Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s All Kids health care program kicks off in less than a month. But a state legislator says there are some eligibility rules that still need to be ironed out. All Kids would provide insurance for children whose parents earn too much to qualify for government assistance but can’t afford private insurance.
State Senator Dan Rutherford is on the committee that will determine the permanent rules of the All Kids program. He says he has some concerns about the current plan.
“The way this rule is written right now, if you are a family of four making $160 thousand, you are still eligible to participate in a government subsidized health insurance program,” he said.
Rutherford also says these issues could’ve been discussed earlier, but the committee was waiting on information from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
A spokesperson for that department says everything is ready to go for the July first start-date. She also says the budget and the number of families signing up for the program are consistent with estimates.