President Trump is now threatening federal transit funding — which could hit small urban and rural transit agencies hardest.
byLeeAnn Hall OtherWords
Despite the government reopening, Americans are still suffering from the chaos of an administration that is out of touch with the needs of the people.
Though federal workers are back on the job and agencies are resuming their work, countless essential programs are stalled or at risk, costing all of us by failing to invest in the services we need, like health care, housing, and transit.
Photo provided
LeeAnn Hall
Reopening the government is not the same as restarting the economy — and if Congress and the White House want to turn relief into momentum, they need to put real investment behind one of the strongest engines of growth we have: public transportation.
Public transportation is one of the best economic investments a government can make. Every $1 billion invested in public transit creates and supports more than 50,000 jobs, according to the American Public Transportation Association.
Strong transit networks attract businesses, get people to their jobs, and revitalize downtowns. Cities like Denver, Dallas, and Seattle have already seen how modern transit systems can spur billions in investment around new rail lines and stations.
Transportation also lies at the heart of our affordability crisis. It’s the second highest cost burden for most American households, just below housing.
But instead of addressing this head on, the administration is reneging on its funding obligations for projects of all types and threatening to further deplete investments that would give us more affordable options to get around. Across the country, bus lines are being cut, subway systems are aging, and commuter rail projects are stalled because federal funding remains uncertain or insufficient.
Which is why it is so troubling that the Trump administration is threatening to take the unprecedented step of gutting federal transit funding altogether in the next funding fight.
While this move may have the politically motivated goal of impacting larger transit systems in cities like New York and Los Angeles, what the administration does not realize is that the communities that would suffer the most are those with transit agencies who rely the most heavily on federal funding:.
These include small urban and rural agencies like the ones you’ll find in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Flagstaff, Arizona, or Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where students rely on transit to get to class, warehouse workers rely on transit to get to work, and older adults rely on transit to remain independent and stay connected to their communities.
Washington’s next move should be clear: reject Trump’s plan to gut transit funding and pass a long-term, fully funded transit package.
That means investing in operating funding, supporting maintenance and modernization, and putting resources towards expansion, so that local and state partners aren’t left to carry the burden alone. The return on that investment isn’t abstract — it’s faster commutes, stronger local economies, and cleaner air.
But this will require political will from our leaders. It means resisting the easy allure of short-term fixes like formula funding for highway expansion and narrow discretionary grants for transit, and instead delivering the long-term funding for the infrastructure that makes cities thrive.
Federal and state governments must prioritize sustained, predictable funding for local transit agencies. At the local level, cities should redesign streets for buses, bikes, and pedestrians — not just cars.
The government is open again. Good. Now let’s keep the country moving — literally.
A nation that invests in its people’s ability to move freely and affordably is a nation that’s investing in its own growth. And we need that more than ever.
LeeAnn Hall is the Executive Director of the National Campaign for Transit Justice. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org.
Raoul has seen some success in the more than a dozen lawsuits against the Trump administration.
by Ben Szalinski Capitol News Illinois
SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and 19 other Democratic attorneys general filed a pair of lawsuits Tuesday against Trump administration policies designed to block federal funding to states that don’t carry out U.S. immigration enforcement.
According to the lawsuits, recently enacted policies at the U.S. departments of Homeland Security and Transportation illegally tie grant funding for items such as natural disaster recovery and road construction to whether the state participates in federal immigration enforcement. The attorneys general say the goal of the policies is to illegally force states to carry out federal immigration responsibilities.
“This FEMA and transportation funding has nothing to do with immigration,” Raoul said during a news conference. “However, it has everything to do with the safety of our residents after natural disasters and as they travel our roads, railways and in the sky.”
Under the 2017 TRUST Act signed by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, Illinois law enforcement is prohibited from arresting and, in most cases, detaining a person based solely on their immigration status or assisting immigration officials. State law does not protect people in Illinois from deportation, and federal officers can still make arrests and deport people in Illinois.
The federal policy is illegal, according to the attorneys general, because Congress controls spending and executive branch agencies cannot withhold appropriations allocated by Congress. Furthermore, they argue the states cannot be coerced into enforcing federal immigration laws.
