A new program that offers medical insurance to children in Illinois is scheduled to start tomorrow. But the president of the Illinois State Medical Society says doctors still don’t know how All Kids is going to work.
Dr. Peter Eupierre questions how patients will know which doctor they’re assigned to, and how they can get tests, or be referred to a specialist. “Our worry is, tomorrow, any of those children have a medical problem, how are they supposed to get to us, and how do we know how to take care of them?”
Eupierre says doctors don’t even know how the referral system will work.
All Kids offers coverage to residents who cannot afford private insurance for their kids. The cost is on a sliding scale.
State officials say the program will work because it builds on existing programs.