Latest news with #IllinoisDepartmentofHealthcareandFamilyServices
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Information leaked from Illinois' system after phishing campaign
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WMBD) — The state of Illinois announced that information from hundreds of Illinois residents was compromised during a phishing campaign earlier this year. Around Feb. 11, 2025, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services became aware of a phishing campaign targeting its employees in an attempt to gain access to their usernames and passwords, according to a state news release. Emails were sent to employees from a government email account that had been hacked, making the emails appear trustworthy. This led to a Healthcare and Family Services employee's account being compromised. Action was immediately taken to block the link contained in the email, inform all employees of the threat and reset any potentially compromised passwords. A total of 933 people had their information compromised during this incident. That included 564 Illinois residents. The information compromised may have included customer names, Social Security numbers, driver's license or state identification card numbers, financial information related to child support, child support or Medicaid identification and case numbers, and date of birth. The department finished notifying affected clients by May 23. Anyone who thinks they were affected can reach out to with questions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Illinois Department of Healthcare data breach reveals Social Security and child support details
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is alerting the public to a data breach that may have exposed customers' private information to hackers. According to HFS, the agency became aware of a phishing campaign targeting its employees around February 11th, 2025. The agency said employees' emails and documents were compromised, and may have included customer names, social security numbers, driver's license or state ID number, financial information related to child support, child support or Medicaid identification and case numbers, and birth dates. HFS said 933 individuals were impacted in the breach, 564 of which were Illinois residents. The Department said all affected individuals were notified by May 23rd. 'Potentially affected individuals can also contact consumer reporting agencies to place a free fraud alert or security freeze on their accounts, or the Federal Trade Commission to learn more about fraud alerts, credit freezes, or other identity theft resources,' HFS said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Noncitizens in Illinois could lose state-funded health insurance. Here's what to know
Immigration advocates and people who received word that they could lose their state-funded health insurance took to the Illinois capitol on April 23 in attempt to sway legislators. Around 32,000 noncitizens in Illinois will lose coverage unless legislators decide to continue funding the initiative that costs the state around $330 million. Here's what you need to know about the program and what's happening to it. More: 'Deep into the shadows': Immigration advocate talks about fears facing communities Gov. JB Pritzker's 2026 budget proposes to eliminate the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program that provides healthcare for low income people who are in the U.S. without legal permission. The program launched in 2022, covering people between the ages of 42 and 64. The Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors program that also began in that year, will continue, according to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. That program serves qualifying people who are over the age of 65. But the governor's office has said that its decision to not propose funding reflects the state's fiscal reality. 'As always, I stand ready to work with members of the General Assembly to deliberate and negotiate the final budget, but let's be clear, I will only sign a balanced budget. If you come to the table, looking to spend more, I'm going to ask you where you want to cut,' Pritzker said in his annual budget address in February. Upwards of 100 demonstrators from multiple organizations rallied at the capitol and also sought to speak with legislators. Alfredo Palafox, a community organizer with the Southwest Organizing Project, said his parents both receive healthcare through the program. They have lived in the state for nearly 20 years and pay taxes. His mother is 57 years old and his father is 65 years old. Palafox's father visited the doctor for the first time since he enrolled in the program because he knew he could not afford to go without its support. His mother also forwent going to the doctor for years before the program afforded her the opportunity, which Palafox described as a need for her. Most of those demonstrators appeared to be Hispanic, though Rana Alkilano also spoke as a program coordinator with Arab American Family Services. Alkilano spoke on behalf of a client who was too afraid to speak in person because of the political climate surrounding immigrants. She said her client is a woman who raises three children alone, while battling a chronic illness, which has led to sizable medical debt. "My client's story is a painful example of how our healthcare system can leave people behind, especially those who are immigrants, uninsured, and already vulnerable," Alkilano said. More: Springfield students, recent grads lose their visas, like others across US An audit published in 2023 found that the programs overspent exceedingly. The senior's program cost $412 million in its first three years, which was reportedly 84% high than original estimates. The adult program covered noncitizen adults age 55 to 64 and was later expanded to cover those as young as 44, Capitol News Illinois reported. It cost $485.3 million over its first two years – roughly 284% more than the combined original estimate for both programs. The report additionally found more than 6,000 people enrolled in the programs were classified as 'undocumented' despite having social security numbers. Some of those were green card holders who could have instead qualified for Medicaid or traditional insurance. Those currently insured with HBIA after June 30 may have access to primary and preventative care at Federally Qualified Health Centers and free charitable clinics that serve insured and underinsured people, regardless of their immigration status and ability to pay, according to IDHFS. Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at tackerman@ This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Healthcare for noncitizens in Illinois is on the chopping block
