(The Center Square) – The state of Illinois’ cost for health and social services has seen a 32% increase from 2019 to 2023, according to recently released documents.
Health and social services include programs like Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and child support. It consists of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Children and Family Services. In Fiscal Year 2022, health and social services made up 46% of government spending for the state.
The health and social services cost increased from $31 billion in 2019 to $48.7 billion in 2023, according to budget documents recently released by the state comptroller, resulting in a 32% increase in spending. Health and social services increased by $4.1 billion from FY 2022.
Medicaid enrollment in 2019 was 2,967,197. Enrollment increased significantly by over a million to 3,981,967 in 2023, according to the Illinois Department of healthcare and Family Services website.
According to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services website, the continuous coverage for Medicaid has ended for the first time since the pandemic era requirement was put in place. The process for unenrollment for Illinois began in August 2023.
Medicaid and CHIP enrollment declined by 160,499 from July to November of 2023, according to KFF, which does health policy research.
The Public Information Officer for Illinois, Maura Kownacki, referred comments to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services Communications officer Jamie Munks, and media relations officer Judith Ruiz- Branch, who did not reply to an email from The Center Square.
