Local Republicans oppose bill lowering age of Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors program

St. Sen. Sue Rezin and St. Sen. Win Stoller say Democrats grossly underestimated how many people would enroll in the state’s Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors Program. The program was introduced to give healthcare coverage to undocumented immigrants 65 years and old. Now, a bill introduced in the Illinois Senate would allow adults as young as 19 to get coverage. Rezin says if passed, the expansion would add $380 million more, which would cost taxpayers a total of $1.5 billion, even though they would already pay $1.1 billion by next year. Stoller says Gov. Pritzker, who boasted about how the program was the only one of its kind, is now walking back that enthusiasm as costs continue to rise. Both Republican senators bring up the legislation as Title 42, the COVID-19 pandemic policy implemented by then Pres. Donald Trump which slowed the flow of immigrants into the country, has ended.