SPRINGFIELD, IL- Legislation sponsored by State Senator William Delgado (D-Chicago) has been signed into law by Governor Pat Quinn that will allow people who receive medical benefits because of a disability to continue to receive their benefits even if they return to work. House Bill 818 expands the Health Benefits for Workers with Disabilities (HBWD) program to include persons with a medically improved disability.  This legislation will still be subject to federal approval.

“We need to ensure that people are not dumped from the HBWD program just because they return to work,” said Delgado, Chairman of the Senate Public Health Committee.  “Currently, under this program, when a person’s disability improves and they return to work he or she is no longer medically eligible for the program.” 

As an example, a person may have severe depression and with their medication they can return to work, however under current law when they do start working they stop receiving their medication, under the HBWD program, beginning a cycle Senator Delgado seeks to stop.  Under the new law people will be able to continue to receive their prescriptions, essentially breaking this unnecessary cycle.

The HBWD program, which was established by the General Assembly in 2001, began providing medical benefits to workers with disabilities in January 2002.  The goal of this program is to assist persons with disabilities to return to work with full Medicaid health care benefits. The program encourages enrollees to work and to increase the number of hours they are currently working.