>>> MODEM 47,000 ILLINOIS RESIDENTS LOST THEIR MEDICAID COVERAGE.

HUNDRED THOUSAND MORE A's LOSING THEIR COVERAGE.

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE ONSET OF THE MAKE, MEDICAID RECIPIENTS ARE BEING ASKED TO PROVIDE PROOF OF ELIGIBILITY.

THE GOVERNMENT HAD SUSPENDED THAT BUT NOW THE REQUIREMENT IS BACK.

JOINING US NOW ARE ISRAEL ROCHA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER , CHIEF OF STAFF AT THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND DOCTOR BACK GERALD LUNA.

WE WILL START WITH YOU, 47,000 ILLINOISANS LOSING MEDICAID COVERAGE SINCE AUGUST, IS THAT NUMBER HIGHER OR LOWER THAN WHAT YOU WERE EXPECTING?

>> I THINK THAT NUMBER IS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN WE WERE HOPING.

THIS IS A PROCESS WE HAVE NOT BEEN ENGAGED IN AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR ALL OF US , WE WANT TO THANK OUR PART AS WELL AS THE CHICAGO DEPARTMENT, KEEP EVERYONE OF ALL WHO CONTINUES TO BE ELIGIBLE.

SO WHILE THAT 47,000 NUMBER IS NOT NECESSARILY WHAT WE ARE AIMING FOR, IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE 13,000 OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE AND THE REMAINDER ARE FOLKS WE NEED TO WORK ON .

>> PUT THAT 47,000 NUMBER INTO CONTEXT FOR US.

HOW MANY ILLINOISANS DEPEND ON MEDICAID FOR COVERAGE?

>> WE HAVE THREE POINT 9 MILLION RESIDENTS SAW THE MEDICAID PROGRAM AND THAT COMPARES TO ABOUT 2.9 MILLION PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC.

AND FOR THIS MONTH, THERE WERE ABOUT 200,000 OF RENEWAL IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST AND 70% ARE MAINTAINING THEIR COVERAGE AND ABOUT 30% ARE STILL BEING PROCESSED OR HAVE LOST COVERAGE.

>> SO FAR, WE HAVE HAD A REDUCTION BY 4700.

WHAT WE ARE HAPPY ABOUT IS THE STATE BETWEEN 69% AND 70 PERCENT REDUCTION.

WE SAW 69% STAY ON THE ROLE.

WE CREDIT THAT TO WONDERFUL COVERAGE GOING ON IN CHICAGO TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW THE FACTS, THAT THEY ARE UPDATING YOUR ADDRESS ON THE WEBSITE AND THAT WE ARE MAKING OUTREACH AND PHONE CALLS.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO GO TO THE WEBSITE AND MAKE SURE THEY HAVE UPDATED HER ADDRESS.

IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THEY CAN CALL 312-864-7313 AND WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU.

SO COOK COUNTY ALSO OPERATES COUNTY CARE GIVE US A SENSE OF THE IMPACT AND ALSO TO GET REIMBURSED FOR CARE.

>> WE PROPOSE OUR BUDGET AND WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY INTO OUR COMPENSATED COVERAGE IN PREPARATION THAT WE WILL SEE A REDUCTION THROUGHOUT THE COMING YEAR.

WE REALLY ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE STATE AND OUR PARTNERS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE IF ANYONE LOSES COVERAGE, WE NEED TO QUALIFY THEM .

WE CAN LOOK AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS , YOU MAY BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN YOUR ENROLLMENT COVERAGE AND WE ARE HERE TO MAKE SURE YOU GET CONTINUED CARE.

WHAT I WOULD SAY ABOUT OUR HEALTH SYSTEM, IF YOU HAVE INSURANCE OR NOT, PLEASE KEEP COMING.

WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CARE DOES NOT GET INTO DID.

>> DOCTOR, THOUSANDS OF CHICAGOANS DEPEND ON MEDICAID.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS FOR THOSE LOSING COVERAGE?

>> MY CONCERN HAS ALWAYS BEEN THOSE COMMUNITIES , A DIFFERENT CONCORDANCE HE OWN LANGUAGE AND COMPETENCY IN LITERACY.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT OUR BLACK COMMUNITY, HOW ARE LATINO COMMUNITY, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE THAT ARE INCAPACITATED.

