Illinois extends deadline for health guide grants

CHICAGO | Community groups in Illinois have been given more time to apply for $28 million in grants to help consumers learn how to shop for health insurance that will be available under President Barack Obama's health overhaul law.

Quinn hire to market health overhaul

CHICAGO | Most Illinoisans without health insurance coverage know very little about the federal health care overhaul and how it might help them. It's Brian Gorman's challenge to make sure they learn.

Feds approve Ill. health exchange with conditions

CHICAGO | Illinois has received conditional federal approval for its plan to help run an online marketplace where thousands of state residents will shop for health insurance beginning Oct. 1 — a big step toward carrying out the national health law in the state.

Fast facts on Illinois insurance exchange plans

CHICAGO | Here are some fast facts about how buying health insurance will change in Illinois as President Barack Obama's health overhaul takes effect and the first insurance exchange starts operating later this year:

Illinois takes baby steps toward 1st birth center

CHICAGO | Rocking chairs, birthing tubs and changing tables haven't yet been ordered, but organizers in suburban Chicago are eager to start furnishing their birth center — which may become the first such facility in Illinois.

Hospitals expand reach with ERs

CHICAGO | One recent evening after office hours, Dr. James Magee got a phone call about a patient, a woman in her 40s. She complained of tingling on one side of her body, in her arm and leg. Could it be a stroke?

Illinois flu cases climb; 27 deaths this season

CHICAGO | Illinois is among the 24 states across the nation hardest hit by the flu, but vaccine is still available in most locations, health officials said Friday as they urged people to get their shots.

Hospitals, insurers back Ill. Medicaid expansion as some lawmakers object to expanding government programs

CHICAGO | Illinois lawmakers soon will face two critical decisions over how to fully carry out President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.

Illinois keeps pace on Obama's health law

CHICAGO | Illinois is ahead of some states but behind others on the path toward creating a health insurance exchange, a cornerstone of President Barack Obama's health care law.

Illinois hospital tax break costs $10M

CHICAGO | A little-noticed tax break for investor-owned hospitals that was tucked into a deal last spring aimed at saving the Illinois Medicaid program from collapse will cost the cash-strapped state at least $10 million a year in lost revenue, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.

Illinois moves ahead on health insurance exchange

CHICAGO | Illinois officials are reviewing five bids to build the state's health insurance exchange — a required component of the federal health care overhaul that Gov. Pat Quinn intends to implement regardless of who wins the presidency on Election Day.

Partnerships to help control Ill. Medicaid costs

CHICAGO | A for-profit nursing home company owned by a politically connected Chicago businessman is a partner in a project Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced Tuesday that aims to control health spending for high-cost Medicaid recipients.

Illinois to decide on essential health benefits

Chicago | Gov. Pat Quinn has less than a month to choose which benefits will be required in basic health insurance plans sold to individuals and small businesses in Illinois under the federal health care law, an important decision that will determine the cost of future premiums and how broad…

Experimental stroke therapy helps Illinois senator

CHICAGO | Good luck and experimental therapy may have helped U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk recover more extensively than he would have with standard care after he suffered a stroke in January.

Rep. Mautino: Illinois not ready for 'Obamacare' target date

CHICAGO | An Illinois Democrat who has led work on implementing a key part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul now says the state will need to partner with the federal government for its insurance exchange.

Judge allows closure of Tinley Park mental hospital to proceed

CHICAGO | A judge on Thursday denied a motion that could have delayed Gov. Pat Quinn's planned closure of a mental hospital in Tinley Park.

Kids play key role in ribbon cutting for new Chicago children's hospital

CHICAGO | Children played a significant role in Monday's ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $855 million Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, just as they helped with the 23-story hospital's design.

Quinn's Medicaid bill makes nearly $1.4B in cuts

CHICAGO | Illinois moved closer to drastic Medicaid cuts Monday with proposed legislation that could excise nearly $1.4 billion from the state's program by shrinking benefits, such as regular adult dental care, and cutting payments to most hospitals and nursing homes.

2 months later, no action on Illinois hospital tax

CHICAGO | Following through on a promise, Gov. Pat Quinn announced more than two months ago that the state would resume denying tax exemptions to hospitals that operate more like businesses than charities. His action meant hospitals could lose millions of dollars each year.

Medicaid group struggles to find $2.7 billion in cuts

CHICAGO | As state leaders push for a prompt agreement on where to cut a breathtaking $2.7 billion from Illinois' Medicaid program, the two Republicans and two Democrats designated to come up with a deal are confronting fundamental differences, including over a proposal to resurrect a cigare…

Urban hospitals propose Illinois Medicaid plan

CHICAGO | A coalition of Chicago-area hospitals that serve the poor called on Illinois officials to go after more federal money before cutting their Medicaid funding, a proposition dismissed by state health officials as based on unrealistic assumptions.

Medical bills can wreck credit, even when paid off

CHICAGO | Mike and Laura Park thought their credit record was spotless.

Glasses, wheelchairs on Illinois Medicaid cut list

CHICAGO | It's a tricky math problem to get to the $2.7 billion that Gov. Pat Quinn wants cut out of Illinois' projected Medicaid spending, and four lawmakers designated to take a first shot at it will have a tough time figuring out what to subtract.

Testing for HIV together, hearing results together

Newly dating and slightly anxious, two men bared their arms for blood tests and pondered the possibility that one of them, or both, could be infected with HIV. An innovative program — called Testing Together — would allow them to hear their test results minutes later, while sitting side by side.

