More than 115,000 Cook County residents will now be eligible for public healthcare at no cost to the state of Illinois, thanks to a federal medical waiver allowing the county to pre-enroll individuals who will be eligible for Medicaid in 2014 into the Cook County Medicaid network.

The waiver allows Cook County’s Health System to “early enroll” certain uninsured patients into Medicaid who are not currently eligible but who will become eligible in 2014 under the Accountable Care Act. 

“I commend Cook County Board President Preckwinkle and Cook County Hospital Systems CEO Raju on their efforts to attain this waiver,” said Sen. Hunter. “I am thankful we will be able to expand access to quality health services for those who need it most while maintaining quality services for those already receiving them.”

The waiver is funded entirely by the federal government. Up until receipt of the waiver, the County and its taxpayers have been assuming financial responsibility of uncompensated and uninsured patients. Many of these patients will now be covered by the Medicaid waiver.

The Waiver will also give Cook County’s Health System, one of the largest in the country, a head start in planning for the future Medicaid managed care model, which most health systems will be converting to in 2014.