THOSE INDIVIDUALS JUST TO MENTION A FEW OF THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT WE KNOW THAT ARE HIGHLY IMPACTED NOT ONLY BEFORE COVID AND DURING COVID AND AFTER COVID AS WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THEY POSE A THREAT OF LOSING THEIR INSURANCES.

WHAT WE ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE SOUTHSIDE OF CHICAGO THAT WE HAVE SEEN THE TRADITIONALLY HIGHEST NUMBER OF UNINSURED INDIVIDUALS.

AND NOW DURING THIS RESEARCH IDENTIFICATION PROCESS, WE SEE MORE AND MORE OF THE COMMUNITIES MOVING OR LOOKING OR HAVING PROBLEMS TO ACCESS CARE.

THAT IS WHAT WE ARE WORKING WITH, COLLABORATED READERS, STAKEHOLDERS AND TRYING TO CREATE A LOCAL APPROACH AND WE ARE GIVING IT A TRY.

OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS ON THAT ONE ON ONE BASIS.

BECAUSE THIS IS MORE THAN CLOSING OUT THE INFORMATION .

HALF OF THEM ARE NOT GOING TO MISUNDERSTAND BUT IT IS FOR TO APPROACH TO CREATE AND HAVE THEM ENGAGE PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE SEEING IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE LACKING.

>> AS YOU SAID, OF THE 47,000 STATEWIDE, ABOUT 13,000 ARE BECAUSE THEY ARE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE WHICH MEANS THE REST OF THEM IS A PAPERWORK PROBLEM.

IF YOU LOST COVERAGE BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T DONE THE PAPERWORK AND OTHERWISE YOU ARE ELIGIBLE, WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS TO TRY TO RENEW?

>> SO FOR ANYONE WHO BELIEVES THAT THEY ARE STILL ELIGIBLE AND HAVE LOST COVERAGE, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THEY COULD DO IS GO TO THEIR WEBSITE TO MANAGE THE CASE.

AND GET THE PAPERWORK COMPLETED .

THAT IS GOING TO BE THE EASIEST AND SIMPLEST WAY.

YOU CAN ALSO CALL OUR HOTLINE.

I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT THERE ARE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT RETURN THEIR PAPERWORK.

WE DO KNOW OF THE 34,000 WHOSE CASES WERE CLOSED FOR NOT RETURNING THAT PAPERWORK.

9800 ALREADY HAVE OTHER INSURANCE COVERAGE SO WE WANT TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY HAVE GOTTEN LOST IN THE MAIL BUT WE THINK THEY ARE STILL ELIGIBLE.

IF WE HEAR FROM THEM IN THE NEXT 90 DAYS, THEIR COVERAGE WILL GO BACK TO AUGUST.

THEY WILL HAVE NO GAP IN COVERAGE.

>> YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT YOU AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE WORKING TO GET WORD OUT.

WHERE CAN PEOPLE GO IF THEY WANT TO GET MORE INFORMATION?

>> OF COURSE!

IT IS EASY!

WE HAVE OUR CALL CENTER IS WORKING , SPEAKING 102 LANGUAGES RIGHT NOW.

AND WE KNOW THAT OUR HUGE COMMUNITY IS HISPANIC AND ARE ABOUT TO LOSE COVERAGE.

THEY CAN CALL US AT MEDICAID AND THEY CAN CALL US DIRECTLY HERE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, 311.

AND MOST IMPORTANT WAY, WE ARE GOING TO THE COMMUNITY.

>> I WANT TO GET ISRAEL ROCHA BACK IN HERE ONE MORE TIME.

THEY CAN STILL RECEIVE CARE AND TREAT IF THEY COME TO COOK COUNTY?

>> RIGHT.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS TONIGHT, IF YOU LOSE YOUR COVERAGE, WE HAVE FINANCIAL HERE TO HELP .

IF YOU ARE CONCERNED AND HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU CAN COME IN AND HELP.

YOU CAN CONTINUE TO RECEIVE CARE.

NOTHING CHANGES FOR YOU.

>> YOU CAN GET CARE AND COUNSELING ON THAT PROCESS.

WE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.