By Illinois Review
Illinois taxpayers have quietly shelled out more than $1.6 billion – and counting – for free health care to illegal aliens under Gov. JB Pritzker’s “migrant health care” programs. By next year, that number is expected to reach nearly $2.5 billion, according to state audits and multiple news reports.
A new performance audit by the Illinois Auditor General paints a troubling picture of exploding costs and poor oversight in two state programs: the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA) and the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors (HBIS) initiatives.
These programs provide free taxpayer-funded health coverage to non-citizens who are ineligible for Medicaid because of their immigration status – including thousands of illegal immigrants.
Between Fiscal Years 2021 and 2023, Illinois spent just under $898 million on these programs. The audit shows that state agencies dramatically underestimated costs from the very beginning.
For example, the Pritzker administration projected the senior (HBIS) program would cost $224 million, but it ballooned to $412 million. The adult (HBIA) program was expected to cost $126 million combined over two years – but actually cost $485 million.
In other words, Pritzker’s team missed the mark by $547 million – and taxpayers are footing the bill.
By July 2024, total spending on both programs had already exceeded $1.6 billion, according to Illinois Policy Institute’s review of state data. Capitol News Illinois and WTTW both confirmed the same figure, citing the Auditor General’s findings.
Even worse, FY 2024 alone added another $719 million to the total – bringing the state’s migrant health tab close to $2 billion.
And this fiscal hemorrhage isn’t stopping. Analysts warn that by the end of 2025, Illinois will have spent more than $2.5 billion covering the health costs of noncitizens, including those here illegally. The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) projects the HBIA program alone could cost $404 million in FY 2025, with HBIS adding another $134 million.
Pritzker insists these programs reflect Illinois’ “compassionate values.” But taxpayers call it a moral betrayal – a system that prioritizes illegal aliens over law-abiding citizens, even as Illinois families face record property taxes, crumbling infrastructure, and soaring crime.
Worse, the state can’t even say for sure who is receiving benefits. The audit revealed that more than 6,000 enrollees had Social Security numbers, suggesting some recipients may not even be undocumented.
Facing backlash, the administration quietly moved to phase out HBIA beginning in July 2025. But critics say that’s too little, too late.
Illinois’ generosity toward illegal immigrants stands in sharp contrast to its neglect of working families and veterans. While seniors and small businesses struggle under some of the nation’s highest taxes, Springfield’s Democratic leadership has diverted billions to fund free health care for those who broke the law to enter the country.
The bottom line: under JB Pritzker, Illinois isn’t just a sanctuary state – it’s becoming a sanctuary welfare state. And taxpayers are paying the price.
By Mark Vargas, Editor-in-Chief & Opinion ContributorWhile Illinois families struggle under the nation's highest property taxes, rising living costs, and seemingly endless tax increases, state law continues to...
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