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* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
Back in May, Gov. J.B. Pritzker told reporters that his administration had given lawmakers seven options to rein in costs of a health care program for undocumented immigrants which was growing well beyond affordability.
Pritzker told reporters at a more recent event that he had originally budgeted the program for a $220 million increase, but since then the program was projected to actually grow by $1.1 billion in the coming fiscal year. So, he said, the state needed to limit the growth to $550 million. Pritzker said his administration believed “we could manage the program with the number of people that are in it now” to keep those cost increases at $550 million, which was a clear sign that an enrollment cap was coming.
The administration has been meeting with the Legislative Latino Caucus about the unexpected growth in the program since March. And it’s been pretty clear from the beginning that enrollment would have to be capped and other cost-cutting measures put in place to prevent the program from eating up even more limited state resources.
Even so, some Latino legislators were enraged during the final briefing about the solutions the governor decided to put into place: “Pausing” new enrollment for those aged 42-64; establishing co-pays; implementing managed care; clawing back some over-payments to the Cook County Hospital System and limiting or eliminating backdated medical coverage. The plan was called “racist” by at least one person on the Zoom call.
Several hours later, the Latino Caucus issued a toned-down press release, calling the governor’s announcement “disappointing.” They did, after all, vote for the Medicaid omnibus bill which enabled the emergency rule-making authority.
Others weren’t so muted. U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., had sponsored the original bill to create the program for senior citizens when she was still a state legislator. Ramirez and others predicted at the time the program would only cost a few million dollars a year. After Pritzker acted, she called the governor’s decision to impose the limits “a false choice built on fear-mongering and anti-immigrant rhetoric,” which will put “thousands of hard-working, taxpaying immigrants’ lives in danger.”
But the sharpest criticism came from activists.
The Healthy Illinois Campaign, which lobbied hard to expand the program even further this year despite the exploding costs, issued a press release back in May supporting the new state budget, and thanked the General Assembly for protecting existing coverage for undocumented immigrants who are 42 and older. But then the reality of what it really takes to save $550 million out of a projected cost increase of $1.1 billion within the span of one fiscal year fully set in when Pritzker issued his emergency rules.
The governor went to Florida last week to receive an award from two prominent immigration groups, but the Healthy Illinois Campaign called on the groups to rescind the honor.
“It is absolutely scandalous that Governor Pritzker will be receiving an immigrant leadership award while in the state of Illinois he has rejected and perverted the idea that immigrants have the right to health care,” the Healthy Illinois Campaign’s statement claimed. “Governor Pritzker is not different from Ron DeSantis hurting the most vulnerable immigrants,” they continued. “A billionaire governor so willfully causing pain to the hardest working people — is that any different from Ron DeSantis? Is this the standard now for opportunistic politicians running for president?”
Ouch.
The Healthy Illinois Campaign has never accepted the governor’s cost projections, but it has yet to fully explain why they believe the expected costs are not nearly as high as the administration’s estimates. The governor, for his part, seemingly contradicted himself when he told reporters a few weeks ago that the state saves money when it invested in the health car program. “If they don’t get basic health care, they end up in an emergency room and we all end up paying for that at a much higher cost than if we have preventative care.”
This is obviously an unusual position for the governor to be in. He’s been a darling, even a hero, of the progressive wing of his party since Day One. But, at least for now, he’s taking some real heat. “This is a welcoming state,” progressive Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, thundered during a die-in demonstration at Chicago’s Federal Plaza. “Always,” he said, “Not only when it’s convenient.”
And Democratic Socialist Chicago Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) recently tweeted that, while he had previously called Pritzker “arguably the best Illinois governor since progressive John Peter Altgeld,” he now believes that the decision to impose the emergency rules is “criminal.”
* Meanwhile, there appears to be some confusion out there about what the program is designed to do. The Chicago Tribune editorial board brought the asylum-seeking migrants into the debate the other day, followed by this report from WBEZ…
Pritzker faces criticism over cuts to a health insurance program for migrants
Latino lawmakers say they are outraged by Gov. JB Pritzker’s decision to make cuts to a health insurance program for migrants as Chicago struggles to address the basic needs of asylum-seekers arriving from border states. […]
And the process of providing permanent housing to migrants is complicated by several other factors.
And then WTTW’s Week in Review program did pretty much the same.
Asylum-seekers are here legally, so there is federal reimbursement for at least some of their healthcare costs. That generally isn’t the case for undocumented immigrants, although there are some exceptions.
* Other stories…
* Protests over Governor JB Pritzker’s pause on undocumented healthcare program: The governor’s office says restrictions on the program will be lifted when more money is appropriated. As the rally was going on at Daley Plaza, Governor Pritzker was in Orlando being honored by the National Immigrant’s List for his work on immigrant rights.
* State Week: Pritzker takes heat over immigrant health care limits
* Politico: “In the progressive movement, a lot of times it’s all or nothing,” Sui Chung, a Miami attorney who grew up in Illinois and sits on the board of Immigrants’ List, told Playbook. Chung praised Pritzker’s work: “What the governor has done in terms of banning private detention of immigrants and allowing non-citizens to have drivers licenses is huge. In Florida, we’re facing hateful bills that will cause tremendous problems for immigrants. Illinois is far ahead. People point to California, but really, it’s Illinois that’s in the lead on immigrant rights.” And the irony: Ramirez praised Pritzker during her acceptance speech calling him “her champion.”
