Immigrants & Immigration
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The Illinois Health benefits for immigrant seniors (HBIS) program is state-funded medical assistance. A person can apply regardless of immigration status as long as they are not eligible for Medicaid. HBIS was paused for new enrollees beginning November 6, 2023. This means new applicants will not be able to enroll. As of November 2025, people who were enrolled before November 6, 2023 can still renew their HBIS benefits.
Who is eligible for HBIS?
To be eligible, a person must be undocumented, including people in Temporary Protected Status. They must also be:
- An Illinois resident,
- 65 years old or older,
- Their income is 100% or less of the Federal Poverty Level, though they may still qualify for medical coverage with a spenddown, and
- Their assets are $17,500 or less. Certain assets, like a home or one car, will not be counted.
Note: Starting November 6, 2023, HBIS is not accepting new applicants. This means that people who meet the general requirements, but were not enrolled before November 6, 2023, cannot apply. It is unknown whether this will change in the future. People still receiving HBIS before November 6, 2023 can still continue to renew.
Do people who get HBIS need to pay a copay?
Yes. Individuals enrolled in the program do have copays and coinsurance for inpatient hospitalizations ($250) and hospital or ambulatory surgical treatment centers (10% of the DHS rate). Other services are still free, including primary care visits, prescription medications, and vaccinations at a pharmacy or doctor's office. Some things are excluded from coverage including long-term care, home and community-based waiver services, and funeral and burial expenses.
Most program participants were moved to Medicaid Managed Care programs as of January 1, 2024.
How can someone renew their HBIS benefits?
Continued eligibility is redetermined every 12 months. The process will be similar to the redetermination or renewal process for other Medicaid programs. Learn more about Medicaid renewals.
What happens if someone’s immigration status changes?
HBIS recipients must be undocumented. This includes people who are in Temporary Protected Status. If the HBIS recipient becomes a lawful permanent resident (LPR or green card holder), or becomes eligible for another medical assistance program because of a change in their immigration status, they will be removed from the HBIS program as part of this renewal process.
Effective April 30, 2024, people who have been LPRs for less than five years are no longer eligible for HBIS. These non-citizens should be referred to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace as an insurance option.
LPRs who have held their status for five years or more may qualify for Medicaid. Learn more about government benefits for non-citizens.
