SPRINGFIELD - Gov. Rod Blagojevich likes to say he's "cautiously optimistic'' things will work in his favor on a number of public policy issues.

With the debut Saturday of the state's ne- All Kids health insurance program, a wide variety of participants are taking the same approach toward a crucial component of the governor's first term and re-election bid.

Immigrants and working families who didn't qualify for state insurance coverage before like the idea but fear there are strings attached. Community groups that help sign people up hope early interest turns into strong participation.

Doctors and other health-care providers are counting on the state to pay its bills on time and follo- through on other promises, with some expressing serious doubts.

"If we are ready to launch July 1 and still don't have these answers, definitely in the beginning we have a problem,'' said Dr. Peter Eupierre, president of the Illinois State Medical Society.

Since All Kids was proposed and became la- late last year, state officials and health care and community groups have been working hard to prepare for the July 1 rollout.

Illinois is the first state in the nation to promise health insurance coverage for all children. Officials hope All Kids will reach about 250,000 kids who no- go without and expect about 50,000 to sign up in the first year.

The state Department of Healthcare and Family Services has enlisted more than 1,100 community groups and advocates to help pre-register people for the program and says 43,000 kids already are enrolled.

They've drawn interest especially from working families who make too much money to qualify for other state programs but not enough to afford private insurance. Families will pay for coverage on a sliding scale that increases with their income and family size.

"We're looking for those families because for every family who gets health care, that helps people in Illinois,'' Barry Maram, the department's director, recently said in an interview.

Blagojevich and other officials promoted the program Thursday at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago with several families who will benefit from the ne- coverage.

That includes Cynthia and Michael Amedeo, whose 11-year-old son Blake has been without coverage for several months after Michael lost his job earlier this year. Blake suffers nosebleeds regularly but hasn't been able to seek specialist treatment because it's so costly without insurance, so the All Kids option is much appreciated.

"It will be a big load off my shoulders,'' Cynthia Amedeo said. "I'm definitely worried about my son, being a little kid. Anything could happen. We could be in a car accident.''

Anne Marie Murphy, Maram's medical programs director, says more than 30,000 health care providers already have agreed to take All Kids patients.

Anyone who signed up before May 15 will have coverage immediately, and those signing up afterward will be covered Aug. 1 and afterward.

Health-care providers and community groups say people largely have embraced All Kids, and they've worked hard to reach people through statewide tours, community meetings at shopping malls and YMCAs and other outreach efforts.

"It's been a total statewide effort on our part,'' said David Whittaker of the Chicago Area Project, a nonprofit neighborhood advocacy group. "This is what all parents want. No- they don't have to wait.''

But with the optimism comes some doubt.

Some doctors and health-care providers say there still are important unresolved details. Those include exactly ho- doctors will handle referring patients for other treatment and ho- quickly the state will pay doctors for serving All Kids patients.

Others are comforted in learning many of the big changes, such as switching to a managed care system to help pay for All Kids, will be phased in over several months to avoid a snafu. They caution there's no guarantees everything will go smoothly.

"It's going to be new, it's going to be interesting,'' said Scott Allen, executive director of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Immigrants and minority groups have shown strong interest in the program but distrust the government's promises, including that All Kids doesn't care about details such as legal immigration status.

Some working families also don't want to be seen as needing what they perceive as government welfare, advocates say.

"I think there still is a lot of concern in the community, especially in minority communities when dealing with government,'' said Robert Klutts, CEO of Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation, which provides health care for underserved communities in the St. Louis area. "We need to get the stigmas off and get people covered.''

State officials insist the program will work because it's simply building on existing programs such as KidCare and FamilyCare, and they'll make adjustments as needed to resolve any concerns.

"Nothing is really changing all that much,'' Murphy said.

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All Kids at a glance

Saturday, the All Kids program offers free or low-cost health insurance to Illinois children. More than 30,000 health care providers and 43,000 kids have signed up for the program so far. Participants who signed up before May 15 should have their insurance cards in hand and will be signed up immediately, while others will have coverage Aug. 1 and afterward, according to state officials.

Here is a look at what a family of four would pay for coverage based on annual income:

- Up to $26,600: no cost.

- $26,600-$30,000: $100 maximum annual co-pay per family.

- $30,001-$40,000: $15 monthly premium for one child, $25 for two children, $5 premium for each additional child; $100 maximum annual co-pay per family.

- $40,001-$60,000: $40 monthly premium per child, $80 for two or more children; $500 maximum annual co-pay per child for hospital services.

- $60,001-$80,000: $70 monthly premium per child, $140 for two or more children; $750 maximum annual co-pay per child for hospital services.

- $80,001-$100,000: $100 monthly premium per child, $200 for two or more children; $1,000 maximum annual co-pay per child for hospital services.

- $100,001-$160,000: $150 to $250 monthly premium per child, no cap on premiums; $5,000 maximum annual co-pay per child for hospital services.

- $160,001 and up: $300 monthly premium per child, no cap on premiums; no maximum annual co-pay.