$3.6M to support Illinois college students struggling with depression, anxiety
According to the ICCB, the funds will be used to 'introduce new services, augment existing practices, and target service gaps to help meet the mental health needs of thousands of students.'
'We know many college students nationwide face mental health challenges. A recent U.S. News survey revealed nearly 70% of college students report struggling with their mental health. This investment will help community colleges better meet the needs of students outside the classroom, contributing to their success in the classroom,' said ICCB executive director Brian Durham.
According to a 2023 Healthy Minds study, which surveyed 800 campuses across the country, 41% of college students had 'clinically significant symptoms of depression' and 1 in 3 students had anxiety.
All colleges receiving funds will use them in at least one of four ways:
Develop and expand peer support programs.
Expand the number of students served through local partnerships
Develop and expand mental health services targeting service gaps, emphasizing underserved students.
Develop Medicaid and other reimbursement procedures for mental health services.
Rock Valley College will receive $120,000 for its program.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Newsweek
28 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Medicare Update: Trump Admin Launching Pilot Program to Cover Ozempic
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Trump administration is preparing a five-year pilot program that would allow Medicare and Medicaid to cover some of the most in-demand weight-loss drugs, a move that could transform obesity treatment for millions of Americans. The plan, which includes medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, represents a reversal in federal policy and signals a broader willingness to use public insurance to address the nation's obesity epidemic. Why It Matters The drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, were initially developed to treat Type 2 diabetes but have become a cultural phenomenon for their ability to suppress appetite and help patients lose as much as 20 percent of their body weight in clinical trials. The pilot builds on a proposal introduced in the final months of the Biden administration but shelved earlier this year when officials under President Donald Trump announced Medicare and Medicaid would not cover weight-loss medications. What To Know According to documents obtained by The Washington Post, the program would allow state Medicaid programs and Medicare Part D plans to voluntarily cover GLP-1 drugs for weight management. The initiative is scheduled to begin in April 2026 for Medicaid and January 2027 for Medicare and will be administered through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which tests new payment models designed to reduce costs and improve care. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, who led the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under former President Joe Biden, told the Post the experiment would be a "game changer" if it expands access to obesity treatments. "Increased coverage of anti-obesity medications in Medicare and Medicaid was a priority during my tenure because scientists and clinicians increasingly believe obesity is a serious health condition that should be treated accordingly," she said. A pharmacy owner displays an Ozempic package in Pristina, Kosovo, on March 27. A pharmacy owner displays an Ozempic package in Pristina, Kosovo, on March 27. Photo by ARMEND NIMANI/AFP via Getty Images The program faces a major hurdle: price. GLP-1 drugs typically cost from $5,000 to $7,000 a year, raising questions about whether widespread coverage is sustainable. "The short-term cost is still huge," Dr. Cynthia Cox, vice president at KFF (formerly Kaiser Family Foundation), told Newsweek. "$1,000 a month per person is a massive outlay." A KFF analysis found that Ozempic's U.S. list price is $936 a month—more than five times the cost in Japan, where it sells for $169. Wegovy, which contains the same active ingredient, costs roughly $1,349 a month in the U.S., compared to $328 in Germany. At the moment, 13 state Medicaid programs cover GLP-1 drugs for obesity. Medicare limits coverage to patients with related conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. With about 70 million people enrolled in Medicaid and 65 million in Medicare, even partial expansion could affect a significant share of the population. Ethicists warn of the potential economic fallout. "These drugs help over 50 percent of people lose up to 25 percent of their body weight," said Dr. Robert Klitzman, a Columbia University bioethicist, in an interview with Newsweek. "But they cost around $12,000 a year. If two-thirds of Americans needed them, it would bankrupt the health care system." Despite the financial concerns, GLP-1 medications are generating enthusiasm among doctors for their ability to improve multiple health markers beyond weight loss. Clinical trials show they can reduce blood sugar, lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular outcomes. "Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs are changing how we approach obesity, both in the doctor's office and for society in general," Dr. Raj Dasgupta, chief medical adviser for Garage Gym Reviews, told Newsweek. "They're helping shift the conversation from 'this is a personal failure' to 'this is a medical condition that deserves real treatment.'" The Congressional Budget Office estimates that adding obesity coverage could cost Medicare $35 billion from 2026 to 2034. What People Are Saying A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Ozempic and Wegovy, told The Washington Post: "We believe that comprehensive coverage through government and commercial insurance plans is critical to affordable health care and treatment options." Klitzman also said in the interview with Newsweek: "Insurance doesn't always cover it, especially for people who don't have diabetes or heart disease. Initially, the drugs were approved for diabetes-related obesity, but doctors have been prescribing them to people who are just overweight, without those conditions." What Happens Next With more than 100 million U.S. adults classified as obese and 22 million considered severely obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the program's potential impact is vast. The proposal is not final and could undergo a formal public comment period before implementation.