President Donald Trump has signed executive orders designed to cut off federal funding to “sanctuary” states like Illinois. The U.S. Department of Justice also sued Illinois in February over the TRUST Act.
“The administration seeks to jeopardize readiness for disasters and safe roads to try to force Illinois law enforcement officers to shift their focus away from addressing serious crime in our communities in order to instead do the federal government’s job of civil immigration enforcement,” Raoul said.
Billions of dollars of federal funding could be at risk for Illinois, Raoul said. This includes $122 million Illinois received last year for disaster recovery, $2 billion for highways, $60 million for counterterrorism, and $24 million to protect nonprofits from attacks by extremists.
Raoul has seen some success in the more than a dozen lawsuits against the Trump administration
“At a time when the disaster relief and transportation needs of this country are significant, we deserve to know our federal agencies are focused on the welfare of all of us,” Raoul said.
The lawsuits come a week after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem visited Illinois to criticize the state’s “sanctuary” policies.
“This governor has bragged about Illinois being a firewall against President Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda, and it is very clear that he is violating the constitution of the United States because it is a federal law that the federal government set and enforce immigration policies,” Noem said.
Raoul also argued the federal government has never before allocated funding based on whether a state agrees with the president’s political agenda.
No states have lost funding so far as a result of these policies, but it’s “imminent,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said. He did not say why the lawsuits were filed in Rhode Island federal court, which is where Democratic attorneys general have filed many other lawsuits against the Trump administration.
Raoul has seen some success in the more than a dozen lawsuits against the Trump administration his office is involved in. A federal judge in New York last week issued a preliminary injunction blocking a U.S. Department of Education effort to cut off some federal funding to states, giving Illinois access to $77 million.
Illinois has also joined other lawsuits to prevent the Department of Education from being dismantled, ensure the state continues to have access to various types of federal funding, and prevent the federal government from limiting birthright citizenship among others.
The cases appear to be straining his offices’ resources, however, as Raoul is asking state lawmakers to increase funding for his office by $15 million this year to hire more attorneys.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
The Urbana Free Library to receive over $56K to improver technology infrastructure through a Public Library Per Capita Grant from the state.
SNS - Libraries in Champaign, Urbana, and Oakwood in the 52nd Senate District will receive a combined $196,330 in grants to improve resources for patrons and programming.
Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias announced this week that the Champaign Public Library would receive $131,128 and the Urbana Free Library would receive $56,928. The Oakwood would receive $8,274 in funding from the state. Danville, Rantoul, and Westville would also be recipients of grant money.
The grants were distributed statewide to assist libraries most in need of upgrading their technology infrastructure.
“I am truly delighted by the additional funding allocated to enhance library technology and accessibility here in our home of Champaign-Urbana, made possible by the recent budget I supported this Spring,” said State Representative Carol Ammons (103rd District—Urbana). “Both the Champaign Public Library and Urbana Free Library will receive just over $180,000, which will enrich library experiences and services for community members of all ages, young and old. Literacy unlocks wonder and curiosity in all of us, and I’m pleased that this funding will become a reality for my community.”
Libraries in the district serve over 185,000 people.
“Libraries throughout the state must have the resources and financial support they need to provide high-quality materials and programming to Illinois residents,” Giannoulias said. “Libraries serve as centers for lifelong learning and are critical to providing opportunities for children and adults to enrich their lives.”
The Public Library Per Capita Grants are awarded annually to support local public library services. This year, public libraries received just under $1.50 per person in their service area. Public libraries can use this funding for operational needs, including purchasing materials for their library collections and making capital improvements to their facilities.
Under the new technology grant initiative, eligible public libraries were determined by a review of their local tax base in comparison to the population that is served and also the poverty level of the community.
"Libraries are more than just a place for books—they offer engaging programs and are essential for learning and success at every stage of life," said State Senator Paul Faraci (52nd District—Champaign). "By investing in our libraries, we're investing in our students, adult learners, and the entire community."
