217 Today: Their first baby came with medical debt. These Illinois parents won’t have another.

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Medical debt is as much a hallmark of having children as long nights and dirty diapers. The Crivilare family, Andrew, Heather and Rita, 2, are pictured at their kitchen table in Jacksonville, Ill.
  • Photo: Neeta Satam for KFF Health News

Monday, May 13, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • State Senator Chapin Rose says the University of Illinois is not being fair to its flagship campus when it distributes state funds.
  • Proponents of a measure to let terminal patients end their own lives are increasing pressure on state lawmakers as two weeks remain in the spring legislative session.
  • A new study hopes to help Black women in labor across Illinois be more seen and heard by their doctors.
  • The Illinois Department of Corrections is getting pushback on their plans to demolish and rebuild two prisons.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about how medical debt has become another cost of having children in America.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Jim Meadows, Alex Degman, Kristen Schorsch, Mawa Iqbal and Noam Levey. 

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Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.