217 Today: Weight-loss drug coverage for Illinois state workers could cost hundreds of millions of dollars

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A dosage of Wegovy, a drug used for weight loss, on March 1, 2024, in Front Royal, Va. Illinois is expanding access to the high-priced weight-loss drugs for state workers, but that could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions.
  • Photo: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades / Associated Press, File Photo

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is now home to a document that historians say helped start the Civil War.
  • Environmental advocacy groups lobbied Illinois lawmakers at the first-ever Conservation Day at the Statehouse.
  • Two major labor unions are skeptical of a proposal out of Springfield to consolidate the CTA, Metra and Pace into one transportation agency.
  • Vegan month just ended for restaurants all over Champaign. Urbana public schools offer vegan lunches all year.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn about how Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is defending his administration’s decision to expand an expensive program they hope will help overweight state workers become healthier.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Alex Degman, Jade Marceau, Mawa Iqbal, Emily Hays and Dave McKinney.

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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.