Earlier this month, Democrats in the state Senate passed Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s legislation to broadly expand public health insurance coverage. The plan would provide state-subsidized coverage for people earning as much as $84,000 a year.
But a county judge recently issued a temporary injunction to block the expansion, reported the Chicago Tribune.
Governor Blagojevich’s bill was widely rejected by Republican lawmakers, but Democrats have an overwhelming majority in both Houses of Congress in Illinois.
Most opponents of the bill say it expands state health care coverage much too far, and will cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars.
The governor countered that 25,000 residents will first lose coverage from the federal government, then lose state coverage.
The judge did allow a part of the new legislation through — providing breast and cervical cancer screenings for uninsured women.
“As a result of that ruling by the judge, this makes Illinois the only state in America where every woman who is uninsured can now have access to routine mammograms and pap smears that will save their lives, ” said Governor Blagojevich.