Lawmakers in Springfield passed a slimmed-down Medicaid omnibus bill this year as state budget constraints and federal funding uncertainties loomed large.
by Peter Hancock Capitol News Illinois
SPRINGFIELD - Nearly every year, Illinois lawmakers pass a package of measures dealing with the state’s Medicaid program, the joint federal and state health care program that covers low-income individuals.
Known as the Medicaid omnibus bill, it sometimes includes bold components, like a 2021 initiative that made millions of dollars available to local communities to help them plan and design their own health care delivery systems. Other packages have focused on smaller changes like guaranteeing coverage for specific conditions and medications or adjusting reimbursement rates for different categories of health care providers.
And most years, the packages receive bipartisan support because they are negotiated, largely behind closed doors, by an unofficial, bipartisan Medicaid Working Group.
This year, however, lawmakers passed one of the narrowest packages in recent memory, due mainly to the Trump administration’s vows to make sweeping cuts in federal funding for the program while state lawmakers faced their own set of budget constraints.
“There were many, many, very worthy program expansions, rate increases that we considered during this process that we were unable to include because of the uncertainty in Washington,” Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, the current chair of the Medicaid Working Group, said on the House floor Saturday.
The Illinois Medicaid program currently costs about $33.7 billion a year, according to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Of that, $20.9 billion, or about 62%, comes from the federal government while much of the state’s share comes from taxes levied on hospitals, nursing homes and managed care organizations – money the state uses to draw down federal matching funds.
The program covers nearly 3.5 million people in Illinois, or about a quarter of the state’s population. According to the nonpartisan health policy think tank KFF, the program pays for 40% of all child births in Illinois while covering 69% of all nursing home residents.
This year’s Medicaid omnibus bill, a 231-page amendment inserted into Senate Bill 2437, contains items that could be hugely beneficial to many Medicaid enrollees, but which don’t carry large price tags. In fact, the entire package is estimated to cost just under $1 million.
One of this year’s additions would make it easier for family members of medically fragile children who qualify for in-home nursing care to receive training to become certified family health aides, a designation that would enable them to administer medications, help with feeding and perform many of the same tasks as a certified nursing assistant.
Another provision would require all hospitals with licensed obstetric beds and birthing centers to adopt written policies that permit patients to have an Illinois Medicaid certified doula of their choosing to accompany them and provide support before, during and after labor and delivery.
Although those provisions enjoyed bipartisan support, another provision that extends coverage to certain categories of noncitizens drew Republican opposition Saturday, resulting in a partisan roll call vote.
The program covers noncitizens who meet the income requirements for Medicaid and have pending applications for asylum in the United States or for special visas as victims of trafficking, torture or other serious crimes. Those individuals can receive coverage for up to 24 months, provided they continue to meet the eligibility requirements.
Moeller said the language was not a new extension of health care benefits to noncitizens, but instead a “technical and administrative fix” to an existing program that had been requested by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
But for Republicans, the programs sounded too similar to the more controversial programs, Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors and Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults, that extend health care to a large category of people who are not U.S. citizens, including some who are in the country illegally.
“For us on this side of the aisle, that is the poison pill,” said Rep. Norine Hammond, R-Macomb, the deputy House minority leader. “So in spite of the fact that we have article after article in here, that is very worthy of a yes vote, I would urge a no vote.”
At Gov. JB Pritzker’s request, the budget bill lawmakers passed Saturday night cancels the program for immigrant adults, which had covered about 31,000 noncitizens age 42-64. But it provides $110 million over the next year, all in state funds, for the immigrant seniors program, which covers about 8,900 noncitizens age 65 and over.
The Medicaid bill passed the House late Saturday night, 76-39. It then passed the Senate shortly after midnight, 36-19.
It next goes to Pritzker’s desk for his consideration.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Throughout the school year, exchange students attend a local high school, participate in community life, and immerse themselves in American customs.
Photo: African Student Association/Unsplash
As families across the country plan for the school year ahead, one nonprofit is inviting them to take part in a cultural exchange that reaches far beyond the classroom. World Heritage International Student Exchange Programs is currently seeking host families willing to welcome international students into their homes for the upcoming school year.
The experience is more than just providing a bed and meals—it’s a chance to share daily life, build lifelong friendships, and foster deeper understanding between cultures. Students, aged 15 to 18, come from over 60 countries, including France, Japan, Italy, Australia, and Denmark. They are carefully selected for their academic performance, English proficiency, and strong personal character.
Five really good reasons to be a host:
1. Cultural Enrichment at Home
You don’t have to travel the world to experience it. Hosting a student brings another culture straight into your living room. Experience new foods, new traditions, even fun phrases in a different language.
2. Lasting International Friendships
You’re not just hosting a student, you’re gaining a new family member. Many families stay in touch for years, visiting each other and celebrating milestones from across the globe.
3. Personal Growth and Family Connection
Welcoming someone new into your space teaches patience and understanding. It often brings families closer together as you all work as a team to make the experience great.
4. Educational Opportunities for All
Your kids (and you!) can learn so much just by chatting at the dinner table. Exchange students bring new perspectives that can spark great conversations and open up your view of the world.
5. Giving Back Without Financial Strain
You provide the home and meals, and the student covers their own spending money and insurance. It’s a rewarding way to make a difference—without breaking the bank.
Host families are diverse and can include empty nesters, single parents, same-sex couples, retirees, or young professionals. What they all share is a willingness to provide a safe, supportive environment that offers encouragement and cultural exchange. The students arrive with their own spending money and health insurance, making hosting financially accessible to most households.
Throughout the school year, exchange students attend a local high school, participate in community life, and immerse themselves in American customs while also sharing their own. For many families, the experience brings a new level of global awareness right into the living room.
In addition to hosting opportunities, World Heritage also connects American students with similar experiences abroad through its study programs, offering them a chance to explore life in another country for a summer, semester, or school year.
Families interested in hosting or exploring study abroad programs can visit www.host.world-heritage.org or contact Debra Garbon at (800) 888-9040 or info@worldheritage.org for more information.
Tagged: how to host an international exchange student, cultural exchange programs for American families, student exchange host family opportunities, benefits of hosting foreign exchange students, nonprofit student exchange programs in the U.S., World Heritage International host family info, exchange students and American high schools
Fatal heart attack risks may be higher during days with extreme heat & air pollution
The combination of soaring heat and smothering fine particulate pollution may double the risk of heart attack death, according to a new study of more than 202,000 heart attack deaths in China. The study published today in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation.
ST. JOSEPH - St. Joseph-Ogden's Tyler Hess is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal in the first half. The junior led the team to a 5-3 win over University High on Wednesday at Dick Duval Field. Hess, who is the top finisher in the area with a hat trick in the team's first three matches this season, will try to make it four in a row in the undefeated Spartans' road game against the Vermilion Valley Conference's Hoopeston Area Cornjerkers on Friday. More photos and a game recap coming soon.
by Peter Hancock
