A socially distanced press conference to highlight the inclusion of the Healthy Illinois for All bill in the Budget Implementation Plan (BIMP) took place on Tuesday at the Alivio Medical Center parking lot. Last year, Illinois became the first state in the nation to provide Medicaid-like coverage to low-income seniors over the age of 65. With the recent passage of new legislation, Illinois builds upon this legacy by extending coverage to low-income adults ages 55 through 64. This is a monumental and critical step toward expanding healthcare coverage to all undocumented, uninsured Illinoisans – the largest group of residents in Illinois without coverage. The provision in the budget will:

• Extend Medicaid-like eligibility to all low-income Illinois residents aged 55-64, with household incomes of up to 138 percent FPL ($17,774 for an individual) regardless of immigration status.

• Provide comprehensive health coverage to approximately 11,000 older adults – while Healthy Illinois continues its push for comprehensive, affordable coverage for the remaining 149,000 low-income Illinois residents in 2022.

Speakers at the press conference included, Graciela Guzman, Healthy Illinois Campaign; Carmen Velazquez, Alivio Medical Center; and Erendira Rendon, The Resurrection Project to name a few.