Federal Updates: Impact on Champaign-Urbana

 
 
“The federal government has extended record-breaking tax cuts for the wealthy. To pay for these perks, their budget bill cuts services for the most vulnerable. People are going to be seeing their lifelines - from SNAP to Medicaid - cut. It’s critical that as we learn what’s coming, we share it with our community.”
— State Representative Carol Ammons

What’s ahead for Illinois?

Medicaid: 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) projections and reporting show substantial premium and deductible increases for Medicare heading into 2026, which will raise out-of-pocket costs for many beneficiaries.

Millions of people are enrolled in Medicaid in Illinois, and over 300,000 Illinoisans are at risk of losing their healthcare, including 32,446 people in the district who could be affected by Medicaid cuts. 

Hospitals across the state are at risk of losing millions of dollars from Medicaid revenue, including Carle Foundation Hospital, which is at risk of losing about 7.8 million per year

Call Medicare / CMS at: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)

SNAP: 

The new federal budget bill includes new work-requirement expansions and administrative changes that are projected to reduce SNAP access or benefits for some adults without dependents; state-level actions and federal enforcement changes can also lead to more reductions. 

The federal government is now forcing the state of Illinois to pay $700 million dollars annually to pay for SNAP, which the federal government had been paying for the past 50 years.

The 103rd House District averaged 13,830 individuals on SNAP per month in FY25, bringing in an average of $2,663,218 in SNAP benefits dollars a month.

Protect your benefits!

  • Document everything you can

  • Confirm your current benefit amounts by checking your accounts or calling your providers. 

  • Check eligibility for Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help, and Medicaid

Tips for when appealing: 

Note the date/time of calls, get the representative’s name or ID, ask for a written explanation, request specific regulations, and always ask how to file an official appeal and the deadline.