CHICAGO (AP) — In the new year, the Illinois Legislature is expected to consider an expansion of Medicaid under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Some advocates hope to persuade lawmakers to approve the expansion by showing them the number of uninsured people who might gain coverage. Chicago-based Health and Disability Advocates is distributing the following estimates of the number of newly eligible people in each Illinois House district.
Source: Rob Paral &Associates' estimates derived from the U.S. Census' 2010-11 American Community Survey. Data research for Health & Disability Advocates.
Note: "Newly Eligible for Medicaid" means uninsured adults who have incomes below 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Estimates include people who may be eligible for Medicaid now but are not enrolled. It also includes illegal immigrants who won't be eligible for Medicaid or insurance products in the new health exchange because researchers did not have a way of separating them out.