* From today’s press conference…
Isabel: As of today, the only elected officials who have successfully kicked Illinoisans off health care coverage during 2025 are you and the Democrats who voted for the budget bill via the elimination of [the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program]. You’ve rightly said forcing people off Medicaid would simply shift costs to hospitals who can’t afford it. How do you intend to mitigate this particular financial damage?
Pritzker: I just would happen to have been in Minnesota. They also had a program that they eliminated. So we’re not the only state. Lots of states have faced the challenge of budgeting and balancing their budgets this year. This was part of the challenge that we had to address, it was a program that had been growing significantly in cost. I do believe that everybody should have health care. I also know that we have to live within our means in the state of Illinois, and particularly because of all the mismanagement that’s occurred over so many years. So we’ve got to rein it in and make sure that we’re actually balancing the budget, and that was part of the decision that was made with regard to that program. As you know, we kept the program that’s focused on seniors who are the most vulnerable.
And it’s true that when people don’t have health insurance, that they often end up in an emergency room, and that can cost taxpayers more than the coverage that we might otherwise provide. We’ve got to work out how we’re going to cover everybody in the state of Illinois, and that’s something that I believe significantly is the job of state government, and something that we will continue to look at.
Isabel: Is it a priority to bring back that funding later next year, if revenues allow it?
Pritzker: Again, the focus here is, how do we expand health care for everybody in the state of Illinois? So it’s not specific to that program. It’s really more about, and as you know, I’ve added hundreds of 1000s of people who are who are US citizens or long time residents of the state through the roles of Medicaid when they’re eligible, and so I’ll continue to do that work.
- Alton Sinkhole - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 1:04 pm:
At least the kind folks of NASCAR got their $5m
- Dem - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 1:17 pm:
Where is the frustration at IL Dems for kicking people off of Medicaid. Hmmm. A little hypocritical.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 1:18 pm:
===kicking people off of Medicaid===
HBIA is not a Medicaid program.
- Summer songs - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 1:20 pm:
You should not look at HBIA in silo. The amount of money hospitals lose from eliminating HBIA is a fraction of the new revenue they’re getting from changes to law this year. Hospitals could continue to serve the HBIA population and claim it as charity care to generate even more deductions/revenues. The Governor’s prior authorization changes last year and this year automatically ensure hospitals get paid for certain treatments. The change to the hospital bed tax will result in at least a billion in new spending for hospitals. The PBM bill changes also have backdoor wins for hospitals. When the House concurs in the 340b changes the hospitals will generate at least another $2-3 billion annually without any legislative oversight.
- Norseman - Monday, Jun 16, 25 @ 2:20 pm:
=== Where is the frustration at IL Dems ===
My frustration is creating a new program without a stable and continuing funding source. Medicaid is under attack to give the wealthy tax cuts. This program was cut because the state can’t sustain the of cost of this relatively new program.