Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Republican Party is warning state residents to pay attention to the new public policy regarding health insurance signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. 

“Watch out! Pritzker just gave our state government more control over your healthcare. That worked so well with Obamacare…” the Illinois Republican Party said on Facebook. 

The GOP’s comments come as Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed two bills that will significantly impact the state's health insurance market. The first bill establishes a state-based exchange for policies sold under the Affordable Care Act, ensuring increased access to affordable preventive care and protection from potential changes in federal policy. The second bill grants the Illinois Department of Insurance the authority to review health insurance rate changes, allowing regulators to modify or reject proposed rate increases, thus ensuring more transparent pricing and protection against overcharging for consumers.

The bills have been noted for “altering” the health insurance marketplace in the state, St. Louis Business Journal reported. The new laws establish a state-based exchange for Affordable Care Act policies, allowing the Illinois Department of Insurance to modify or reject proposed rate increases and also provide Illinois regulators with more control over individual and small business health insurance plan pricing starting in 2026.

The move comes in the months after crippling public policy was exposed which provided over $1 billion in free healthcare to undocumented immigrants. The program, which provided free health care to immigrants aged 42 and above, has been scaled back due to cost concerns. Progressive Latino lawmakers and advocates rallied against the governor's decision, arguing that it would lead to increased healthcare costs by shifting care from doctor's offices to emergency rooms. Pritzker was forced to respond to criticism over his decision to pause the healthcare program. Despite the backlash, Pritzker emphasized the need for fiscal responsibility and stated that additional funding would be required to expand the program further.

"We need to make sure we are living within our fiscal limits in the state of Illinois," Pritzker said, according to ABC7. "That is something that wasn't done for a lot of years."