The Pritzker team significantly underestimated the health costs for adults to whom legal status is missing

The administration of governor JB Pritzker underestimated the actual award of a controversial health program for adult immigrants who lack legal status, dramatic and cost the state 1.6 billion US dollars since 2020, as a report by the state’s general auditor on Wednesday was announced.

The investigation by General of Illinois Auditor Frank Mautino was already underway, as Pritzker decided to the program from July 1st – and the new report gives republicans who want to end the program immediately.

The democratic governor last week has excluded his financing of health services for adults with immigrants who lacked health care for immigrants who lacked legal status between the ages of 42 and 64. Last year, Pritzker entered 629 million US dollars to grant immigrants without legal status of 42 and up, and seniors who would otherwise qualify for Medicaid.

Mautino’s report, which was triggered by a resolutions of the legislative Audit Commission in November 2023, shows that the initial cost estimates for the program for seniors were estimated to be $ 224 million for 2021, 2022 and 2023 – but actually cost the state $ 412.3 million or 84% more.

For the program for adults between the ages of 55 and 64, the first estimates cost $ 58.4 million for these years, but actually cost the state $ 223 million or 282% more. For the program for those aged 42 to 54, the cost estimate was $ 68 million, but ultimately cost the state $ 262 million.

The registration was also greatly underestimated, the report said. For the program for seniors aged 65 and over, the initial estimated number of registered 6,700 was more than twice as large: 15,831.

For the program for people between the ages of 42 and 54, the estimated number of participants was 18,800, while the actual number of actual number was 36,912. The initial estimate was 8,000 for the program between the ages of 55 and 64, but the actual number of persons registered was 17.024.

The report also resulted in bright mistakes, including that 478 inscribed people had two or more identification numbers of recipients. And 6,098 people were referred to as “undocumented”, but had social security numbers. The examiners also found 688 participants who were shown for seniors for the program but were not 65 years old.

During a news information in Chicago on Wednesday, Pritzker revealed some of the errors given in the exam and focused on the fleeting nature of immigration status. He also spoke of his support for universal health care.

“I think what is missing in the reporting and what I would point out to you is that number one changes over the course of a year. They have people who were entitled to the program that were not approved for the program, ”said Pritzker.

“Although they expect people to continue because it may be their immigration status, this can be because they have a job that has been completed with health care,” added Pritzker. “But they expect to continue and maybe they have not developed because they didn’t know that they could (or).”

The governor said that the litigation process will suspend those who are not eligible. But he admitted that these people still cost state money.

“People are removed from the program due to the resolution,” said Pritzker. “But before they are redefined to not be justified, they were still in the program and that cost the tax money.”

The Republican leader of Illinois House, Toni McCombie, R-Savanna, asks Pritzker to end the program now instead of waiting until July 1st.

“In addition to the overwhelming costs, reports of fraud and abuse make even clearer that this program has to end,” said Mccombie in an explanation. “It is not necessary to wait until the next financial year – completed it immediately and protect the taxpayers from Illinois.”

The Republicans of the Senate of Illinois also criticized the program and proposed to examine all editions for adult programs with a migration background that have no legal status.

“This program cost the taxpayers from Illinois millions of dollars, dollars that should never be discontinued for reporting, both not properly in the program or not the federal reimbursement if they were justified,” said the Republican leader of Illinois Senate, John Curran, R-Downers Grove.

“This really shows that this is mostly part,” continued Curran, “but part of the expenses for the immigrant population without papers that the state of Illinois takes over to the taxpayers of Illinois without ensuring transparency.”