Libraries have a two-year window to utilize technology grants for various purposes. These include acquiring hardware and software, expanding online collections and e-resources, purchasing digital devices and mobile apps, enhancing Wi-Fi capacity and internet accessibility, implementing patron self-checkouts, ensuring ADA compliance for library websites, and procuring adaptive technologies to meet the service needs of individuals with disabilities.
For Cindy Westman, $30 buys a week’s worth of gas to drive to medical appointments and run errands.
It’s also how much she spent on her monthly internet bill before the federal Affordable Connectivity Program stepped in and covered her payments.
“When you have low income and you are living on disability and your daughter’s disabled, every dollar counts,” said Westman, who lives in rural Illinois.
Over 23 million people are enrolled in Congress' 2021 discount program providing online/telephone healthcare services. That could all end this month or in May.
Photo: Tech Journal/Pixabay
More than 23 million low-income households — urban, suburban, rural, and tribal — are enrolled in the federal discount program Congress created in 2021 to bridge the nation’s digital connectivity gap. The program has provided $30 monthly subsidies for internet bills or $75 discounts in tribal and high-cost areas.
But the program is expected to run out of money in April or May, according to the Federal Communications Commission. In January, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel asked Congress to allocate $6 billion to keep the program running until the end of 2024. She said the subsidy gives Americans the “internet service they need to fully participate in modern life.”
The importance of high-speed internet was seared into the American psyche by scenes of children sitting in parking lots and outside fast-food restaurants to attend school online during the covid-19 pandemic. During that same period, health care providers and patients like Westman say, being connected also became a vital part of today’s health care delivery system.
Westman said her internet connection has become so important to her access to health care she would sell “anything that I own” to stay connected.
Westman, 43, lives in the small town of Eureka, Illinois, and has been diagnosed with genetic and immune system disorders. Her 12-year-old daughter has cerebral palsy and autism.
She steered the $30 saved on her internet toward taking care of her daughter, paying for things such as driving 30 minutes west to Peoria, Illinois, for two physical therapy appointments each week. And with an internet connection, Westman can access online medical records, and whenever possible she uses telehealth appointments to avoid the hour-plus drive to specialty care.
“It’s essential for me to keep the internet going no matter what,” Westman said.
Expanding telehealth is a common reason health care providers around the U.S. — in states such as Massachusetts and Arkansas — joined efforts to sign their patients up for the federal discount program.
“This is an issue that has real impacts on health outcomes,” said Alister Martin, an emergency medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. Martin realized at the height of the pandemic that patients with means were using telehealth to access covid care. But those seeking in-person care during his ER shifts tended to be lower-income, and often people of color.
“They have no other choice,” Martin said. “But they probably don’t need to be in the ER action.” Martin became a White House fellow and later created a nonprofit that he said has helped 1,154 patients at health centers in Boston and Houston enroll in the discount program.
At the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, a federal grant was used to conduct dozens of outreach events and help patients enroll, said Joseph Sanford, an anesthesiologist and the director of the system’s Institute for Digital Health & Innovation.
Estimates of how many low-income U.S. households qualify for the program vary, but experts agree that only about half of the roughly 50 million eligible households have signed on.
“We believe that telehealth is the great democratization to access to care,” Sanford said. New enrollment in the discount program halted nationwide last month.
Leading up to the enrollment halt, Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) led a bipartisan effort to introduce the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act in January. The group requested $7 billion — more than the FCC’s ask — to keep the program funded. “Affordability is everything,” Welch said.
In December, federal regulators surveyed program recipients and found that 22% reported no internet service before, and 72% said they used their ACP-subsidized internet to “schedule or attend healthcare appointments.”
Estimates of how many low-income U.S. households qualify for the program vary, but experts agree that only about half of the roughly 50 million eligible households have signed on.
“A big barrier for this program generally was people don’t know about it,” said Brian Whitacre, a professor and the Neustadt chair in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University.
Whitacre and others said rural households should be signing up at even higher rates than urban ones because a higher percentage of them are eligible.
Yet, people found signing up for the program laborious. Enrollment was a two-step process. Applicants were required to get approved by the federal government then work with an internet service provider that would apply the discount. The government application was online — hard to get to if you didn’t yet have internet service — though applicants could try to find a way to download a version, print it, and submit the application by mail.
