Kendall County Times

Anywhere from 380,000 to 700,000 Illinois residents will lose access to Medicaid beginning in July once the government insurance plan for low-income Americans resumes a re-determination process that routinely drops individuals if they no longer qualify, Crain's Chicago Business reported.                     

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the federal government issued billions of extra dollars to Medicaid programs across the country to ensure Americans had health insurance during the worst public health emergency in memory. In exchange, state Medicaid programs were required to pause re-determinations, the story said.

"Now that pandemic-era protections are ending, we are making sure every eligible Illinoisan has the information they need to renew their coverage—whether they’re watching TV, reading the newspaper, riding the bus to work, or listening to their favorite radio station,” Illinois Gov. J.B.Pritzker said in a statement.  "We are making sure every eligible Illinoisan has the information they need to renew their coverage."  

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as re-determinations were paused, Illinois Medicaid grew to cover around 3.9 million people, up from 2.9 million before the pandemic, Crain's reported. 

As of 2021, Illinois’ uninsured rate sat at 7%, according to the United Health Foundation, the story said. That's down from 7.4% in 2019 but still higher than a low of 6.5% in 2016. 

“We are doing everything we can to preserve coverage for everyone who is eligible,” Illinois Deparmtent of Healthcare and Family Family Services Director Theresa Eagleson said in a statement. “Historically, almost half the people who lose coverage did not respond to their renewal notice. If everybody pitches in to spread the word and help customers get ready, we can make a huge difference in the tragic gap in health equity for hundreds of thousands of people.”