NW Illinois News

In a Facebook post dated June 20, State Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, expressed her approval of the governor's recent decision to curtail enrollment in the Illinois health insurance program for immigrants.

"This session, the majority party should have addressed the concerns of the increasing enrollment and skyrocketing cost of state-funded health insurance for immigrants who are in the country illegally, but they did not. Instead, they opted to give the Governor full authority to make the decisions," she wrote. "I am pleased the Governor listened to the countless concerns around the $1.1B program and agreed with the Republican-led initiative of HR220 to take action. Go to my website to read more!!"

"To give credit where credit is due, Gov. Pritzker made the right decision to close enrollment for the state-funded health insurance program for those undocumented under age 65 and cap enrollment for those 65 and older to 16,500 people," McCombie said on her website.  

"According to reports, these changes will be effective July 1st," McCombie said. "People enrolled in the program have a co-pay of $250 for inpatient hospitalizations and $100 for emergency room visits if the services they receive are not eligible for reimbursements from the federal government. There also will be a 10% coinsurance charge for outpatient services at hospitals or ambulatory surgery centers. As of June 7, there were 63,255 people enrolled in the program."

Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, the deputy House leader, proposed House Bill 220 on April 20, 2023. 

The bill "urges a moratorium on the enrollment of new beneficiaries for Medicaid services under the program for undocumented immigrants and a moratorium on the expansion of Medicaid services and coverage for any new population of undocumented immigrants not already covered; and urges the Auditor General to conduct a performance audit as soon as reasonably possible, and annually thereafter, to assess the Department of Healthcare and Family Services' administration of the program of Medicaid services and coverage provided to undocumented immigrants," its official state assembly synopsis says.

Rep. McCombie co-sponsored the bill on June 22, 2023, after it was referred to the House Rules Committee.

According to a news release, no Republicans voted to approve the 2023-2024 budget that included funding for the immigrant health coverage program. When it was signed, Rep. McCombie made another statement:

"Today Governor JB Pritzker signed one of the largest spending plans in our state’s history," McCombie said. "An unbalanced budget that shortchanges many, but particularly our hospitals and direct support persons (DSP workers) who serve our most vulnerable citizens. Another budget filled with broken promises, accounting gimmicks, and a lack of structural reforms to address the systemic outmigration of Illinois families. House Republicans voted no in order to stand up for the residents of the 102 counties we represent."

McCombie won election in 2016 as the representative of the 71st District. A lifelong resident of Savanna, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Illinois University. She is the owner and operator of Blue Appraisals and works as a real estate broker at MelFoster Company. She has also served as mayor of Savanna and as a member of the Savanna City Council.