The audit discovered that more than 6,000 people listed as “undocumented” in the program had Social Security numbers, and some were legal permanent residents who would be eligible for Medicaid. It also found that 668 people enlisted in the program for senior citizens were not over 65 years old.

Pritzker acknowledged inaccurate estimates and explained that it was due to changing immigration statuses.

“I think the thing that is missing from the reporting, and what I would point out to you, is that, No. 1, people’s immigration status changes during the course of a year. You’ve got people who were eligible for the program who became ineligible for the program,” Pritzker said.

“Even though you expect that people will move on because, well, it may be their immigration status, it may be because they got a job that has health-care coverage associated with it, but you expect them to move on, and maybe they didn’t move on either because they didn’t know they could, should. That happens, I hate to tell you, on Medicaid as well,” he added.

The Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors program had more than double the expected enrollees and spent 84% more than expected. The Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program had around twice the enrollees expected for the 42-54 and 55-64 age groups and spent 286% and 282% more than expected, respectively.

“The broader context is people need to get healthcare,” Pritzker noted. “I am in favor of universal healthcare.”

The audit concludes by saying the state should review its eligibility process and data while offering upgrades to ensure that the state government isn’t being defrauded of healthcare money due to ineligibility.

The program is highly controversial and has faced cuts in Pritzker’s new budget after the Trump administration sued Chicago and Illinois for their sanctuary city laws. The new budget will exclude the HBIA program but still include the HBIS program.

TRACKING WHAT DOGE IS DOING ACROSS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

“This audit shows that the governor, that the program was rampant in overspending. It spent well in excess of 200% more than what was estimated in budgets and in appropriations,” John Curran, state Senate Republican leader, told Fox News.

“And it also showed that the governor was unable to manage this program,” he said. “Thousands of people were allowed to sign up for free healthcare for years on the state taxpayer dime that should not have been eligible under the parameters laid out for this program, and the governor failed to even seek federal reimbursement when eligible on certain services for years, leaving federal dollars on the table.”