About All Kids

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor

April 30, 2006
Contact:
Cheryle Jackson 312/8143.3158
Abby Ottenhoff 312/814.3158
Rebecca Rausch 217/782.7355
Gerardo Cardenas 312/814.3158
Christine Glunz (HFS) 312/814.6691
Kathleen Strand (HFS) 312/814.0908

Gov. Blagojevich urges Illinoisans to check eligibility for state healthcare programs during Cover the Uninsured Week May 1-7

Events taking place statewide to assist families in enrollment process; applications for All Kids program now available

CHICAGO – Governor Rod R. Blagojevich urged Illinoisans to check their eligibility for state healthcare programs such as All Kids and FamilyCare, especially during Cover the Uninsured Week, which begins Monday, May 1 and runs through Sunday, May 7, 2006. The Governor’s expansions to current healthcare programs and the creation of new programs have made more Illinoisans eligible for healthcare. Uninsured parents and children can pick up applications and receive assistance throughout the week at events across the state.

“There are parents across Illinois who fear each and every day that their child might get sick or hurt and -- because they are uninsured -- they won’t be able to see a doctor. To me, healthcare shouldn’t be a privilege, it’s a right,” said Gov. Blagojevich. “Through expansions to FamilyCare and new programs like All Kids, we’ve been able to give thousands more people coverage to see a doctor or get medicine when they need it. But there are many others out there who qualify for help, but don’t know it. We hope that through the attention Cover the Uninsured Week generates, more families who are struggling now without healthcare will realize that coverage is available.”

Under the Blagojevich Administration, Illinois has become a national leader in providing access to affordable healthcare coverage. Over the last three years, 400,000 more parents and children in Illinois have healthcare coverage due to the eligibility expansions of existing state healthcare programs. The Governor’s landmark All Kids program makes comprehensive health insurance available to all uninsured children and covers doctor visits, hospital stays, prescription drugs, vision care, dental care, as well as medical devices like eyeglasses and asthma inhalers.

“There are thousands of parents in Illinois who work hard to provide for their families yet healthcare coverage seems out of reach. Over the last three years, Governor Blagojevich has expanded current state programs and created new programs to give more families access to the healthcare coverage they need,” said Barry Maram, Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS). “Now that more people are eligible for the programs it is extremely important that Illinoisans check to see if they are newly eligible for All Kids or FamilyCare so they can become insured.”

Shortly after taking office in 2003, the Governor raised the income eligibility for children under KidCare from 185 percent to 200 percent of the poverty level. In 2003, the Governor raised eligibility for FamilyCare from 49 percent of the poverty level to 90 percent, and in 2004, from 90 percent of the poverty level to 133 percent of the poverty level. Most recently, on January 1, 2006, Governor Blagojevich announced the third FamilyCare expansion that made an additional 56,000 parents eligible for health insurance raising eligibility from 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), which is annual household income of $25,740 for a family of four, to 185 percent of the FPL, which is an annual household income of $35,796 for a family of four. On November 15, 2005, the Governor signed his landmark All Kids program into law, making Illinois the first state in the nation to provide affordable, comprehensive health insurance for every child in the state.

Under the Governor’s All Kids program, parents will pay monthly premiums and co-payments for doctor visits and prescription drugs at affordable rates. For example, a family with two children that earns between $40,000 and $59,999 a year will pay a $40 monthly premium per child and a $10 co-pay per visit to a physician. A family with two children earning between $60,000 and $79,999 will pay a $70 monthly premium per child and a $15 co-pay per visit to a physician. However, there will be no co-pays for preventative care visits, such as annual immunizations and regular check ups, as well as screenings for vision, hearing, appropriate development and preventative dental.

Applications for the All Kids program are now available for families interested in enrolling in the program, which will begin July 1st. A child’s parent, guardian or relative can fill out the application. Once the application form is received, HFS processes the information and mails a letter to the home explaining the next steps in the process. Families that have pre-registered for the program are receiving a partially filled out application in the mail based on the information provided during pre-registration.

The Governor’s office has been working with local leaders and community organizations across the state to increase public awareness about the All Kids program. Families can apply for the program by attending upcoming All Kids registration events happening statewide, by calling 1-866-ALL-KIDS to receive an application form by mail or by visiting www.allkidscovered.com.

For those families applying online at www.allkidscovered.com, they can choose to be contacted via email or by mail for completion of the enrollment process. Children who are determined to be eligible for KidCare can apply immediately to receive health coverage. Families not currently eligible for KidCare can apply to receive benefits through All Kids beginning July 1, 2006. Completed application forms can be mailed to All Kids , P.O. Box 19122, Springfield, IL 62794-9805 or collected at application sites across the state.

