9,300 noncitizens in Illinois to lose Medicaid benefits due to changes by federal government

About 9,000 people in Illinois will lose their health benefits starting Thursday.

This is due to federal changes in the definition of "qualified immigrant."

Of the thousands set to lose coverage across the state, about 44% are in Cook County and speak Ukrainian, but one of those families is Syrian refugees.

"Omar has Duchenne syndrome," said Mahmoud and Asmaa via translator.

Omar has a type of muscular dystrophy that leads to loss of muscle function. He relies on several machines to keep him alive, which Medicaid has paid for.

"He cannot eat or he cannot breathe," they said.

His parents and caretakers, Mahmoud and Asmaa, explained they're not sure what they'll do when they lose those benefits later this week. They're in the U.S. as refugees, part of a refugee resettlement. They said they did not feel safe in Syria.

The family is still waiting on their green card applications to be processed, which is why they are only sharing first names. Without them, they'll lose coverage like thousands of others in Illinois, when federal changes go into place Oct. 1.

"Many of the people affected are lawfully here in the United States of America. They include people with humanitarian protections," said 36th Ward Ald. Gilbert Villegas.

Gilbert Villegas spoke on Tuesday at the Ukrainian Culture Center, where representatives from local public health and immigration advocacy organizations joined to share resources for individuals losing healthcare coverage, while calling on lawmakers to restore medicaid eligibility.

"This policy seems particularly mean-spirited in that it attacks those who are the most vulnerable who are here for the right reason," said Dr. Mark Loafman with Cook County Health.

The new federal eligibility changes mean immigrants seeking asylum and those who entered the country through humanitarian parole will also lose health coverage — including those fleeing the war in Ukraine, according to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. 

A spokesperson for the department said in a statement:

"Thousands of people in Illinois will be stripped of their Medicaid coverage beginning October 1 due to HR1, which was signed into law by President Trump. This cruel measure – to strip coverage from some noncitizens, such as refugees and victims of domestic violence – is just the beginning of a targeted effort that will leave hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois without care. We are deeply concerned about the impact to families, especially as non-citizens have fewer options to gain medical coverage. This is the result of the federal law and unfortunately, there is no recourse for impacted non-citizens to receive Medicaid unless the law is changed."    

Other immigrants, like naturalized citizens, permanent residents, children and pregnant women, will remain eligible. 

The Syrian Community Network is pushing for Omar and his family's green card processing to be expedited. Without it, they'll need to buy insurance, something the family says they cannot afford.

Information for Impacted Non-Citizens  

• If a current Medicaid customer has an immigration status that HR 1 removes from eligibility as of Oct. 1, 2026, their last day of Medicaid coverage will be Sept. 30, 2026.  
• This will impact approximately 9,300 individuals in Illinois.  
• These individuals may be eligible for coverage on the Marketplace and also may be eligible for premium tax credits through Get Covered Illinois through Dec. 31, 2026.  
• On January 1, 2027, this impacted group will also no longer be eligible to receive premium tax credits as a result of HR1.  
• Impacted individuals who have questions about health coverage through Get Covered Illinois can call the Get Covered Illinois Customer Assistance Center at 1-866-311-1119.  
• Impacted noncitizens who lose Medicaid coverage on Oct. 1 may also be able to seek primary and preventive care in other places, such as Federally Qualified Health Centers.  
• This change does not impact Emergency Medicaid coverage for noncitizens. Emergency Medicaid provides time-limited coverage for emergency services for individuals who are not eligible for other Medicaid eligibility categories solely due to their immigration status.  
• Additional information about the HR 1 eligibility changes is available in multiple languages in the HFS online Customer Guide and Federal Resource Center.