Gov. Blagojevich announces start of health care expansion for 56,000 more working parents         

Easy enrollment available at www.kidcareillinois.com or 1(866) 4-OUR-KIDS

[DEC. 30, 2005]  CHICAGO -- Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich has announced that beginning Jan. 1, eligibility for the FamilyCare health insurance program will be expanded to an additional 56,000 working parents. The new income threshold marks the third expansion of the FamilyCare program under the Blagojevich administration, and -- along with the All Kids program -- is a key part of the governor's larger effort to make health care more affordable and accessible for working families across the state.

"When parents are healthy, they're better able to deal with the challenges of raising their children and are more productive at work," Blagojevich said. "The new year will offer tens of thousands of working parents across Illinois an opportunity to improve their health and quality of life by having access to the health care coverage they need. Through the expansions of FamilyCare, KidCare and the new All Kids program, we've made major strides in making sure more people have access to health care coverage, but there is more work to do. We will continue to reach out to families and make sure they know about the resources available to them that can make a major difference in their lives for years to come."

Parents have two easy options for applying for both FamilyCare and KidCare. They can apply online in English or Spanish at www.kidcareillinois.com, or call 1(866) 4-OUR-KIDS [1 [phone]].

The FamilyCare expansion was a major priority for the governor in the fiscal 2006 budget, raising eligibility from 133 percent of the federal poverty level, which is an annual household income of $25,740 for a family of four, to 185 percent, which is an annual household income of $35,796 for a family of four.

On Nov. 15, the governor signed his landmark All Kids program into law, making Illinois the first state in the nation to provide affordable, comprehensive health insurance for every uninsured child in the state.

Over the last three years, Blagojevich has expanded health care coverage to almost 400,000 parents and children. This will be the third FamilyCare expansion under Blagojevich and will make an additional 56,000 parents eligible for health insurance. In 2003, the governor raised eligibility from 49 percent of the federal poverty level to 90 percent, and in 2004, from 90 percent of the federal poverty level to 133 percent. Shortly after taking office in 2003, the governor raised the income threshold for children under KidCare from 185 percent of the federal poverty level to 200 percent.

"Governor Blagojevich has made access to health care one of his top priorities since taking office, and we are extremely proud of the progress that has been made to increase coverage for working families," said Barry Maram, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. "Under the Blagojevich administration, Illinois has become a national leader in providing access to affordable health care coverage. We will continue to work hard to improve access through this FamilyCare expansion and the new All Kids program."

In September, the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, one of the nation's most respected independent health policy research organizations, released a report finding that Illinois, for the second year in a row, is leading the nation in delivering health care coverage for children and parents. Illinois' ranking comes as a result of the governor's expansions of the KidCare and FamilyCare health programs, which provide affordable coverage to working men and women and their children.

KidCare and FamilyCare provide comprehensive health care coverage to children and parents whose income is too high to qualify for regular Medicaid. The programs are a cost-effective means of fighting the problem of uninsured children and families because the federal reimbursement to the state is 65 percent, instead of the standard Medicaid reimbursement rate of 50 percent.

Just this month, the governor announced the start of preregistration for the All Kids program, which will provide access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance for every uninsured child in Illinois. Preregistration is available by calling 1 (866) ALL-KIDS and a form will be sent by mail, or families can preregister for All Kids online at www.allkidscovered.com.

Of the 250,000 children in Illinois without health insurance, more than half come from working and middle-class families who earn too much to qualify for state programs like KidCare but not enough to afford private health insurance. The governor's program would make comprehensive health insurance available to children, including doctor's visits, hospital stays, prescription drugs, vision care, dental care and medical devices like eyeglasses and asthma inhalers. Parents will pay monthly premiums and co-payments for doctors' visits and prescription drugs at affordable rates.

[News release from the governor's office]