SPRINGFIELD, IL (Chambana Today) – In a late-session flurry on Saturday night, Illinois lawmakers approved one of the narrowest Medicaid omnibus packages in recent memory, citing budget constraints and growing uncertainty around federal funding.

The Medicaid omnibus bill, a 231-page amendment to Senate Bill 2437, passed the House 76-39 and cleared the Senate just after midnight on a 36-19 vote. Though significantly scaled back compared to previous years, the bill includes several targeted reforms expected to benefit Medicaid enrollees—without placing a heavy burden on state finances. The estimated cost: just under $1 million.

Key provisions include expanded training and certification opportunities for family members caring for medically fragile children, and a requirement that hospitals and birthing centers permit Medicaid-certified doulas to accompany patients during labor and delivery.

“These are small but meaningful steps that make a real difference for families who rely on this care,” said Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, chair of the bipartisan Medicaid Working Group that traditionally crafts the package.

However, partisan divisions flared over a clause that allows certain noncitizens—specifically asylum seekers and victims of trafficking or serious crimes—to receive Medicaid coverage for up to 24 months while their immigration status is pending. While Democrats framed it as a technical fix to an existing program, Republicans criticized it as a “poison pill” reminiscent of broader immigrant health coverage programs that have sparked controversy in recent years.

At the urging of Gov. JB Pritzker, lawmakers also included in the state budget a rollback of the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program, which had covered roughly 31,000 noncitizens ages 42–64. The Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors program will continue, with $110 million in state funding allocated to support care for approximately 8,900 noncitizens aged 65 and older.

Illinois’ Medicaid program currently serves nearly 3.5 million residents—about one in four people in the state—at an annual cost of $33.7 billion, with more than 60% of funding coming from the federal government.

The legislation now heads to Gov. Pritzker for his signature.