Free Help in Finding Affordable Health Insurance

The landscape for healthcare coverage can be confusing and difficult to navigate, and that is especially true for those with limited incomes. But here in Illinois there is an easy-to-use, free resource that can help consumers understand and use Medicaid and the Health Insurance Marketplace (a service of the federal government that helps people shop for and enroll in affordable health insurance.) Getcareillinois.org will help you get healthcare coverage if you need it. If you already have healthcare coverage, the website will help you understand how to use your coverage to go to the doctor.

Get Care Illinois is project of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, which advocates for the poor and works to give them a voice in the policies and laws that affect them. The Shriver Center—which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year—was founded by Sargent Shriver who also helped to establish the Peace Corps. In 1966, the federal government stopped funding legal aid for the poor. This motivated Shriver to create the Center to address poverty and racial inequality, as well as other forms of discrimination and oppression. The organization describes its mission this way: “The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law brings together lawyers, community leaders and allies from across the country as the nation’s leading advocate for people living in poverty. Our goal is to make justice, equality and opportunity work for everyone.” The Center’s offices are located at 67 E. Madison Street in Chicago.