Reply #7: Governor Blagojevich will offer plan for uninsured [View All]

[wndycty]

Governor Blagojevich will offer plan for uninsured
By Alexa Aguilar
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
10/05/2005

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich
(Anne Ryan/AP)

Gov. Rod Blagojevich will announce today a new plan to provide health insurance to all uninsured Illinois children, a proposal his administration is touting as the most comprehensive in the nation.

Blagojevich has enlisted the Democratic leaders in both the House and the Senate to sign on as sponsors of the bill; they plan to introduce the legislation in this year's November veto session.

But Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville, dismissed the plan as a "desperation move" by the governor that makes no sense considering $1 billion the state owes in back-logged bills to health-care providers.

The plan is aimed at the 253,000 Illinois children with no health insurance. Half of those are children whose parents earn too much money to qualify for the current KidCare program, but don't earn enough to purchase private health care. The other half are children who are eligible for KidCare but aren't enrolled, said Rebecca Rausch, spokeswoman for the governor.
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http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/A008DBABB97F2C4A8625709200100920?OpenDocument