Illinois

Change to immigrant health care programs in Illinois will cause up to 6,000 to lose benefits

Published

2 years ago

March 12, 2024

Change to immigrant health care programs in Illinois will cause up to 6,000 to lose benefits

SPRINGFIELD — Thousands of non-U.S. citizens living in Illinois will no longer receive state-funded health care benefits as Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration looks for ways to cut the costs of two programs that came close to derailing state budget talks last year.

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services projects that as many as 6,000 people will lose coverage by next month when the state stops offering the programs’ benefits to those who have green cards but have not completed a five-year waiting period in the U.S.

Individuals in that category will no longer be eligible for the benefits provided through two programs, Health Benefits of Immigrant Adults and Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors, by May 1. The affected individuals would then have to reapply for coverage through the federal Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace, which provides subsidies to noncitizens who are living in the country legally, the department said.

“It is important to note that all of the enrollee groups identified for changes … have alternative coverage options,” HFS spokesperson Jamie Munks said in an email. “These individuals will qualify for Medicaid coverage if they meet the eligibility requirements once they have been in the country for five years. We understand this creates turbulence for these individuals in their medical coverage and will do everything we can to help make the transition as smooth as possible.”

Munks said HFS is working with the state’s Department of Insurance to ensure that so-called navigators can assist these recipients with enrolling in a new plan.

The state budgeted $550 million for the programs last year, and Pritzker is proposing $440 million for them during the fiscal year that begins July 1. During a meeting before the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules on Tuesday, Healthcare and Family Services chief of staff Dana Kelly said removing the designated group recipients from the two programs would save a little over $13 million.

“We will be notifying them in the next week of that change and they will be made eligible for a special enrollment period on the Health Insurance Marketplace,” she said.

State Rep. Norma Hernandez, a Democrat from Melrose Park, criticized the changes as a “short-term cost-saving measure, not a long term” solution, and raised concerns about whether the navigators will suffice to help thousands of people through a complicated enrollment process that could be complicated by language barriers with only about a month and a half left before their state-funded health care expires.

“Even for me, and I have an education, I have a health care background, a master’s, it’s hard for me to navigate and understand copays, deductibles, all of that stuff,” Hernandez said. “I actually have a decent way of living, right? And then there’s folks that make less than $30K a year, less than $20K a year, and are now going to have to figure out how to pay for health care.”

In addition to proposing $440 million from the state’s general revenue fund for the programs in the coming year, Pritzker also proposed that an additional outlay of nearly $200 million could be allocated toward the two programs through other revenue streams. More than half of that would come from a federal match to emergency services funding.

Illinois initially offered the health care benefits in 2020. The programs initially provided Medicaid-style coverage to immigrants 65 and older who were in the country without legal permission, or who had green cards but haven’t completed a five-year waiting period and are therefore ineligible for the traditional health insurance program for
the poor, which is jointly funded by the federal government. The programs have been expanded twice and now cover those 42 and older.

The two programs launched in Illinois at a time when Medicaid redeterminations — annual checks that verify whether an enrollee is eligible for that benefit — were put on pause by the federal government during the COVID-19 pandemic. Munks said this year will be the first time enrollees in the state-funded immigrant health care programs, which are separate from Medicaid, will be subject to redetermination.

The health care programs became a major sticking point in budget negotiations last year. In his budget proposal a year ago, Pritzker pitched $220 million for the program. But as projected costs rose to $1.1 billion, he ended up striking a deal that set aside $550 million for the benefits.

The subsequent move to limit enrollment drew criticism from Latino communities at the time. The group Healthy Illinois, which advocated for the program, called Pritzker’s decision “immoral and fiscally short-sighted.”

Senate Republicans, meanwhile, this year indicated they had issues with continuing to fund the program.

Prior to the funding issues last year, Pritzker had said he believes “everyone, regardless of documentation status, deserves access to holistic health care coverage.”

The programs do not extend to the asylum-seekers primarily arriving in Chicago from Texas.

Olander reported and Laura Rodriguez Presa contributed from Chicago.

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Illinois

New building owner addresses backlash over mural in downtown Springfield

Published

8 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

New building owner addresses backlash over mural in downtown Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – A long-standing mural honoring Robert E. Smith on the side of a building at Campbell and Walnut has been covered up, prompting community backlash against the building’s new owner.

David Pere, owner of FMTM LLC, purchased the building in downtown Springfield and said he intended it to reflect his business, which focuses on helping veterans with financial strategies and goals. Covering the mural was part of that plan.

Pere said he was out of town in Tennessee when painting began and learned about the community reaction through messages on his phone.

“I’m like, I was in Tennessee running an event. I didn’t even know he’d started painting until I got a bunch of really nasty messages on my phone,” Pere said. “And I go, oh, look, that’s our building getting painted. I guess he started.”

Pere said he did not anticipate the response. “You know, we didn’t. I didn’t know how much of an impact this was going to make,” he said.

Jesse Tyler, co-owner of SGFCO, said he wanted the mural to stay and expressed concern about the lack of safeguards for publicly recognized works of art.

