The article is paywalled, but I don’t think Ms. Pekala, an author and prominent attorney has reason to misstate its contents.
Anyway it begins
"As Illinois begins transitioning people in its two health programs for immigrants to Medicaid managed care plans, Cook County Health plans to enroll nearly all the 45,000-some participants into CountyCare, beginning Jan. 1. . . . "
A quick Google search reveals that $1.1billion for non-immigrant healthcare is a LOT because
The City of Chicago’s entire budget is $16.6 billion
Put differently:
There are 5.27 million residents of Cook County.
The $1.1 billion the county is paying for non-citizen healthcare works out to $208 per resident ($832 per family of 4.)
I think they should put it to a referendum.
Do Cook County residents really want to pay $832 per family of 4 so poor noncitizens can get free healthcare?
They don’t allow their voters to have a say in this type of cost. Just look at Chicago government not allowing the citizens to vote on sanctuary city status. But it should be an opening for the next elections for mayor and city council.
I have no doubt that is true.
I also predict we will soon read articles “It is cheaper to giver the poor free healthcare than to wait and treat them in ERs.”