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At one point or another, nearly everyone has lived through the experience of seeing a loved one cope with sickness or a serious injury. You only have to go through that experience once to know just how much it means to have health insurance. Yet more than a quarter of a million children right here in Illinois do not have health insurance. That means they can’t see a doctor or get medicine when they need to. When they do get medical care, it’s often in the emergency room, after a small problem has grown into a big problem. That’s wrong. I believe every child should be able to get medical care when they need it, before it becomes an emergency.
That’s why I created the All Kids program: to make health care a reality for hundreds of thousands of families across the state. Illinois is the first state in the nation to provide affordable, comprehensive health insurance for every child. Of the 250,000 children in Illinois without health insurance, more than half come from working and middle class families who earn too much to qualify for state programs like KidCare, but not enough to afford private health insurance. Through All Kids, comprehensive health insurance is available to every uninsured child at rates their parents can afford.
The All Kids program offers Illinois’ uninsured children comprehensive health care that includes doctor’s visits, hospital stays, prescription drugs, vision care, dental care and medical devices like eyeglasses and asthma inhalers. Parents pay monthly premiums for the coverage, but rates for middle-income families are significantly lower than they are on the private market. For instance, a family of four that earns between $42,000 and $63,000 a year pays a $40 monthly premium per child, and a $10 co-pay per physician visit. To get enrollment information, fill out the application today. The program officially began on July 1, 2006.
We know providing every child with health coverage means better attendance and performance in our schools. We know it reduces the pressure on insurance premiums. We also know it can boost our local economies and improve productivity in the workplace. But more than any of these things, giving every child the chance to grow up healthy is the right thing to do.
Sincerely,
Rod R. Blagojevich
All Kids Hotline 1-866-ALL-KIDS (1-866-255-5437)
TTY: 1-877-204-1012
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