Quincy Reporter

Jill Tracy, Illinois State Senate District 50 Senator, expressed concerns over budget failures related to the immigrant healthcare program. She said that these issues "highlight a significant lapse in fiscal planning, burdening Illinois taxpayers with the excess." This statement was made in a Facebook post on March 5.

"Auditors found more than 6,000 enrollees listed as “undocumented” who actually had Social Security Numbers, raising concerns about the state's failure to properly verify eligibility," said Tracy, State Senator, according to Facebook. "The audit also uncovered massive cost overruns in the 42-54 age group, where costs nearly tripled the budgeted amount. These budget failures highlight a significant lapse in fiscal planning, burdening Illinois taxpayers with the excess. Senate Bill 1699 would require detailed annual reports on all taxpayer-funded programs for migrants, including healthcare, housing, legal aid, and other services."

According to an audit, discrepancies were found in enrollment numbers and costs compared to initial estimates for the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors (HBIS) program. In the 2023 fiscal year, HBIS had 15,831 enrollees, far exceeding the estimated 6,700. Similarly, the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA) program surpassed projections with 36,912 enrollees for adults aged 42-54, double the anticipated number of 18,800. The program for adults aged 55-64 also exceeded expectations with 17,024 enrollees against an estimate of 8,000. These findings were reported by CapitolFax.

Screenshot of State Senator Jil Tracy's March 5 Facebook post | State Senator Jil Tracy's Facebook page

The audit further noted that as of January, 21,362 individuals had been removed from the HBIS and HBIA programs due to eligibility or procedural reasons. An additional 1,490 individuals were removed and enrolled in other programs. It was also revealed that poor data entry and lack of internal controls led to some enrollees having multiple Recipient Identification Numbers. Specifically, 79 individuals under age 65 were mistakenly enrolled in HBIS due to incorrect birthdates but later corrected. Moreover, it was found that 394 individuals who had been legally in the U.S. for more than five years were eligible for Medicaid yet enrolled in these programs incorrectly.

Senate Bill 1699 proposes increased transparency regarding spending on noncitizen populations. If enacted, it would require state agencies like the Department of Human Services to create annual reports detailing expenditures on noncitizens and asylum seekers. Starting Fiscal Year 2027, both Governor's budget proposals and General Assembly appropriations would need to include detailed accounts of such funds.

Tracy has represented Illinois' 50th Senate District since 2022 after serving eight years in the state House of Representatives from 2006 to 2014. During her tenure as a State Representative, she participated in the Rod Blagojevich impeachment committee. Tracy has experience working in private law and served as Mt. Sterling City Attorney before becoming an Assistant Illinois Attorney General under Jim Ryan and Lisa Madigan. She resides in Quincy with her husband and their four children.