On April 18th, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, “Covering All Kids” bill sponsor Representative Lisa Hernandez, Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Felicia Norwood, Minority leaders Jim Durkin and Patricia Bellock passed HB 5736 “Covering All Kids” in the House of Representatives by a vote of 77 to 38. “Thanks to the leadership of Speaker Madigan, Representative Hernandez, Minority leaders Durkin and Bellock, the Illinois House of Representative approved ‘Covering All Kids’ with robust bipartisanship to ensure that every child in the state has access to a healthy life regardless of their immigration status,” said William Kunkler III, co-chairman of the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition, “This commonsense legislation is morally right, economically sound and politically smart.”

“As one of the largest health care providers for low income and undocumented immigrants in Illinois, Alivio Medical Centers thanks the Illinois House for passing HB5736 “Covering All Kids” to provide health care for our most vulnerable children regardless of their immigration status, said Esther Corpuz, Alivio Medical Center CEO “We urge the Senate and Governor to approve.” HB 5736 “Covering All Kids” moves to the Illinois Senate and Governor Rauner for approval. The Covering All Kids Health Insurance Act covers an estimated 41,000 children from working poor families regardless of their immigration status. The program is the result of a bi-partisan policy decision made in Illinois a decade ago and renewed consistently by Democrat and Republican Governors since then, that in Illinois all children are treated equally and have access to health coverage. The Covering All Kids Act ensures that every child has a relationship with a doctor, receives preventive care, early diagnosis and treatment, and the best health outcomes. Under current law, The Covering All Kids Act sunsets July 1, 2016. HB5736 extends the program to October 1, 2019.