* Pritzker defends Johnson’s pension fix panel: Pritzker… defended his decision to impose new enrollment limits and copays on the state’s insurance program for undocumented immigrants. The Legislature’s Latino Caucus “knew what was going on,” Pritzker told reporters. The cuts “saved the program” from financial collapse, he added.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 9:00 am
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Team Pritzker has yet to learn (since, to be honest, it hasn’t needed to up to this point) that there’s more to good politics than press conferences with a diverse group of politicians you give money to.
Comment by Torco Sign Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 9:08 am
Complaining is easy. Governing is hard.
Comment by State of DenIL Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 9:17 am
Again … do Pritzker’s critics think there is such a thing as a “free lunch” … ?
Comment by Anyone Remember Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 9:29 am
How did Delia Ramirez only think the program would cost a few million a year? Also it’s ironic that she says that the governor made a choice based on fear mongering rhetoric and then proceeds to say that this action will put immigrants lives in danger.
Comment by Chicagonk Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 9:35 am
There are a lot of good things that could be done if money grew on trees and the State had orchards full. This sounds a little trite, but governing requires balancing attainable resources with needs.
A lot of positive things are coming out of IL because of Dem control and that control has come because a majority of voters see it as better for them than MAGA GOP control. I concur. Raising taxes to pay for undocumented health program that the MAGA GOP will effectively vilify among large segments of IL voters may tip the decision scale against Dem rule. Those slamming Pritzker need to think about the long-term. Their other priorities will not get a hearing under MAGA GOP majorities. Worse, their past gains could be wiped out.
So tone down the rhetoric and offer Pritzker palatable alternatives if you have them.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 9:51 am
Curtailing spending on a program for people who can’t vote and isn’t popular with the public is not a losing message for Pritzker. I don’t care what side of the aisle you’re on.
Comment by Go outisde Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 9:54 am
The problem with extremists on both sides is you’re either with them or against them. There’s no middle ground. And middle ground is essential to good governance.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 10:04 am
Money does grow on trees, and gov pritzker owns the trees. It’s amazing when elected officials pick their opportunities to criticize him, they quickly double back to make nice so his money continues to flow. The gov can take it, and he will forgive and continue to dole out campaign cash as long as the supplicants line up to support him when he needs them the most.
Comment by McCloon Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 10:05 am
The campaign flyers during the next election on this free medical program for non-citizen immigrants are going to be something to behold.
Comment by Medvale School for the Gifted Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 10:25 am
when Republicans say Democrats have veered wildly to the left, while they have essentially stayed the same, I always think about the follow bill. Sponsored by Ted Kennedy, Paul Simon, and Barbara Boxer, it’s a tough penalty enhancement bill across the board for “illegal aliens”. The activist class today should do some self reflection and remember how far they have come. Pritzker isn’t their problem, and attacking him is beyond bizarre.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/104th-congress/senate-bill/754?s=1&r=8&q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22immigration%22%2C%22immigration%22%5D%7D
Comment by James Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 10:38 am
===The activist class today should do some self reflection and remember how far they have come===
Activists, by definition, push ever forward.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 10:48 am
The Healthy Illinois Campaign needs to retract what is one of the most ridiculous statements of the year, comparing JB to DeSantis. If I was a HIC ally, I would run for the hills to disassociated myself from them. Apparently they missed grandma’s lecture on $$$ not growing on trees.
Comment by levivotedforjudy Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 11:15 am
Yes, you can have sympathy and give aid to those in need, but, what, and endless dollar tree? No. Time for all who support the cause of those who need asylum to make the process more clear and used. It escapes me how people can travel across many countries only to be processed here. (Mexico, step up.) I get that they cannot do so near those they are trying to avoid out of fear. but get to next most convenient government source and apply for asylum. Yes the USA welcomes immigrants but there is not an endless supply of money.
Comment by Amalia Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 11:36 am
===If I was a HIC ally, I would run for the hills to disassociated myself from them===
There are folks trying to, but HIC isn’t responding. Lol.
Dumb statements and tactics like these are precisely how you shatter coalitions.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 11:44 am
Great read, I’ve missed some of all this going down, glad it’s being revisited.
To the post,
===Activists, by definition, push ever forward.===
My issue to these folks that are grandstanding and saying ridiculous things to their thoughts to the governor…
… how much is it to push for that agenda and how much is about these grandstanders making it about their own mark to policy instead of policy making a mark on society.
It will never be about being satisfied, but that healthy/unhealthy balance of policy towards funding towards grandstanding towards… and how convoluted actors here and in every type of activism moves policy forward.
Some of the actors above might not be the best folks in helping policy move.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 11:48 am
Calling their most powerful ally racist and his decision criminal strikes me as biting the hand that feeds them.
I get the passion of the activists and all, but this does not advance their goals.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 1:03 pm
This will not look good when JBP is on the national stage talking about “Healthcare for All”
Comment by Estreets and Sand Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 1:40 pm
You can’t spend a billion dollars on healthcare for undocumented immigrants, not even in Illinois. This is popular only with a small segment of Dems, so supporters better not be too damning of JB, who is trying to be responsive to needs while also financially prudent. A narrow path to walk.
Comment by Jibba Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 1:43 pm
Everyone assumes JB is right on the #’s. Healthy Illinois believes that the funds appropriated this year will cover people without the newly imposed restrictions. The puzzle on JB’s end is why restriction were imposed before we got part way through the fiscal year. We could have gone 3 months in and compared actual to budget. If actual was above budget that would be the time to make these moves. If it wasn’t, no need to make the moves. That’s all “activists” wanted.
Comment by Something missing Monday, Jun 26, 23 @ 3:25 pm