Lake County Gazette

In a May 8 Facebook post, Illinois state Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) criticized Gov. JB Pritzker's approach to funding state health insurance for adult immigrants.

"Meanwhile, funding for developmentally disabled citizens in Illinois is well below where it needs to be," Wilcox said in the post.

Wilcox accused the governor of neglecting priorities and failing to manage the program's cost, which has now exceeded its initial estimate by five times, a report from the Chicago Tribune said.

In February, Pritzker's $49.6 billion spending plan included the cost of a state-funded health insurance program for noncitizen immigrants, estimated at $220 million. But just three months later, the cost has surged to $1.1 billion, putting a strain on the state's entire budget.

Illinois launched a program in 2020 that provides Medicaid-style coverage to immigrants age 65 and above without legal resident permission or who have green cards but have not completed the five-year waiting period to be eligible for assistance from federally funded programs. Despite the program's soaring enrollment figures, some Democratic lawmakers are pushing to expand its coverage even further, including allowing people as young as 19 to be eligible for the program. That would increase the program's cost by $380 million.

Wilcox's comments have drawn attention to the rising cost of health care in Illinois, especially for noncitizen immigrants. The debate over health care access for immigrants has been a contentious issue in recent years. Supporters of the program argue that providing health care for noncitizen immigrants will benefit the state's economy and public health. But critics believe that such a program rewards illegal immigration and unfairly burdens taxpayers.

The escalating cost of the program could become a major issue for the state's budget and possibly lead to cuts in other critical areas. It highlights the importance of balancing the need for health care access with the need for fiscal responsibility. As the debate continues, lawmakers will have to consider the program's financial sustainability and the state's overall budgetary priorities.