When Frances Goli, the broadband project manager for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in Idaho, began enrolling tribal and community members at the Fort Hall Reservation last year, she found that many residents did not know about the program — even though it had been approved more than a year earlier.
Goli and Amber Hastings, an AmeriCorps member with the University of Idaho Extension Digital Economy Program, spent hours helping residents through the arduous process of finding the proper tribal documentation required to receive the larger $75 discount for those living on tribal lands.
“That was one of the biggest hurdles,” Goli said. “They’re getting denied and saying, come back with a better document. And that is just frustrating for our community members.”
Of the more than 200 households Goli and Hastings aided, about 40% had not had internet before.
In the tribal lands of Oklahoma, said Sachin Gupta, director of government business and economic development at internet service provider Centranet, years ago the funding may not have mattered.
“But then covid hit,” Gupta said. “The stories I have heard.”
Elders, he said, reportedly “died of entirely preventable causes” such as high blood pressure and diabetes because they feared covid in the clinics.
“It’s really important to establish connectivity,” Gupta said. The end of the discounts will “take a toll.”
This article was produced by KFF Health News, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF. Subscribe to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing.
The virus sometimes causes severe illness even in those without underlying conditions, causing more deaths in children than other vaccine-preventable diseases...
Everyone over the age of 6 months should get the latest covid-19 booster, a federal expert panel recommended Tuesday after hearing an estimate that universal vaccination could prevent 100,000 more hospitalizations each year than if only the elderly were vaccinated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 13-1 for the motion after months of debate about whether to limit its recommendation to high-risk groups. A day earlier, the FDA approved the new booster, stating it was safe and effective at protecting against the covid variants currently circulating in the U.S.
After the last booster was released, in 2022, only 17% of the U.S. population got it — compared with the roughly half of the nation who got the first booster after it became available in fall 2021. Broader uptake was hurt by pandemic weariness and evidence the shots don’t always prevent covid infections. But those who did get the shot were far less likely to get very sick or die, according to data presented at Tuesday’s meeting.
The virus sometimes causes severe illness even in those without underlying conditions, causing more deaths in children than other vaccine-preventable diseases, as chickenpox did before vaccines against those pathogens were universally recommended.
The number of hospitalized patients with covid has ticked up modestly in recent weeks, CDC data shows, and infectious disease experts anticipate a surge in the late fall and winter.
The shots are made by Moderna and by Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, which have decided to charge up to $130 a shot. They have launched national marketing campaigns to encourage vaccination. The advisory committee deferred a decision on a third booster, produced by Novavax, because the FDA hasn’t yet approved it. Here’s what to know:
Who should get the covid booster?
The CDC advises that everyone over 6 months old should, for the broader benefit of all. Those at highest risk of serious disease include babies and toddlers, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with chronic health conditions including obesity. The risks are lower — though not zero — for everyone else. The vaccines, we’ve learned, tend to prevent infection in most people for only a few months. But they do a good job of preventing hospitalization and death, and by at least diminishing infections they may slow spread of the disease to the vulnerable, whose immune systems may be too weak to generate a good response to the vaccine.
Pablo Sánchez, a pediatrics professor at The Ohio State University who was the lone dissenter on the CDC panel, said he was worried the boosters hadn’t been tested enough, especially in kids. The vaccine strain in the new boosters was approved only in June, so nearly all the tests were done in mice or monkeys. However, nearly identical vaccines have been given safely to billions of people worldwide.
When should you get it?
The vaccine makers say they’ll begin rolling out the vaccine this week. If you’re in a high-risk group and haven’t been vaccinated or been sick with covid in the past two months, you could get it right away, says John Moore, an immunology expert at Weill Cornell Medical College. If you plan to travel this holiday season, as he does, Moore said, it would make sense to push your shot to late October or early November, to maximize the period in which protection induced by the vaccine is still high.
Who will pay for it?
