The Path to Universal Health Coverage for Children in Illinois

by JOHN M. BOUMAN

The All Kids Health Insurance Act, which creates the All Kids program to provide health insurance to every child in Illinois regardless of income or status, was signed into law on November 15, 2005, by Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich.1 The All Kids program is aimed at the 253,000 children in Illinois without coverage.2 With the passage of this program, and its implementation on July 1, 2006, Illinois became the first state in the country to offer health insurance to literally every child.

Like virtually everywhere else in America, Illinois had been suffering through a record fiscal crisis for the previous several years, and the crisis continued during 2005 even as All Kids was  proposed and passed. Governor Blagojevich is a Democrat. In the Republicans’ attempt to regain the political power they long held and only recently lost in Illinois, they have been vigorously challenging the Governor’s stewardship of state finances.

Yet the All Kids bill, creating new spending on health care, garnered Republican support in both chambers.As other states and Congress consider covering all children, the path to All Kids in Illinois may be a useful case study.

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