“To paint over that is to say, like, could be interpreted as saying that his work is no longer relevant or that his story is no longer relevant. I don’t think that’s true,” Tyler said. “Robert’s artwork needs to be part of downtown for as long as we can maintain that memory and maintain that legacy.”

Tyler said the community had hoped protections would be in place for the mural. “Maybe we didn’t have those protections that we hope there would be, that maybe the sort of legacy and awareness of Robert’s work that we hope there would be wasn’t there,” he said.

The City of Springfield posted online, acknowledging the artwork held deep meaning for many residents. Because the building is privately owned, however, Pere is within his rights to make changes to its exterior.

Pere said he hopes to help relocate the mural to a more permanent location. “We want to help migrate that mural to a wall where it could be more permanent,” he said. “I’d love to help them find a space for it. I’d love to help. I’d love to see the city get involved to the point where that space could be a permanent space where it’s actually maintained because it is obvious now that it is very important to the city of Springfield.”

Pere is already working with an artist on a new mural for the side of the building, intended to represent veterans. That mural is expected to begin going up at the end of the month.

To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.

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Illinois

Missed the lunar eclipse? See when the next one will be over Illinois

Published

21 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Missed the lunar eclipse? See when the next one will be over Illinois

Millions across the United States who woke up early Tuesday were treated to a “blood moon,” the only total lunar eclipse occurring in North America in 2026, according to NASA.

Illinois residents who missed it will be waiting some time for the next total lunar eclipse to shine above the U.S. — several years, in fact. But a partial lunar eclipse is coming sooner.

When is the next total lunar eclipse in Illinois?

After March 3, Illinois’ next visible total lunar eclipse won’t happen again until June 2029, writes Time and Date. There is a partial lunar eclipse coming sooner, however.

Others are reading: Free Full Moon Queso at Qdoba. How to get in Illinois

When is the next lunar eclipse?

A partial lunar eclipse will be visible in Illinois on Aug. 27-28, shining over the Americas, Europe, Africa and parts of Asia, according to NASA.

Provided you’re willing to stay up late to see it, the partial lunar eclipse will be at its maximum around 11:12 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27, in Illinois.

Until then, here’s what people in parts of the U.S. were seeing Tuesday morning.

See photos of the March 3 total lunar eclipse

Calendar of upcoming eclipses

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next solar eclipse will be visible to roughly 980 million people on Aug. 12, 2026, writes Time and Date.

A total solar eclipse will occur over Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small area of Portugal, while a partial eclipse will be visible in Europe, Africa, North America, the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean and Pacific Ocean, NASA reports.

Need help finding stars, planets and constellations? Try these free astronomy apps

The following free astronomy apps can help you locate stars, planets, and constellations.

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Illinois

Illinois lawmakers consider tightening DUI law to 0.05 BAC

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Illinois lawmakers consider tightening DUI law to 0.05 BAC

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. (First Alert 4) – Right now, in Illinois, Missouri and most of the country, drivers must be at or over 0.08 to get a DUI. A proposal in the Illinois Statehouse would lower that threshold.

“Make it as safe as you possibly can out there,” said John Sapolis.

Collinsville resident John Sapolis said while lowering Illinois’ DUI threshold would not affect him, as he rarely drinks, he likes the idea of getting drinkers off the road.

“It’s bad enough out there driving around with people who are not drinking,” said Sapolis.

If a bill passes in the Illinois House of Representatives, the blood alcohol limit would be lowered, meaning fewer drinks could put somebody over the line for a DUI.

Two Chicago-area lawmakers propose lowering the threshold from 0.08 to 0.05.

“Your body still is not in a proper state to really be behind the wheel,” said Erin Doherty, Regional Executive Director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Doherty said even at 0.05, drivers are less coordinated and cannot track moving objects as well as when they are sober.

Utah is the only state in the country to have the 0.05 limit, and Doherty said one in five drivers there changed their behavior.

“There are so many other options before getting behind the wheel,” said Doherty.

Sara Floyd used to live in Utah and now calls Collinsville home.

“The Midwest people like to have a few beers while they watch their Little League games

“In Utah, you can barely get alcohol at a gas station,” said Floyd.

She said the culture in Utah is very different and thinks there should be some wiggle room for drivers.

“If one person had a beer within an hour period and then drove, they shouldn’t get a DUI for one drink,” said Floyd.

Doherty said they do not recommend driving even after a single drink.

“You really should not get behind the wheel when you’re any kind of impaired, one drink, five drinks, whatever that looks like, just don’t drive,” said Doherty.

While each body processes alcohol differently, according to the National Library of Medicine, in a two-hour period it takes a 170-pound man three to four drinks to reach 0.05, and it takes a 137-pound woman two to three drinks to reach the same state.

April Sage said she does not think this law would work, saying instead it would help more if the state added more public transit.

“I could have three beers and get a ride home safely,” said Sage.

First Alert 4 reached out to a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Transportation to see if they had any comments on this bill. The spokesperson said they are not going to comment because it is pending legislation.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, fatal crashes involving one driver who had been drinking increased 4% from 2019 to 2022, despite multiple studies showing fewer Americans are drinking.

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