Family Care Illinois
FamilyCare State-Sponsored Health Insurance Program
The FamilyCare program goes hand-in-hand with All Kids, an Illinois program that aims to make health insurance affordable for all children. As an extension, FamilyCare makes health insurance affordable for parents of children under 18 years old. Premiums are highly discounted and copays are only $5 for doctor visits.
The eligibility requirements are fairly straightforward:
- You must be a legal resident of Illinois
- You must live with children 18 years old or younger (you need not be the parent)
- You must meet the income requirements below
Income requirements
There are several tiers of premiums, each mapping to an income bracket. A household of four can earn as much as $7,000 each month and still qualify for the program. For the complete income eligibility table, visit Illinois FamilyCare by clicking here.
How It Works
The entire process can be managed from a telephone or a computer. The online application will take less than 45 minutes to complete and can be accessed here. To apply by phone, call (866) ALL-KIDS. If your plan requires you to make a monthly premium payment, you can do so using a major credit card through the Treasury Department’s Web site by clicking here.
Benefits
FamilyCare is designed to be comprehensive. Coverage includes:
- Doctor visits
- Emergency services
- Hospital care
- Specialty medical services
- Dental care
Cost
Copays are $5 or less depending on the service. For a family of four earning less than $2650 per month, the state will pay your entire premium. Upwards from there, premiums increase depending on the size of your family and your housefold income. The highest premiums are $140 per adult, per month, which is still likely cheaper than COBRA.
A Friendly Tip
If possible, skip the telephone communications and use the Internet. The telephone switchboard often gets swamped, and the waiting music is maddening. When TheCanned.com called for information, we listened to the opening frame of “Let It Be,” by the Beatles, for thirty minutes. We never even heard the chorus!
