Illinois’ lifesaving, economy-driving Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program, or HBIA, is set to end June 30, 2025, after recent inaction by a General Assembly committee. Cost-saving is the reason most often cited, but HBIA is a long-term investment that should be protected. The program covers health costs for low-income adults ages 42 to 64 whose immigration status makes them ineligible for Medicare. But it does so much more.

• HBIA saves money. Illinois has saved $65 million a year since starting the program in 2021 and the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors program in 2022, as noted in a recent study by the Embodying Race(ism) Project at the University of Chicago. Hospitals that care for uninsured undocumented immigrants have seen bad debt drop by an average of 15% and as much as 28%.

• Protecting HBIA would cost less than half a percent of the state’s total budget for healthcare. Budget estimates for FY26 show that continued coverage access for those currently enrolled in HBIA will cost approximately 0.07% of the state’s budget for healthcare.

• Ending HBIA affects the whole state, not just the people enrolled in the program. In 2021, immigrants in Illinois had $54.9 billion in spending power, paying $8.6 billion in state and local taxes and $13.1 billion in federal taxes. Immigrants work and pay taxes. Noncitizens are slightly more likely to be employed than citizens. Lack of access to health services will result in decreased economic productivity impacting local business and state revenue generation.

For more information, visit www.healthyillinoiscampaign.org.