially clear in the program for the younger recipient, as the actual expenses amounted to $ 485 million during the three years ending June 30, 2023, as it reached nearly four times the estimated cost of $ 126 million, according to the review.

At a press conference in Chicago on Wednesday to announce another round of dilution of the medical debts of Illinois residents, Pritzker did not respond directly when he was asked why the administration that his administration used was asked. Instead, he said that some individuals were sometimes kept on programs lists for a while before the state decided that they were no longer qualified, either because of a change in the case of migration, employment or another worker.

Although he suggested getting rid of financing for those under the age of 65, Pritzker repeated its support to cover comprehensive health care in an unspecified form.

“The broader context is that people need health care,” said Pritzker, adding: “It is some evidence, in any case, that there are many people who need coverage they do not get or who will do anything to get it, and I think this is a sad situation in our society.”

As of December, there were 41,505 people registered in the programs – one for those 65 years old or older, one for those under the age of 65. About 80 % of them were on the younger migrant program who suggested Pritzker to get rid of funding from July 1.

Illinois initially provided healthcare coverage similar to Medicaid to non -music immigrants 65 and above in 2020 under a program called health benefits for the elderly. This group of recipients was not qualified for the traditional health insurance program for the poor, which the federal government is jointly funded.

This state’s health care initiative has been expanded twice and now covers 42 years and over. The complexity of the enlarged costs of the program with the complexity of budget negotiations two years ago.

Together, the two programs do not extend to asylum seekers who reach Chicago from the southern American border.

The two programs that were launched in Illinois were launched at a time when the Midikid-the annual checks that are achieved whether the registrar was qualified for this benefit-was stopped by the federal government during the Covid-19s.

But the costs of the programs eventually escalate to the top and the case has spent the General Assembly in recent years. In February 2023, Pritzker took steps to limit the joining of the programs after estimating the initial cost of its administration of $ 220 million, inflated five months after three months to 1.1 billion dollars. Ultimately, more than $ 500 million was allocated in the budget approved by the Legislative Authority in the spring.

Last year, the ruler announced plans to reduce up to 6000 healthcare recipients through the two programs to save more money.

Pritzker defended in the past the health care of migrants as a government effort to provide more taxpayer money by providing this type of coverage to non -citizens by keeping them outside the emergency rooms and hospitals. But hours after announcing his budget proposal last week, Pritzker explained how there were people of working age in a program from 42 to 64 who later managed to find a better job “for her associated health care.”

“Yes, we are making sacrifices through the budget,” said Pritzker in his festive office in the government cabetol. “I am sacrifices for important things for me.”

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(Petrilla of Chicago mentioned. Tribeon Olivia Olander’s correspondent.)

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