New Illinois Program Will Provide Reproductive Health Care Services for Women No Longer Eligible for Medicaid

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) on Monday in a written statement announced a new $4.5 million state program that will allow low-income women who no longer qualify for Medicaid to continue to receive reproductive health care services free of charge, the Chicago Sun-Times reports (Griffy, Chicago Sun-Times, 4/19). Women enrolled in the Illinois Healthy Women program will be eligible to receive reproductive health and family planning counseling, an annual physical exam and Pap test, sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment, mammograms, contraceptives, vitamins and surgical sterilization, if desired (Blagojevich release, 4/19). According to officials, the program does not cover abortions because low-income pregnant women automatically receive Medicaid, which covers abortions in the case of rape, incest or if a woman's life is in danger. About 20,000 women are expected to participate in the five-year program, which is expected to reduce by 5,000 the number of unplanned pregnancies in the state and save the state nearly $9 million. The federal government will pay for 90% of the cost of services provided under the program (Chicago Sun-Times, 4/19). Beginning on Monday, the Illinois Department of Public Aid will identify state Medicaid beneficiaries ages 19 to 44 whose Medicaid coverage is expiring and automatically enroll the women in the program for three months, the Chicago Tribune reports. IDPA will send each woman a postcard informing her of her temporary enrollment in the program, and the women must return an attached enrollment form to receive an additional nine months of coverage under the program. After the first year, women will be required to reapply to the program, IDPA spokesperson Mike Claffey said. Although there are no income restrictions during the first year, the agency in subsequent years will limit program participation to women who earn no more than 200% of the federal poverty level, or $2,612 a month for a family of three, Claffey said (Fellers, Chicago Tribune, 4/18). "The goal here is to give women greater control over their lives and to ensure healthier birth outcomes for both mothers and children," Blagojevich said, adding, "We want to empower women and give them the opportunity to determine if and when they want to get pregnant" (Blagojevich release, 4/19).