Peoria Standard

Darin LaHood, U.S. Representative for Illinois' 16th Congressional District, announced that an audit has revealed significant underestimation in the costs of a program for illegal immigrants, resulting in a $1.6 billion expense to Illinois taxpayers. This statement was made in a Facebook post on February 27.

"Governor Pritzker once again proves that he is grossly irresponsible with Illinoisans' tax dollars," said LaHood, according to Facebook. "Just a week after introducing another bloated budget, an audit revealed the price of a mismanaged program for illegal immigrants was severely underestimated, costing Illinois taxpayers $1.6 billion. Illinoisans deserve better."

According to the Facebook post, the audit was detailed in a Capitol Fax report concerning the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors (HBIS) and Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA) programs. The audit highlighted discrepancies between actual enrollment numbers and initial projections. In the fiscal year 2023, both programs saw enrollments surpass expectations significantly. The HBIS program, aimed at individuals aged 65 and older, recorded 15,831 enrollees compared to an estimated 6,700. Meanwhile, the HBIA program for adults aged 42-54 had an enrollment of 36,912, which was double the projected figure of 18,800. Additionally, the program for adults aged 55-64 enrolled 17,024 individuals against an estimate of 8,000.

Screenshot of U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood's Feb. 27 Facebook post | U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood Facebook page

The audit further indicated that as of January, eligibility or procedural issues led to the removal of 21,362 individuals from these programs. Another group of 1,490 individuals was removed and subsequently enrolled in other programs. The audit also uncovered data entry errors resulting in multiple Recipient Identification Numbers for 478 enrollees due to inadequate internal controls or system edits. Moreover, it found that incorrect birthdates led to the mistaken enrollment of 79 individuals under age 65 in the HBIS program; these errors were later rectified. Furthermore, it was discovered that despite being legally present in the U.S. for over five years and thus eligible for Medicaid, 394 individuals were enrolled in these programs incorrectly alongside another group of 13 enrollees.

LaHood has served as a representative from Illinois since 2015 and transitioned from representing the state's 18th Congressional District to its newly drawn 16th District following redistricting in 2023. His political career includes four years as a member of the Illinois State Senate from 2011 to 2015 and over nine years as a state and federal prosecutor with experience as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the Department of Justice in Las Vegas.