Illinois Governor Signs Bill To Continue and Expand CHIP Program, Health Coverage for Parents

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) on July 1 signed a bill to make permanent the state's CHIP program, KidCare, and expand the program's eligibility limit, the AP/St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The KidCare program would have expired this month without the bill, according to the AP/Post-Dispatch. The bill raises the income eligibility limit for KidCare from $28,237 to $30,516 per year for a family of three, which will make an additional 20,000 children eligible. The bill also expands FamilyCare, which provides health coverage to uninsured parents whose children are enrolled in Medicaid or KidCare (AP/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/2). The bill raises the income eligibility limit for FamilyCare for a family of four from about $9,000 to $16,560 per year over three years. Under the eligibility revision, 65,000 parents will be able to enroll in the first year and more than 300,000 parents will enroll over three years. The new legislation is expected to cost the state $48 million in fiscal year 2004, according to the Chicago Tribune (Parsons/Chase, Chicago Tribune, 7/2).