Access to care expands in suburban Cook County

A low-cost medical program for the uninsured in suburban Cook County will be able to serve 5,000 new clients this year thanks to a $3 million allocation from the State of Illinois. Access to Care, a Westchester-based non-profit group, said the legislature provided the money in a bipartisan endorsement of the program's efforts to reach the growing number of uninsured in suburban Cook County. Access to Care lets patients pay $5 for certain doctor's office visits, $5 for basic lab tests and X-rays and $10 to $30 for certain prescription drugs. There is an annual enrollment fee of $20 to $50, depending on family size.Nearly 360,000 of the more than 900,000 uninsured residents of Cook County are in its suburbs, Access to Care said. In Illinois there are about 1.8 million uninsured of the estimated 45 million uninsured in the U.S., the most recent U.S. Census Bureau figures show.Last year Access to Care provided medical services to nearly 14,000 people and it has about 2,800 on its waiting list.

The pilot program serves the area of Chicago west of Pulaski Road and north of North Avenue.For eligibility questions, call Access to Care at 708-531-0680