Senate Passes Martinez Plan Allowing Thousands of Children to Keep Health Insurance

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Health

Thousands of children would be protected from losing their health insurance under legislation passed out of the Senate today by Majority Caucus Whip Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago). The Covering All Kids Health Insurance Act is set to expire in July of this year, but Martinez’s legislation would extend it to 2019. Extending the act would prevent more than 40,000 children, regardless of their legal status, from losing their health insurance coverage.

“Providing health insurance to children in Illinois is not only the morally right thing to do, but it is also good public policy that saves our state money down the road,” said Martinez. “Today, the Senate ensured that children will not lose health insurance coverage and that all children in Illinois will have access to a healthy life.” The Covering All Kids Health Insurance Act covers a subset of children in the Illinois All Kids Health Insurance Program— the state’s health insurance program for children.

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Health

Covering All Kids provides health insurance to children who can’t access other health care plans and whose family income is between 209 and 318 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. The program receives an annual $40 million federal match that reduces its already modest cost to the state. All families covered are required to pay a monthly premium of $40 for one child and $80 for two children. House Bill 5736 will now go to the governor’s desk for final approval.

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