Peoria Standard

Travis Weaver, the Illinois State House District 93 Representative, expressed concerns over the allocation of funds for free healthcare for immigrants. "All of the Illinoisans or programs" that could have benefited from this funding should be considered, he said in a Facebook post on February 28.

"Waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars on free healthcare benefits for illegal immigrants is rampant in Governor Pritzker's Illinois, as a report from the Auditor General's Office this week confirmed," said Weaver, State Representative, according to Facebook. "Think about all of the Illinoisans or programs that money could have helped."

According to Representative Travis Weaver and State Representative Norma Hernandez, who appeared on WTTW to discuss healthcare programs for undocumented immigrants, more than 32,000 individuals are enrolled in these programs. Hernandez noted that this enrollment causes strain on safety net hospitals across the state, leading to higher costs for both patients and hospitals. Weaver has opposed the program from its inception, arguing that it is unreasonable to provide free healthcare to those in the state illegally when Illinoisans do not receive such benefits. He cited audit findings to support his call for an immediate cut to the program and accused Governor J.B. Pritzker of being aware of the financial issues, which he claims is why these programs were excluded from the Governor’s budget proposal.

Screenshot of State Rep. Travis Weaver's Feb. 28 Facebook post. | State Representative Travis Weaver's Facebook page

An audit revealed significant cost overruns in Illinois' healthcare programs for immigrants. For fiscal years 2021-2023, the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors (HBIS) program cost $412.3 million, which was 84% higher than the estimated $224 million. The Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA) program for individuals aged 55-64 was projected to cost $58.4 million but ended up costing $223.1 million—more than 280% higher than expected. Similarly, the HBIA program for adults aged 42-54 incurred a total cost of $262.2 million, exceeding estimates by 286%.

As of January, according to an audit report, 21,362 individuals were removed from the HBIS and HBIA programs due to eligibility or procedural issues; additionally, 1,490 individuals were transferred to other programs. The audit found that poor data entry and insufficient internal controls resulted in 478 enrollees having multiple Recipient Identification Numbers. It also discovered that incorrect birthdates led to 79 individuals under age 65 being mistakenly enrolled in the HBIS program and identified that 394 individuals were eligible for Medicaid due to being in the U.S. for more than five years but remained enrolled in these immigrant-specific programs improperly.

Weaver was born and raised in Peoria County and holds degrees in finance and marketing from the University of Alabama as well as an MBA from Northern University. In addition to his legislative duties at the Illinois General Assembly, he tutors GED students and serves as a substitute teacher. He resides in Edwardsville near his childhood family farm.