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On October 19, 2023, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services announced that a temporary pause on enrollment into the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors Program (HBIS) will take effect on November 6, 2023. Eligible individuals who are not yet enrolled in the program should make every effort to enroll by Sunday, November 5th.
Background
HBIS is a state-funded program that provides health care to Illinois residents who do not meet the requirements for federally-funded Medicaid coverage due to immigration status. Under HBIS, Illinois residents who are 65 years old or older, a lawful permanent resident (green card) for less than five years, or an undocumented immigrant, and who meet income and asset limits are eligible for health coverage. Please follow this link for details about covered medical services and eligibility.
On July 1, 2023, HFS issued emergency rules to address concerns that healthcare costs could exceed allocated budget for the program. These rules included notice that enrollment in the HBIS program would be capped at 16,500 enrollees. Further information on these rules is can be found in this June 20, 2023 Avisery alert.
On October 19, 2023, HFS issued a public notice announcing that the program was reaching its enrollment cap and a pause in enrollment would go into effect on November 6, 2023.
Options for Enrolling in HBIS
Individuals can enroll in HBIS using any of the following methods:
Online: www.ABE.illinois.gov
Phone: ABE Customer Call Center at 1-800-843-6154 or
by contacting a Community Service Agency Serving Immigrants (help is available in 59 languages)
Pape (mail or fax) : Paper applications are available in English or Spanish
Sample Social Media Posts
The Healthy Illinois Campaign has provided sample social media posts that can be used to share information about the enrollment pause. Links to editable versions of the posts can be found here.
Ongoing Health Care Access for the Uninsured
For those eligible older immigrant adults who fail to submit an application before the HBIA enrollment pause goes into effect, help locating providers who treat the uninsured is available. The Health Resources and Services Administration provides a locator tool for sites receiving federal funding to provide community health care regardless of ability to pay: Find a Health Center (hrsa.gov).
As always, If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at avisery@ageoptions.org or call 708.628.3440.
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