Lake County Gazette

Martin McLaughlin, State Representative for Illinois' 52nd House District, has raised concerns about the state's healthcare benefits for undocumented migrants. He questioned whether residents receive comparable coverage in a statement made on X.

"Illegal migrants in Illinois received comprehensive healthcare — including preventive, dental, and vision coverage from Pritzker," said Martin J. Mclaughlin, State Representative from Illinois. "Are you getting these same coverages for free in your plan? return to reasonable."

Since 2020, Illinois has implemented state-funded programs such as the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors (HBIS) and Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA). These initiatives aim to provide coverage for non-citizens and undocumented migrants who were previously excluded from Medicaid. However, according to Capitol News Illinois, a 2025 performance audit found that enrollment and costs far exceeded projections. This prompted the governor’s office to pause new enrollment and restrict eligibility ahead of the fiscal year 2026 budget debate.

The Illinois Auditor General's February 2025 audit revealed that the combined state-only cost of the HBIS and HBIA programs from fiscal year 2021 through fiscal year 2024 exceeded $1.6 billion. Fiscal year 2023 alone cost $643.5 million, while fiscal year 2024 showed costs of approximately $719.3 million—substantially above initial estimates of around $224 million for earlier years.

The audit indicates that while regular Illinois Medicaid provides full benefits including long-term care with federal matching funds, the immigrant programs HBIS/HBIA are solely state-funded. They exclude long-term care and have higher cost-sharing requirements despite similar income thresholds. This results in a lower level of benefit compared to general Medicaid coverage even as costs soared, according to the Auditor General’s report.

McLaughlin is a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives representing the 52nd District since January 2021. His biography states he previously served as Village President of Barrington Hills, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Illinois Wesleyan University, and now sits on committees like Revenue & Finance, Appropriations–General Services, and Prescription Drug Affordability while focusing on taxpayer relief, pensions, and cautious spending of state-funded programs.