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Vermilion County welcomes mobile market operated by Carle Health
VERMILION COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — A new mobile market offering low-cost foods is making its way across Vermilion County. This on-the-go market vehicle is funded by a grant from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services and supports the Vermilion County Community Health Collaborative. The market includes foods such as fresh produce and household items and aims to reach neighborhoods in need in order to improve health across the nation. Illinois Secretary of State Office supporting schools with $1.3M library grant The market is operated through Carle Health Community Health Initiatives. Consumers are currently able to pay with cash and credit, and the market will also be expanding payment options in the upcoming months. This market has visited and will continue to visit multiple neighborhoods in Champaign and Vermilion Counties during operational days, so those interested are asked to always check the calendar for specific dates, times and locations. For more information on the Vermilion Mobile Market schedule, visit the Carle Health website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
28-02-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Blue state governor's 'gross mismanagement' cost taxpayers $1.6B for illegal immigrant healthcare: audit
Illinois taxpayers paid out $1.6 billion for healthcare programs for illegal immigrants since 2020, well above the spending projections estimated by Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker's administration, per a new state audit released this week at the request of GOP legislators. The audit also found that, in many cases, state money was spent on people who were actually U.S. citizens or otherwise eligible for federal programs. "This audit shows that the governor, that the program was rampant in overspending. It spent well in excess of 200% more than what was estimated in budgets and in appropriations," state Senate Republican leader John Curran told Fox News Digital in an interview. "And it also showed that the governor was unable to manage this program," he said. "Thousands of people were allowed to sign up for free healthcare for years on the state taxpayer dime that should not have been eligible under the parameters laid out for this program, and the governor failed to even seek federal reimbursement when eligible on certain services for years, leaving federal dollars on the table." Illinois Auditor General Frank J. Mautino flagged more than 6,000 people listed as "undocumented" in the programs but who had Social Security numbers, and some of those individuals may actually be legal permanent residents who are eligible for Medicaid, meaning the state could get federal funding for them. The state reviewed 94 cases and found that 19 should have been classified as legal residents instead of noncitizens. There were also nearly 700 people in the senior health program who were under 65. A review confirmed that many of the errors were due to incorrect birth dates, which were corrected later. Nearly 400 enrollees appeared to have been in the country for more than five years and should have qualified for Medicaid, the audit also found. The state acknowledged that some of those people were enrolled incorrectly, which cost the state federal matching funds. The report recommended that the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services seek federal reimbursement for the lost funds. The auditor's report, which Curran dubbed "gross mismanagement" in a press conference, was released just one week after Pritzker suggested cutting funding for a program that offers Medicaid-like coverage to illegal immigrants under 65 or legal immigrants without a green card. The proposed reduction, expected to save $330 million, was a key part of Pritzker's strategy to address a more than $3 billion budget shortfall. "The governor was papering over this large spending with tax increases over the last several years, as well as COVID relief funds being spent on this rather than actually trying to rein in spending in the state of Illinois," Curran said. "Now that federal dollars have tapered off, we have a large budget deficit in Illinois this year and the governor is now being forced to try to end the program for all working adults." "We cannot afford this," Curran continued. "The state of Illinois, state taxpayers, should not be burdened with providing free healthcare, especially for [the] working-age population. People that should be out and working in paying taxes and getting healthcare in the marketplace, just like every other Illinois state taxpayer is doing, so we want to bring the program to an end." As of December, 41,505 individuals were enrolled in the two programs, part of the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program, which Pritzker has proposed cutting starting July 1. Despite Pritzker's plan to cut funding for healthcare programs, he said during a Wednesday press conference that he supports some kind of universal health coverage: "The broader context is people need to get health care." He added, "It's some evidence, anyway, that there are an awful lot of people out there that need coverage who aren't getting it or who will do anything to get it, and I think that's a sad state of affairs in our society." Curran said "Pritzker, from day 1, is taking an adversarial approach to President Donald Trump and his administration, and that has really put Illinois and really the city of Chicago in focus." "What we would like to see is a more cooperative tone," he said. Hundreds of illegal immigrants in Chicago, which is deemed a sanctuary city, have been detained by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement since Trump took office. Both Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson bucked Trump's mass deportation move, vowing in January to protect residents regardless of their immigration status. Pritzker's office did not respond to a request for comment by the publication deadline.
