Illinois Quick Hits: State announces new Medicaid contracts

Illinois Quick Hits: State announces new Medicaid contracts

Spread the love

(The Center Square) – The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has awarded new HealthChoice Illinois contracts to six Medicaid Managed Care Organizations.

The state agency says the new agreements will hold the organizations accountable for how they serve customers by promoting whole person care.

The program impacts about 2.4 million of the Illinois Medicaid program’s 3.1 million enrollees.

REPORT: IL AVERAGE STUDENT LOAN DEBT IS $39,042

According to new analysis, Illinois has the fifth-highest average federal student loan balance in America, with the average borrower owing $39,042.

SEO Backlinks used state-level student loan debt data and checked total statewide balances to show the scale of debt in each location. Maryland had the highest average borrower debt with $43,781.

Illinois was the only Midwestern state in the top 10.

APPEALS COURT ISSUES COMED FOUR RULING

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and codefendant Michael McClain have a right to see their corruption sentences vacated, but the court also said prosecutors may press on with a new trial.

In April, the appellate court directed the federal government to release Pramaggiore and McClain on bond, months after they began serving two-year prison terms.

Judges said in the ruling issued on Monday they were not suggesting that Pramaggiore and McClain are innocent, only that their convictions were flawed.

Pramaggiore, McClain and two others were convicted in 2023 of a scheme to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

FBI CHICAGO: SEEKING VICTIM INFORMATION IN SEXUAL EXPLOITATION CASE

The Chicago Field Office of the FBI is assisting the Aurora Police Department in an effort to identify potential victims of a man facing sexual abuse and exploitation charges.

The FBI says Michael Herbert primarily targeted minor boys between 2013 and 2022. Anyone with relevant information is asked to visit fbi.gov/LetYourVoiceBeHeard.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Group wants records on Minnesota child care assistance program

Group wants records on Minnesota child care assistance program

By Hayley FelandThe Center Square A Washington, D.C.–based oversight organization has formally asked the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families to provide internal records that relate to the state’s...
WATCH: Ives investigates tax dollars for NGOs; Republicans say Pritzker raising energy prices

WATCH: Ives investigates tax dollars for NGOs; Republicans say Pritzker raising energy prices

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square's Greg Bishop talks live with Jeanne...
ICE hiring ban bill reignites SAFE-T Act fight at Illinois Capitol

ICE hiring ban bill reignites SAFE-T Act fight at Illinois Capitol

By Catrina Baker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A newly introduced bill that would bar former Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from working in...
Illinois Quick Hits: OIG recommends firing 5 employees

Illinois Quick Hits: OIG recommends firing 5 employees

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Chicago Office of Inspector General says its work in the fourth quarter of 2025 led to...
Will County Board Graphic.02

Executive Committee Advances Dissolution of Southeast Joliet Sanitary District

Will County Board Executive Committee Meeting | January 8, 2026 Article Summary: The Executive Committee moved forward with two resolutions to facilitate the dissolution of the Southeast Joliet Sanitary District...
Will County Board Graphic.01

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Board Legislative Committee for January 6, 2026

Will County Board Legislative Committee Meeting | January 6, 2026 Overall Meeting SummaryThe Will County Board Legislative Committee met on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, to finalize the county’s state and...
Firms team up with states to scrutinize health care spending

Firms team up with states to scrutinize health care spending

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square A number of companies have responded to state financial officers’ December letter urging them to audit their health care spending. In line with multiple initiatives...
St. Paul students marked absent after protests against ICE

St. Paul students marked absent after protests against ICE

By Esther WickhamThe Center Square Hundreds of students from high schools in St. Paul, Minnesota, walked out of class this week to protest the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement...
Poll: Trump’s approval rating falls 16% in Arizona

Poll: Trump’s approval rating falls 16% in Arizona

By Zachery SchmidtThe Center Square President Donald Trump’s approval rating among Arizonans declined 16 percentage points from February to December, a new poll shows. Noble Predictive Insights released a poll...
SCOTUS to consider second election law case

SCOTUS to consider second election law case

By Andrew Rice | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that an Illinois congressman had the right to sue the...
Chicago council considers 'not a tax' surcharge on hotels

Chicago council considers ‘not a tax’ surcharge on hotels

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Chicago’s city council is considering a new assessment on hotel stays that supporters say would raise about...

IL Senate GOP: Pritzker, not Trump, raised power bills

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Senate Republicans say Gov. J.B. Pritzker is wrong to blame President Donald Trump for high electric...
SC weighs whether Amazon must pay workers for mandatory COVID screenings

SC weighs whether Amazon must pay workers for mandatory COVID screenings

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Illinois Supreme Court is considering whether Amazon must compensate warehouse workers for time spent waiting...
WATCH: Tax increase talk at Statehouse; Bost’s election lawsuit against Illinois wins standing

WATCH: Tax increase talk at Statehouse; Bost’s election lawsuit against Illinois wins standing

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square's Greg Bishop discusses the status of...
Illinois Quick Hits: Indiana governor 'working hard' to attract Bears

Illinois Quick Hits: Indiana governor ‘working hard’ to attract Bears

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Indiana Gov. Mike Braun says the Chicago Bears noticed that the Hoosier state is open for business....