When the ACIP recommends a vaccine for children, the government is legally obligated to guarantee kids free coverage, and the same holds for commercial insurance coverage of adult vaccines. For the 25 to 30 million uninsured adults, the federal government created the Bridge Access Program. It will pay for rural and community health centers, as well as Walgreens, CVS, and some independent pharmacies, to provide covid shots for free. Manufacturers have agreed to donate some of the doses, CDC officials said.
Will this new booster work against the current variants of covid?
It should. More than 90% of currently circulating strains are closely related to the variant selected for the booster earlier this year, and studies showed the vaccines produced ample antibodies against most of them. The shots also appeared to produce a good immune response against a divergent strain that initially worried people, called BA.2.86. That strain represents fewer than 1% of cases currently. Moore calls it a “nothingburger.”
Why are some doctors not gung-ho about the booster?
Experience with the covid vaccines has shown that their protection against hospitalization and death lasts longer than their protection against illness, which wanes relatively quickly, and this has created widespread skepticism. Most people in the U.S. have been ill with covid and most have been vaccinated at least once, which together are generally enough to prevent grave illness, if not infection — in most people. Many doctors think the focus should be on vaccinating those truly at risk.
With new covid boosters, plus flu and RSV vaccines, how many shots should I expect to get this fall?
People tend to get sick in the late fall because they’re inside more and may be traveling and gathering in large family groups. This fall, for the first time, there’s a vaccine — for older adults — against respiratory syncytial virus. Kathryn Edwards, a 75-year-old Vanderbilt University pediatrician, plans to get all three shots but “probably won’t get them all together,” she said. Covid “can have a punch” and some of the RSV vaccines and the flu shot that’s recommended for people 65 and older also can cause sore arms and, sometimes, fever or other symptoms. A hint emerged from data earlier this year that people who got flu and covid shots together might be at slightly higher risk of stroke. That linkage seems to have faded after further study, but it still might be safer not to get them together.
Pfizer and Moderna are both testing combination vaccines, with the first flu-covid shot to be available as early as next year.
Has this booster version been used elsewhere in the world?
Nope, although Pfizer’s shot has been approved in the European Union, Japan, and South Korea, and Moderna has won approval in Japan and Canada. Rollouts will start in the U.S. and other countries this week.
Unlike in earlier periods of the pandemic, mandates for the booster are unlikely. But “it’s important for people to have access to the vaccine if they want it,” said panel member Beth Bell, a professor of public health at the University of Washington.
“Having said that, it’s clear the risk is not equal, and the messaging needs to clarify that a lot of older people and people with underlying conditions are dying, and they really need to get a booster,” she said.
ACIP member Sarah Long, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, voted for a universal recommendation but said she worried it was not enough. “I think we’ll recommend it and nobody will get it,” she said. “The people who need it most won’t get it.”
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.
Reports show that the median Illinois household has a tax liability of $9,500, while Chicago's debt per taxpayer is almost $42,000.
Justin Carlson is a policy analyst for Illinois Policy Institute. He said the main driver of debt at both Chicago City Hall and the statehouse is underfunded pensions.
"It means higher taxes and higher fees, as the pension systems have required more funding," said Carlson. "That's less funding that you have for education or health care or social programs, or violence prevention, different things that communities rely on."
Carlson said the watchdog group Truth in Accounting reports Chicago's debt totals almost $49 billion, with two-thirds of that owed to the city's pension fund. In recent years, the city has almost doubled its property taxes to make its annual payments.
Carlson said across the state, the annual effective tax rate is just over 15%, making it the largest among the 50 states and Washington, D.C.
He said the high taxes are taking the biggest bite out of the incomes of people in marginalized neighborhoods and communities of color.
"That burden shifts even more to the people who can't afford to leave or don't want to leave," said Carlson. "Your taxes are just going to continue to go up, and that kind of feeds this vicious cycle where you have less money to draw from, and then the people who are left need to pay for higher and higher burdens."
He said part of the problem is that the formula for funding public pensions is spelled out in the Illinois Constitution, giving lawmakers very little leeway in how they write the budget.
"If you wanted to reform public pensions in Illinois, you would need to advance a constitutional amendment in order to change the benefits that are currently being offered," said Carlson. "So it's the case really locally and statewide of pensions being over-promised."