Fast Company
2 hours ago
- Fast Company
A Medicare experiment could change who gets Ozempic
If a new experiment pans out, Medicaid and Medicare could begin covering the costly weight loss drugs that price out many Americans who might want to try them. After killing a Biden-era plan with the same goal, the Trump administration is working on a five-year pilot program that would allow state Medicaid programs and Medicare's prescription plan to opt into covering drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound and Mounjaro for 'weight management,' The Washington Post reports. In its final months, the Biden administration proposed expanding Medicaid and Medicare coverage for popular weight loss drugs, extending it to roughly 7.5 million people enrolled in those programs. In April, the Trump administration tossed that plan – a move that was somewhat expected given Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vocal opposition to the weight loss drugs that have taken America by storm. Now, something very similar appears to be back on the table. Differences of opinion Kennedy's view is at odds with other members of the Trump administration, including Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Oz, a former surgeon best known as a daytime television personality prior to joining the federal government, has long boosted weight loss drugs like Ozempic. 'I'll respect you no matter what your weight might be, but for those who want to lose a few pounds, Ozempic and other semaglutide medications can be a big help,' Oz said in a social media post in 2023. 'We need to make it as easy as possible for people to meet their health goals, period.' Oz has also been paid to promote the drugs in the past. In 2019, Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk sponsored a nine-minute long infomercial on Oz's daytime talk show praising the benefits of using Ozempic for Type 2 diabetes. On the other side of the coin, Kennedy at HHS is staunchly opposed to weight loss drugs like Ozempic and has made misleading claims about the class of drugs in the past. 'They're counting on selling it to Americans because we're so stupid and so addicted to drugs,' Kennedy said in an interview he shared on Instagram last year. Kennedy, a prominent figure in anti-vaccine circles before joining the Trump administration, has a long track record of elevating health conspiracy theories, even while promoting other common sense ideas around health and wellness. Kennedy, who opposes the use of many prescription medications, believes that the prominence of processed foods in the American diet is a root cause of many of the country's health woes. What is the status now? While Medicaid and Medicare don't evenly cover GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for weight loss, 13 state Medicaid programs do offer coverage to treat obesity. For people on Medicaid and Medicare, coverage is much more widely available when GLP-1 drugs are prescribed to Type 2 diabetes. The Washington Post reports that the trial program is slated to start in April 2026 for Medicaid and in January 2027 for Medicare. The program is connected to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which experiments with new ways to lower costs and deliver coverage for people enrolled in those subsidized insurance programs. According to documents viewed by the Post, the program has yet to be finalized. Whether it goes into effect or not, the experimental plan to extend coverage shows that the anti-Ozempic faction of the Trump administration might find itself overruled when it comes to the weight loss drug.


Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
UI Health ends gender-affirming pediatric surgery as Illinois joins federal lawsuit against Trump administration
Another Chicago hospital has ended gender-affirming pediatric surgery amid threats to its federal funding. But Illinois and 15 other states are fighting back in a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration for 'intimidating providers' into denying such care. On Friday, UI Health became the latest hospital to suspend gender-affirming surgical procedures for adolescents effective immediately, according to an announcement posted on the hospital's website. 'After careful review of recent federal government actions, UI Health has made the following changes to its gender-affirming surgical services,' the health system posted. 'Effective Aug. 1, 2025, UI Health has suspended gender-affirming surgical procedures for patients under age 19. Any patient working toward or scheduled for surgery will need to postpone surgery until they reach age 19.' UI Health is an academic health system associated with the University of Illinois Chicago. Its main facility is the 438-bed University of Illinois Hospital – the state's only public general hospital – which is located on Taylor Street at the center of the Illinois Medical District. In response to a request for comment Friday, UI Health forwarded its posted announcement and added a clarifying statement, leaving the door open to gender-affirming adolescent surgery in the future — if allowed by federal policy. 'We recognize the importance of gender-affirming care in supporting the health and well-being of our patients,' UI Health said in the statement. 'We are committed to working closely with affected individuals and families to ensure continuity of care and support. UI Health remains steadfast in its mission to provide compassionate, inclusive, and patient-centered care for all. We are closely monitoring federal updates to determine if or when to resume these services to patients under age 19.' The move by UI Health to suspend gender-affirming pediatric surgeries follows similar recent actions by other major Chicago hospitals. On July 18, UChicago Medicine announced it was discontinuing all gender-affirming pediatric care, while Rush University System for Health 'paused' hormonal care to new patients under the age of 18 beginning July 1. A January 28 executive action by President Donald Trump precipitated the gender-affirming care policy changes for hospitals across the U.S. Trump's order to prevent children under 19 from undergoing 'chemical and surgical mutilation' threatened to withhold federal research grants as well as Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement for institutions that provide such pediatric gender care services. The impact was immediate for some hospitals, with Lurie Children's Hospital pausing gender-affirming surgeries for patients younger than 19 in February, a policy which remains in place. Meanwhile, UI Health allegedly canceled an Illinois teenager's gender-affirming chest surgery, according to a February filing in a Maryland federal court. In the case, which is ongoing, the teen's mother said in a declaration the UI Health surgeon called her the day after Trump's executive order was issued to say the hospital 'was worried about losing millions of dollars in funding' and would not allow them to proceed with the scheduled surgery. On Friday, Illinois joined 15 other states in suing Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Justice Department for denying access to gender-affirming care for patients under 19. The Trump administration is 'intimidating providers into ceasing care through threats of civil and criminal prosecution,' according to the lawsuit filed in Massachusetts federal court. 'These threats have no basis in law,' the lawsuit states. 'No federal law prohibits, much less criminalizes, the provision or receipt of gender-affirming care for transgender adolescents. In fact, federal healthcare programs have reimbursed the provision of such care for years.' The lawsuit is seeking to declare Trump's order unconstitutional and unlawful, and to set aside subsequent federal actions targeting doctors, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies that provide 'medically necessary' gender-affirming care to adolescents. rchannick@