Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed his much-touted All Kids insurance program into law on Tuesday, setting in motion an intense campaign to enroll thousands of children in the statewide health care plan.
State officials hope to enroll 50,000 children who do not currently have insurance during its first year, as many as possible before the benefits kick in in July.
Before then, the state’s Department of Healthcare and Family Services will begin to develop a network of health-care providers and link them with patients. The state will pay fees to physicians for particular services and for acting as primary-care case managers.
State public aid officials estimate there are as many as 250,000 Illinois children without health insurance, roughly half of whom don’t currently qualify for state-subsidized health-care coverage because their families make too much money. Others are eligible but have never enrolled.
The All Kids program will be available for any uninsured child whose family chooses to apply, with monthly premiums calculated on a sliding scale based on annual income.
Critics have questioned whether the state can get such a massive program up and running in less than a year. Essentially ,the state must create from scratch a new managed-care organization. So far the administration has provided few details.
But agency officials say they will enlist the help of schools, businesses, health-care providers and community organizations to recruit participants, while attracting doctors with a favorable payment schedule.
The state is soliciting applications on the Internet at www.allkidscovered.com. On that site, families can request more information about the program and how to apply for it.
All children in the state who have gone without health insurance for more than a year can now apply for the program.
Next summer, the program will be open to children who have not had health insurance in 2006. Beginning in 2007, the program will be open to children who have gone without insurance coverage for at least 12 consecutive months.
Families earning up to $79,999 each year will pay monthly premiums of $40 to $70 per child for up to two children. Other children in the family will be covered at no cost if the parents earn less than $100,000.
Families earning more than that can also join the program, but they will pay higher rates.
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