Government pandemic policies that gave free Covid vaccines and tests to the general public will disappear in two months. The medical and insurance industries are gearing up to capitalize on what looks like a voluptuous revenue stream the virus that will likely never end starting on May 11.
by Julie Appleby Kaiser Health News
We see a double-digit billion[-dollar] market opportunity
The White House announced this month that the national public health emergency, first declared in early 2020 in response to the pandemic, is set to expire May 11. When it ends, so will many of the policies designed to combat the virus's spread.
Take vaccines. Until now, the federal government has been purchasing covid-19 shots. It recently bought 105 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster for about $30.48 a dose, and 66 million doses of Moderna's version for $26.36 a dose. (These are among the companies that developed the first covid vaccines sold in the United States.)
People will be able to get these vaccines at low or no cost as long as the government-purchased supplies last. But even before the end date for the public emergency was set, Congress opted not to provide more money to increase the government's dwindling stockpile. As a result, Pfizer and Moderna were already planning their moves into the commercial market. Both have indicated they will raise prices, somewhere in the range of $110 to $130 per dose, though insurers and government health programs could negotiate lower rates.
"We see a double-digit billion[-dollar] market opportunity," investors were told at a JPMorgan conference in San Francisco recently by Ryan Richardson, chief strategy officer for BioNTech. The company expects a gross price — the full price before any discounts — of $110 a dose, which, Richardson said, "is more than justified from a health economics perspective."
That could translate to tens of billions of dollars in revenue for the manufacturers, even if uptake of the vaccines is slow. And consumers would foot the bill, either directly or indirectly.
If half of adults — about the same percentage as those who opt for an annual flu shot — get covid boosters at the new, higher prices, a recent KFF report estimated, insurers, employers, and other payors would shell out $12.4 billion to $14.8 billion. That's up to nearly twice as much as what it would have cost for every adult in the U.S. to get a bivalent booster at the average price paid by the federal government.
As for covid treatments, an August blog post by the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response noted that government-purchased supplies of the drug Paxlovid are expected to last through midyear before the private sector takes over. The government's bulk purchase price from manufacturer Pfizer was $530 for a course of treatment, and it isn't yet known what the companies will charge once government supplies run out.
How Much of That Pinch Will Consumers Feel?
One thing is certain: How much, if any, of the boosted costs are passed on to consumers will depend on their health coverage.
Medicare beneficiaries, those enrolled in Medicaid — the state-federal health insurance program for people with low incomes — and people with Affordable Care Act coverage will continue to get covid vaccines without cost sharing, even when the public health emergency ends and the government-purchased vaccines run out. Many people with job-based insurance will also likely not face copayments for vaccines, unless they go out of network for their vaccinations. People with limited-benefit or short-term insurance policies might have to pay for all or part of their vaccinations. And people who don't have insurance will need to either pay the full cost out-of-pocket or seek no- or low-cost vaccinations from community clinics or other providers. If they cannot find a free or low-cost option, some uninsured patients may be forced to skip vaccinations or testing.
Coming up with what could be $100 or more for vaccination will be especially hard "if you are uninsured or underinsured; that's where these price hikes could drive additional disparities," said Sean Robbins, executive vice president of external affairs for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Those increases, he said, will also affect people with insurance, as the costs "flow through to premiums."
Meanwhile, public policy experts say many private insurers will continue to cover Paxlovid, although patients may face a copayment, at least until they meet their deductible, just as they do for other medications. Medicaid will continue to cover it without cost to patients until at least 2024. But Medicare coverage will be limited until the treatment goes through the regular FDA process, which takes longer than the emergency use authorization it has been marketed under.
Another complication: The rolls of the uninsured are likely to climb over the next year, as states are poised to reinstate the process of regularly determining Medicaid eligibility, which was halted during the pandemic. Starting in April, states will begin reassessing whether Medicaid enrollees meet income and other qualifying factors.
"This is our No. 1 concern" right now, said John Baackes, CEO of L.A. Care, the nation's largest publicly operated health plan with 2.7 million members.
