Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is set to sign several bills passed by the Legislature this year, including those that will slash health care coverage and increase cigarette taxes by $1 a pack to help finance the Medicaid program.
With Quinn's signature, some Medicaid programs will die at the beginning of the state's fiscal year, July 1st. While the poorest Illinois residents will continue to receive benefits, parents making more than 133 percent of the federal poverty guidelines - about $20,000 a year for a two-person household - will see their coverage under Family Care cut. Also part of the $2.7 billion package designed to save Medicaid is the cigarette tax hike, expected to generate about $350 million.
