Latest news with #ChapinRose
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State Senator initiates audit into Discovery Partners Institute after project objective change
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — In Springfield, State Senator Chapin Rose is leading a full audit of the Discovery Partners Institute at the University of Illinois. There was supposed to be a tech hub built in Chicago, but that project was cancelled and shifted to focusing on quantum computing. U of I System President Timothy Killeen has been heading the institute for the past eight years. High-speed rail survey could help bring trains through Central Illinois Rose said in that time, it has spent $30 million with almost nothing to show for it. Now, he's hoping this investigation can shed light on what went wrong. 'That's insane. Like, what is going on? How do you lose $30 million?' Rose said. 'In the handling of these funds, we want to know where every penny went. But this isn't just a financial audit, it's also a performance audit. They're going to look at every email, every decision point, they're going to tell us what happened, how we got here. At the end of the day, I think Tim Killeen should be removed from his duties related to DPI.' The state audit commission unanimously approved the Mahomet Senator's request late last month. Rose said the process will most likely take months to complete. WCIA reached out to Killeen and his media team, but they declined to comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Illinois deer population control bill passes Senate
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – The Illinois Senate unanimously passed a bill intended to control deer population by making it easier for residents to obtain hunting permits. Senate Bill 710 loosens regulations under the Illinois Wildlife Code to make it easier for landowners and tenants to obtain deer hunting permits. The bill also allows for the automatic issuance of additional antlerless-only permits for those who show 'effective reduction efforts' and enables owners and resident tenants of at least 40 acres of commercial farmland to receive permits for use on that land. Senator Chapin Rose says this address a matter of not just an economic hit on farmers and the price of goods at the grocery store, but a matter of public safety. 'Vehicular collisions with deer are extremely dangerous and, even if you are lucky enough to escape unscathed, chances are your car won't be as lucky,' said Senator Rose. 'Virtually everyone I know has had a near miss with a deer at some point, and many have had an actual impact. You can't put a price tag on human life or injury, but all of us in Illinois are paying higher health insurance, particularly car insurance, because of the out-of-control deer herd in our state.' Senate Bill 710 now heads to the House of Representatives for further consideration. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Illinois health insurance provider ending coverage for hundreds of thousands of patients
Are you insured by Health Alliance? It may be time to start perusing the market for next year. One of Illinois' insurance providers, Carle Health announced on Feb. 25 its plan to close down the majority of its health plans. The end of coverage will take effect at the end of the year, leaving thousands without coverage. More: Overcoming sexual stigma: Springfield massage therapist shares experiences, hardships Throughout the remainder of 2025, the health plans will maintain operations to support claims processing and meet ongoing business needs, regulatory mandates and contractual obligations. Membership information will continue to be available through the Hally/MyChart member platform beyond the end of the year. Based in the Ubrana-Champaign area, Carle Health said Health Alliance and sister company FirstCarolinaCare are ceasing operations at the start of next year due to financial struggles competing with other for-profit health insurance companies. 'In recent years, the health insurance industry has changed dramatically, particularly for provider-owned insurers,' Carle Health said on Feb. 25 announcing the planned closures. 'Medical inflation, rising prescription drug costs, increased utilization of healthcare services, higher volumes of chronic medical conditions, coupled with an increased demand for technology and broad networks have placed considerable financial strain on those organizations.' First reported by Times News Global, 187,000 policy holders will lose insurance coverage with the change of the new year. In Illinois, Health Alliance offers individual and employer group plans, individual and group Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Supplement plans. Carle Health's Health Alliance employs over 600 employees, which received communication from the company about transitioning to other positions within the company. State Senator Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, expressed his sadness and shock to learn of the end of operation for the affected employees and the tens of thousands of locals who rely on Health Alliance. 'My office will stand by to try and help in any way we can in job training and recruitment efforts for the impacted employees,' Sen. Rose said. 'Continuity of care and access to trusted physicians must be the priority as thousands of local members will now be forced to find a new insurance carrier.' Sen. Rose said his team has already connected with the Central Management Services director for group health insurance to see what healthcare options will be available next May enrollment cycle for the families affected. Health Alliance insurance plans first launched in 1980, as CarleCare HMO. It changed its name to Health Alliance in 1989 and it was reorganized as a for-profit insurance company owned by Carle Clinic. Health Alliance is the largest healthcare provider in downstate Illinois. Almost 250,000 people are insurance through the company in Champaign; FirstCarolinaCare in North Carolina will process claims until the end of the year. Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for The State Journal-Register. She can be reached at CLGrant@ and on X (Formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Thousands of Illinois residents may need new health insurance in 2026
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘You have lives impacted across Illinois': State employees to lose Heath Alliance coverage over the summer
CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Thousands of people across the state will be losing their insurance carrier later this year, and now WCIA is learning more about when the Health Alliance coverage will be going away for certain employees. A spokesperson for Carle Health confirmed state employees will lose coverage over the summer since the contract ends on June 30th. But, she said this isn't atypical as the calendar runs July 1 through June 30 for many. Several employees in Central Illinois use Health Alliance, such as 7,000 people at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and many others in some school districts including Champaign and Mahomet-Seymour. Health Alliance discontinuing plans at year's end; Medicare Advantage to continue Teachers in Mahomet have mixed emotions about the news. One said she 'trusts the district to make the right move' when it comes to finding another program. The other said she is still in shock and is worried about other companies covering the medicine she takes daily. Lawmakers like Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) know it's a tricky situation to navigate. 'The first thing we have to do is make sure there are options and choices in open enrollment in May. People have to have a place to go and a place to go that includes their current provider,' he said. 'I do not want to go through one of these rounds where I have husbands calling me because their wife's in chemotherapy treatment and nobody knows if they're gonna be able to stay with their oncologist.' Insurance expert breaks down implications of Health Alliance's discontinued services Sen. Rose, and several others, want to know what insurance options people will have once May starts. Central Management Services (CMS) is the department that helps with insurance for state workers. 'Like so many others, CMS was not given advance notification of this decision by Health Alliance. State employees, retirees, and their dependents should know that the change in coverage is not immediate, and CMS is working diligently to make sure impacted individuals experience a smooth transition. CMS will communicate directly with impacted parties and ensure they are well informed of their options.' Cynthia Johnson, Deputy Director Carle Health said they are ready to help customers and provide resources to make sure it's a smooth transition to other providers. They said it was important to make sure people knew what was going on before open enrollment. When Health Alliance closes, about 600 employees will lose their jobs. Carle Health will provide free training opportunities for employees to start new careers. To learn more about when your plan may end, or with any other questions, visit this link for other background information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