"They may not realize they've lost coverage until they go to fill a prescription" or seek other medical care, including vaccinations, he said.
What About Covid Test Kits?
Rules remain in place for insurers, including Medicare and Affordable Care Act plans, to cover the cost of up to eight in-home test kits a month for each person on the plan, until the public health emergency ends.
For consumers — including those without insurance — a government website is still offering up to four test kits per household, until they run out. The Biden administration shifted funding to purchase additional kits and made them available in late December.
Starting in May, though, beneficiaries in original Medicare and many people with private, job-based insurance will have to start paying out-of-pocket for the rapid antigen test kits. Some Medicare Advantage plans, which are an alternative to original Medicare, might opt to continue covering them without a copayment. Policies will vary, so check with your insurer. And Medicaid enrollees can continue to get the test kits without cost for a little over a year.
State rules also can vary, and continued coverage without cost sharing for covid tests, treatments, and vaccines after the health emergency ends might be available with some health plans.
Overall, the future of covid tests, vaccines, and treatments will reflect the complicated mix of coverage consumers already navigate for most other types of care.
"From a consumer perspective, vaccines will still be free, but for treatments and test kits, a lot of people will face cost sharing," said Jen Kates, a senior vice president at KFF. "We're taking what was universal access and now saying we're going back to how it is in the regular U.S. health system."
KHN correspondent Darius Tahir contributed to this report.
KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.
Aaron Mulherin, owner of AM Glass, goes over company financial details with his SCORE mentor John Brockhardt. There are many options for financing a new or existing business, and a mentor can help guide you.
NAPSI -- If you’re wondering how to finance your startup, you’re not alone. Depending on your business, financing it can either be relatively simple, such as drawing on your personal savings, or more complex, perhaps requiring you to seek loans or investors.
Here are some common ways to finance a business, along with pros and cons to keep in mind:
Personally Finance Your Startup
In the digital age, many small businesses can be up and running with little to almost no capital, which can make financing your business with your own money more realistic.
Personally financing your business has some distinct advantages—you retain full control over your company, take on zero debt and have no loan payments to worry about.
On the flip side, you could lose money if the business doesn’t work out.
The bottom line is that if you’re willing to take on personal financial risk, using your own money is one of the most straightforward methods of funding your startup, while maintaining full control.
Ask Friends and Family For Financial Support
Help from friends and family is another common method for financing a business. This could look similar to personal financing or a private loan.
The advantages depend on the terms of the contributions. You might retain full control over your company and not have to take on debt or you may have to relinquish some control and agree to repay what you’ve received plus interest.
Take Out a Bank Loan
Banks and credit unions are another financing option. However, you’re taking on debt and will need to make regular payments on the loan, which can cut into cash flow. On the plus side, financing your business with a loan means that you retain full control of your company.
Be prepared to show a bank a business plan, expense sheets and financial projections, often for the first five years.
Securing a bank loan is a challenging process. A mentor can help you prepare a loan application, so you have the best chance of securing the loan you need.
Bring in an Outside Investor
Bringing in an outside investor is typically not a realistic option for most businesses. The experts at SCORE found that only about 2% of businesses have a business model that would interest investors.
Most often, equity investors require not only a percentage of ownership in the company but an “exit plan”—otherwise known as your plan for how they’ll recoup their investment and see a healthy return.
With an investor, though, you get relatively quick access to capital without periodic loan payments, potential access to business expertise, and connections you might lack.
If your startup requires a significant capital investment, bringing in an outside investor may be a smart option.
Rally Support Through Crowdfunding
Once considered an unconventional way to finance your business, crowdfunding is now a common method for raising startup funds.
The structure of a crowdfunding campaign depends on your platform host. The idea is to encourage small contributions from a large pool of people. Funders receive gifts for their support which usually includes the product or service you sell.
The downside to crowdfunding: it takes a lot of effort and money and failure is very public, unlike with private ventures.
Choosing the Right Financing Option is Key
As you develop your startup, connect with a SCORE mentor. They can guide you toward the right financing options for your needs and lead you on the pathway to success.
