Rock Island Today

Neil Anderson, a state senator for Illinois' 47th District, said that an audit of the state's immigrant healthcare program revealed "massive mismanagement and thousands of potentially ineligible enrollees." He made this statement on Facebook on February 26.

"No surprises here," said Anderson, according to Facebook. "The Illinois Auditor General has released his official audit of the state's illegal immigrant healthcare program, revealing massive mismanagement and thousands of potentially ineligible enrollees."

According to the Facebook post, the audit report focused on the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors (HBIS) and Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA) programs. The audit uncovered discrepancies in enrollment numbers and costs compared to initial estimates. In the 2023 fiscal year, the HBIS program for individuals aged 65 and older had 15,831 enrollees, surpassing the estimated 6,700. The HBIA program for adults aged 42-54 had 36,912 enrollees, double the estimated 18,800. Meanwhile, the program for adults aged 55-64 saw 17,024 enrollees, exceeding the estimate of 8,000.

Screenshot of State Senator Neil Anderson's Feb. 26 Facebook post. | State Senator Neil Anderson's Facebook page.

The audit also noted that as of January, 21,362 individuals were removed from the HBIS and HBIA programs due to eligibility or procedural reasons. Additionally, 1,490 individuals were reassigned to other programs. Furthermore, it was found that 478 enrollees had multiple Recipient Identification Numbers due to poor data entry and lack of internal controls. The audit identified that 79 individuals under age 65 were mistakenly enrolled in the HBIS program due to incorrect birthdates; these errors were later corrected. It also revealed that 394 individuals were enrolled despite being legally in the U.S. for over five years and thus eligible for Medicaid. Thirteen enrollees were approved incorrectly.

The auditor general recommended that HFS review eligibility data and collaborate with the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to remove duplicate enrollees and prevent fraudulent payments. Another recommendation is for HFS to work with IDHS to establish controls for eligibility determinations to ensure only eligible individuals are enrolled. Additionally, HFS should seek federal reimbursement for lost matching funds due to miscategorizations of individuals enrolled in HBIA and HBIS who were actually eligible for federally funded programs.

Anderson has represented the 47th District since 2015. He grew up in the Quad City area and worked in his family’s flooring business before joining the University of Nebraska football team. After earning his paramedic license, he joined the Moline Fire Department where he continues to serve.