ILLINOIS: The federal government granted the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council (MCHC) $160 million in federal CO-OP funding less than two weeks before program funding was eliminated by Congress.
The MCHC is an association of hospitals in the Chicago area. The “Land of Lincoln Health” plan is the first and only federally approved CO-OP plan scheduled to be offered to individuals and small businesses in Illinois through the state’s health benefits exchange beginning in 2014. Lincoln Health will be applying to the state Department of Insurance to become a mutual insurer. Consumer Oriented and Operated Plans are private, member-run, nonprofit organizations that sell health insurance coverage subject to the same rules as other health insurers.