Over the last three years, Governor Rod R. Blagojevich has vastly increased access to affordable and comprehensive healthcare in Illinois. For children, families, women, and seniors, the Governor has expanded coverage and reduced costs to ensure that people have the vital access they need.

Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured: In September, 2005, the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, one of the nation’s most respected independent health policy research organizations, released a report finding that Illinois, for the second year in a row, is leading the nation in delivering healthcare coverage for children and parents. Illinois’ ranking comes as a result of Governor Blagojevich’s expansions and outreach for the KidCare and FamilyCare health programs that provide affordable coverage to working men and women and their children.

Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program: Recognizing that early detection and treatment are two of the most powerful weapons we have in the fight against cervical and breast cancer, Governor Blagojevich announced his plans to expand the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP). The expansion makes breast and cervical cancer screening available for an additional 7,000 women and treatment for approximately 500 women who are diagnosed with either breast or cervical cancer. The plan would expand IBCCP, so more women could qualify, and allow women who were diagnosed by their doctor to receive treatment through the program.

Illinois Healthy Women: In 2004, the Governor created the Illinois Healthy Women program that offers comprehensive women’s services to ensure a healthy transition for the over 100,000 women moving off of Medicaid. Since it’s inception in 2004, the Illinois Healthy Women program has helped women stay healthy by providing comprehensive reproductive healthcare coverage, including annual physicals, pap smears, mammograms, screening and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, multi-vitamins (including folic acid), and contraceptives. In July 2005, Governor Blagojevich requested approval from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to expand the Illinois Healthy Women program for an additional 50,000 women.

Expansion to FamilyCare and KidCare: As mentioned above, shortly after taking office in 2003, the Governor raised the income eligibility for children under KidCare from 185 percent to 200 percent of the FPL. The Governor has raised eligibility for the FamilyCare program three times since taking office.

Events are taking place statewide throughout Cover the Uninsured Week May 1 - 7. Below is a listing of some of the locations Illinoisans can find information about the state’s healthcare programs and a complete listing of events of events can be found at: http://covertheuninsured.org/events/?StateID=IL

Date	Name of Event	Address	Time
5/1	All Kids Booth St. John's Hospital Cover the Uninsured Week	St. John's Cafeteria Springfield	11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
5/1	Community Health Care Moline Clinic	Moline Clinic 1803 7th Street Moline, IL	1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
5/1	Visiting Nurse Association of Fox Valley	1259 E. Wilson Batavia, IL	10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
5/2	Wellness Center St. Anthony’s Center	Alton Square Mall Homer Adams Parkway Alton	3:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
5/2	Cover the Uninsured Week Resource Table	Unity Temple 875 Lake St. Oak Park	7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
5/2	Cover the Uninsured Week Sign up Table Bi-lingual	Advocate IL Masonic Hospital 836 W. Wellington Chicago	2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
5/3	3rd Annual Cover the Uninsured Week Health Fair	Truman College 1145 West Wilson Chicago	11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
5/3	All Kids Presentation & Booth	Mexican Consulate 204 S. Ashland Chicago	8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
5/3	All Kids Booth St. John’s Hospital Cover the Uninsured Week	St. John's Cafeteria Springfield	11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
5/3	St. Anthony's Health Center Cardiovascular Risk Screenings	St. Anthony's Health Center 1 St. Anthony's Way Alton	2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
5/4	Pike County Health & Resource Fair	Crossroad Center 125 W. Jefferson Pittsfield	10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
5/4	All Kids Booth St. John’s Hospital Cover the Uninsured Week	St. John's Cafeteria Springfield	11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
5/5	Harrisburg Medical Center Cover the Uninsured Week	Harrisburg Medical Center 100 Doctor Warren Tuttel Dr. Harrisburg, IL	8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
5/5	All Kids Presentation & Booth	Mexican Consulate 204 S. Ashland Chicago	8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
5/6	Community Benefits Day	Dixon Elementary School 8306 South St. Lawrence Ave. Chicago	10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
5/6	All Kids Enrollment Event	Keller Jr. High 820 Bode Rd. Schaumburg	9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
5/6	Health Fair	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints 5100 N. Springfield Ave. Chicago	9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
5/6	All Kids Booth Young Women's Leadership Charter School	Leadership Charter School 2641 S. Calumet St. Chicago	9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
5/6	Senator Axley's Children's Health Fair	Grove Jr. High School Elk Grove Village	9 a.m. - 12 p.m.