Learn more about traditional and creative ways to help your business by visitig www.score.org.
URBANA -- Applications for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds available through the City of Urbana are accepted now through November 16. Urbana has $12.97 million to distribute to help those affected by the Coronavirus pandemic that started in March 2020.
"The city is seeking applications for organizations that will provide services meeting the funding goals. Rather than households or businesses seeking individual assistance, applicants should be organizations who will use the funds to facilitate one of the funding goals," according to the City of Urbana website.
The goals include:
Public Health and Safety
Improve accessibility of public recreation space and youth programming
Increase support for community violence interventions
Adequate and Affordable Housing
Reduce housing costs for those that need it most
Human Rights and Social Services
Increase availability and affordability of mental health services
Increase availability and affordability of food
Economic Recovery and Development
Increase job training and placement opportunities
Provide relief and support for local businesses
Sustainable Infrastructure
Invest in infrastructure to increase community health, safety, and future resilience
In the city's distribution plan, individuals or families that need help paying rent or businesses desiring assistance covering their expenses do not qualify for the program. Instead, funding from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program, a component of the ARPA passed in March 2021, will be given to organizations with programs that assist with individual housing or provide small business assistance. There is no minimum or maximum funding amount, and the money can be utilized to cover expenses necessary to meet the city's stated goals.
Participating organizations can use the money for "facility investments, personnel, direct assistance to community members, internal capacity building, and administrative costs."
To apply for funding go to https://ccrpc.gitlab.io/urbana-arpa/apply/.
Today, is Census Day and if you haven't completed yours online or mailed it back yet today, it's time to get'r done.
Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges has bet with a couple of area mayors and is enjoying a significant lead in the wager and she needs everyone's help in padding the village's numbers.
"I looked up the numbers for March 25th and I currently have bragging rights for St. Joseph with ours being a 42.8% response rate," said Fruhling-Voges. "Mahomet is at 37.3% and Savoy is at 30.0%."
The purpose of the census is to figure out how many seats each state receives in the U.S. House of Representatives. The federal government also uses the data to distributed more than $675 billion annually to states for various programs.
If a household does not response or the form is incomplete, someone from the Census Bureau will follow up either by phone or in person to get the missing or needed information.
She is encouraging members of the community who have not yet done their part to do so.
"While we're all stuck at home get those Census responses sent in!" she said.
You can fill out the form online today at https://my2020census.gov/. The online questionnaire takes about 15 minutes to complete. The online portal is the fast and secure way to help the village and state receive the funding it deserves.
After 26 years of operation, the Illinois Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program will receive $2,885,000.00 in State funding.
CASA is not-for-profit organization which recruits, trains, and monitors volunteers who serve as advocates for abused and neglected children. Their services are also used in Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) cases and sometimes in adoption proceedings. Trained volunteers work to ensure the welfare of the children under their care is closely monitored and make independent recommendations to the court system advocating in their best interest.
In Illinois there are 31 CASA programs with nearly 2,500 volunteers who in 2018 advocated for the best interests of 4,184 child victims of abuse and neglect.
"This funding means that more children across Illinois do not have to go through the court process alone," said Mari Christopherson, Executive Director for CASA. "We applaud the Governor in supporting a program that works."
According to the statement issued this week, the funding will distributed to the current local programs with the goal of expanding their ability to protect the interest of minor children who have experienced abuse or neglect with a Court Appointed Special Advocate. The funds will also be used to expand CASA into other communities to help an estimated 2,000 or more children who do not have access to volunteers and service in their area.
The local branch, Champaign County CASA, is located at 301 S. Vine, Suite 210, in the Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana.
The East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra will present its winter concert Sunday evening at Smith Memorial Hall on the Univers...
On This Day
Discover the headlines published on each of these days from our news and sports coverage from Champaign‑Urbana and the wider community. From local news and sports to community events, politics, and opinion pieces, The Sentinel archives capture the stories that shaped life in Champaign County year after year.
Reports show that the median Illinois household has a tax liability of $9,500, while Chicago's debt per taxpayer is almost $42,000. 
URBANA -- Applications for 