In August 2021, Illinois unanimously enacted The Hospital Financial Assistance Accountability and Transparency Act (SB 1840) into law to ensure hospitals provide financial assistance to all low-income, uninsured patients. This is a huge win for immigrant communities.

Starting on January 1, 2022, low-income and uninsured immigrants and their families regardless of their immigration status became able to access medical care without fear of unaffordable medical bills and having their accounts sent to collections.

This brief tells the story of a strategic advocacy campaign led by a dedicated coalition of state and community-based advocates in Illinois – specifically Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Legal Council for Health Justice, Mano a Mano Family Resource Center, Enlace Chicago, Mujeres Latinas en Acción, Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project and many more organizations, labor unions & health providers.

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