Preventive care: It's free, except when it's not

CHICAGO | Bill Dunphy thought his colonoscopy would be free.

Study: 80 percent of U.S. boys use condoms the first time

A surprising 80 percent of teenage boys say they are using condoms the first time they have sex, a government survey found in a powerful sign that decades of efforts to change young people's sexual behavior are taking hold.

5 Americans: How health care law affects them

CHICAGO (AP) — A couple on Medicare got a rebate check to help with prescription drug costs. A Chicago man with diabetes got health insurance through a new government program. And a Philadelphia businessman is hoping his company will qualify for a tax credit.

Study: Spacing babies close may raise autism risk

CHICAGO (AP) — Close birth spacing may put a second-born child at higher risk for autism, suggests a preliminary study based on more than a half-million California children.

Hands-only CPR saves more lives in cardiac arrests

CHICAGO | Hands-only CPR doesn't just eliminate the "yuck factor." A new study shows it can save more lives.

Census: Child health coverage up in Illinois

CHICAGO | In the midst of an economic downturn, Illinois children were slightly more likely to be covered by health insurance in 2009 than the year before, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau figures.

New health helps one Ill. family

CHICAGO | The nation's new health care law adds consumer protections that kicked in Thursday, forcing insurers to meet new requirements. Coverage for children with pre-existing conditions is guaranteed. Lifetime dollar caps are eliminated. And insurers can no longer cancel policies retroacti…

Report: $4B in tax breaks for Ill. from health law

CHICAGO | More than 1 million Illinois residents will be eligible for tax credits to offset the cost of health insurance starting in 2014, according to an estimate a liberal advocacy group released Tuesday.

Ill. investigates nursing home tip-off

CHICAGO | Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said Thursday she has taken steps to make sure nursing homes aren't tipped off to surprise raids aimed at increasing residents' safety.

Illinois to enroll uninsured in new high-risk pool

CHICAGO | Illinois residents who've been uninsured at least six months can start applying today for a new federally funded health insurance program for people with medical problems.

Federal lawsuit filed over acai pills

CHICAGO | Dreams of rapid weight loss and fake celebrity endorsements from Oprah Winfrey and Rachael Ray lured customers into providing their credit or debit card numbers as they signed up online for a "free trial" of acai berry pills.

Study: Belly bulge can be deadly

CHICAGO | If your pants are feeling a bit tight around the waistline, take note: Belly bulge can be deadly for older adults, even those who aren't overweight or obese by other measures.

State regulators seek OK over health insurance rates

CHICAGO | Illinois regulators will ask lawmakers for the authority to approve or deny health insurance rate increases, saying residents need protection from skyrocketing costs that aren't justified.

High-risk health pool poses questions

CHICAGO | Enrollment in Illinois' federally funded health insurance program for people with pre-existing medical problems is likely to be on a first-come, first-served basis. But the race for coverage won't start until next month.

Health overhaul may mean longer ER waits, crowding

CHICAGO | Emergency rooms, the only choice for patients who can't find care elsewhere, may grow even more crowded with longer wait times under the nation's new health law.

State to keep sharp eye on high-risk insurance pool

CHICAGO | Illinois may be one of the first states to start providing health insurance in a new high-risk pool funded under national health overhaul, but enrollment will be limited, eligibility requirements tight and coverage may not begin until late summer.

Study: Equal risk of gun death for rural, urban kids

CHICAGO | Children in the most rural areas of the United States are as likely to die by gunshot as kids in the biggest cities, a new analysis of nearly 24,000 deaths finds.

Report: 2.5 million in Ill. have pre-existing conditions

CHICAGO | More than one in five Illinois residents younger than 65 have a diagnosed medical problem that could result in a denial of insurance without health reform, according to an analysis released Wednesday.

Report: 2.5M Illinoisans have pre-existing conditions

CHICAGO | More than one in five Illinois residents under age 65 have a diagnosed medical problem that could result in a denial of insurance without health reform, according to an analysis released Wednesday.

Research links pesticides with ADHD in children

CHICAGO | A new analysis of U.S. health data links children's attention-deficit disorder with exposure to common pesticides used on fruits and vegetables.

Thousands in Ill. will be excluded from cheaper insurance pool

CHICAGO | For thousands of Illinois residents who pay high health insurance premiums because of medical problems, the new federal health care legislation won't offer relief.

America's favorite birth control method turns 50

CHICAGO | A world without "the pill" is unimaginable to many young women who now use it to treat acne, skip periods, improve mood and, of course, prevent pregnancy. They might be surprised to learn that U.S. officials announcing approval of the world's first oral contraceptive were uncomfortable.

Nursing home reformers push for more staffing

CHICAGO | Gov. Pat Quinn has proposed reforms that would raise minimum staffing levels at nursing homes, an idea that's quietly being fought by the industry although there's evidence more time spent on care by nurses and aides improves residents' health.

Cure for a doctor shortage?

CHICAGO | A nurse may soon be your doctor.

Rates could increase for those in 20s, 30s

CHICAGO | Under the health care overhaul, young adults who buy their own insurance will carry a heavier burden of the medical costs of older Americans -- a shift expected to increase insurance premiums for young people when the plan takes full effect.

Leaders call for planning for mentally ill

CHICAGO | Mentally ill residents of a troubled Chicago nursing home are being forced to move out too quickly, say community leaders who organized a protest at the facility Monday.