More low-income families eligible for state health insurance starting Sunday

December 28, 2005 - An additional 56,000 low-income families will be eligible for state-sponsored health insurance starting Sunday.



An expansion in the FamilyCare program raises the qualifying income limit to 185 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $36,000 for a family of four.

"When parents are healthy, they're better able to deal with the challenges of raising their children, and are more productive at work," Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who has made health care for the poor a priority of his administration, said in a prepared statement.



Children of low-income working parents also are eligible for state health care through the KidCare program, which is open to families making up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level.



Families may enroll in FamilyCare and KidCare online at www.kidcareillinois.com or by calling toll-free at (866) 4-OUR-KIDS or (866) ALL-KIDS.



The programs are aimed at families who earn too much to qualify for the Medicaid health care program but too little to buy private insurance. The federal government pays 65 percent of the programs' costs.



Blagojevich earlier this month announced preregistration for a new program called All Kids, which essentially offers insurance to all children in the state, based on their families' ability to pay.