Illinois Spends $55 Mil To Insure Illegal Immigrants

Last Updated: Mon, 06/07/2010 - 10:56am


A universal children’s health insurance program created by Illinois’ corrupt former governor is covering mostly illegal immigrants and costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars amid a perplexing $13 billion state budget deficit.

About 75% of the children enrolled in the All Kids Health Care program (also known as KidCare) are illegal aliens and the annual cost of covering them is nearly $55 million, according to a state audit of the 5-year-old insurance program. The findings, issued recently by the Illinois State Auditor General, are detailed in a 14-page report that’s been largely ignored by the mainstream media.

It reveals that two-thirds of the 71,665 children enrolled in the program in 2009 are undocumented immigrants. Illinois taxpayers dished out an astounding $54.9 million to provide them with medical insurance that year alone and there’s no telling what future tabs will be as the enrollees grow.

When former Governor Rod Blagojevich, whose federal corruption trial is set to begin this week, proudly signed legislation to create the insurance program, he assured it would help families who can’t afford health insurance but “are doing everything they’re supposed to do—working hard, paying their taxes.â€