Healthcare experts, public officials, community leaders, and supporters rallied in downtown Chicago to demand that the state restore cuts made in healthcare coverage for undocumented immigrants and work with community stakeholders towards coverage for all. A video replay of rally can be viewed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HealthyIL. The cuts made to the state’s Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults/Seniors (HBIA/S) program in June, paused enrollment for adults ages 42-64, and capped enrollment for those 65 and over. It also authorized a host of other changes, including increased co-pays and reduced hospital reimbursements, jeopardizing healthcare access for thousands of undocumented immigrants

Rally speakers included State Senator Javier Cervantes, State Senator Mike Simmons, State Representative Theresa Mah, and Cook County Commissioner Anthony Quezada, as well as beneficiaries of the HBIA and HBIS programs. In 2020, Illinois became the first state to offer healthcare coverage to all low-income seniors, regardless of immigration status and later expanded the program to include adults ages 42-64. The new rules went into effect July 1 and required enrollees to pay a $250 copay for inpatient hospital stays, $100 for emergency room visits, and 10 percent of the Medicaid reimbursement rate for outpatient surgery. But on September 5, the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services told providers to stop charging co-pays and refund any money they had collected because the federal government already offers reimbursements for emergency room services, even for undocumented immigrants.