OGDEN DUNES, Ind. — Multiple sclerosis was a one-two punch to Therese Humphrey Ball’s life. She had to deal with the disease – and the cost to treat it. Symptoms like loss of vision and weakness in her legs forced the 68-year-old former nurse from Indiana to retire early, and high drug costs forced her…
CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker pledged to remove a barrier to abortion for people in prison after a WBEZ investigation found incarcerated people had to pay for the procedure and the wages of the correctional officer required to accompany them to appointments outside the prison. “Moving forward, abortion procedures and their associated expenses will…
DES MOINES, Ia. — Last spring, two pregnant women who had recently arrived from Myanmar showed up at Abigail Sui’s home in Des Moines, Iowa. They needed help finding prenatal care. Sui, a program director for EMBARC, an Iowa-based nonprofit that supports immigrants, figured she could help these women navigate the health care system. “Because…
SAN FRANCISCO — Serena Maria warmly remembers the first older person she took care of. “Her name was Liberty Bell, and she was born on [the] Fourth of July and she was the sweetest thing,” Maria said. Listen to this story here. For about a year, Maria would go to the nonegenarian’s home in Southern…
CHAMPAIGN – Doctors began performing abortions on patients at the renovated Planned Parenthood clinic in Champaign earlier this month. But on Wednesday morning, the doctors and patients were absent, as reporters and visiting politicians were given a tour of the health center, where surgical abortions have resumed after several years. “So this is where the…
Who is allowed to care for patients? And when, where and how can they do it? Those questions have been the focus of more than 450 bills and 200 executive orders introduced in state capitols since COVID-19 hit. “This is the wild west,” said Bianca Frogner, director of the University of Washington Center for Health…
Both congressional candidates in Illinois’ 13th district — Republican Regan Deering and Democrat Nikki Budzinski — say they support lowering prescription prices and capping the cost of insulin. But they disagree on a new federal law meant to achieve those goals. Deering opposes the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which President Biden signed in August. Budzinski…
CHICAGO — As states around the country adopt stricter restrictions on abortion with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, more than half of Illinois voters say abortion should remain legal here, according to a new WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times Poll. About 52% of likely voters polled said abortion should be legal in most or all cases, with…
GRANITE CITY — On a Friday morning in June, Dr. Erin King was working with patients at the Hope Clinic for Women in Granite City when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that legalized the right to an abortion nationwide. She and her staff immediately knew they had to tell…
URBANA — The two women running for Congress to represent Illinois’ 13th Congressional District differ in their approaches to abortion, the COVID-19 pandemic and more. Republican candidate Regan Deering and Democratic candidate Nikki Budzinski highlighted their differences on Thursday night during a debate hosted by Illinois Public Media, WAND News and the League of Women…
LOUISVILLE, Kent. — At the Kentucky Health Justice Network, calls have doubled over the past several months – up to 50 a week. The organization advocates for abortion access and provides financial support and guidance to people seeking care. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s4780019/audio/2022/10/abortionaccess-feature-web.mp3 Listen to this story here. Director Erin Smith said lately, the organization has been focused…
SACRAMENTO, Ca. — Jacey Cooper is the director of Medicaid in California, and she’s never been afraid of big challenges. She commuted two hours each way from Bakersfield to Los Angeles to complete her senior year at the University of Southern California after giving birth to twins. Just a few years later, at 27, she…
An independent expert who has monitored the mental health care was terminated reducing the transparency around an often failing system. CHICAGO — The Illinois Department of Corrections has long faced accusations of abuse and violence toward people with mental illness and has continually failed to fill positions for mental health care workers. Now for the…
CHAMPAIGN – In response to bans in neighboring states, the Planned Parenthood clinic located in Champaign is now providing in-patient, surgical abortions. Clinic staff expect to see more anti-abortion rights protesters with the expanded service. “Here in Champaign, the protester activity has always been pretty mild,” says Champaign Planned Parenthood manager Jennifer Fetters. “However, now…
https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s4780019/audio/2022/09/kidsmedicaid-feature-web.mp3 Kathreen Friend is a pediatric registered nurse based in Doniphan, Missouri — a small town of about 1,800, just 15 minutes north of the Arkansas border. As the lone pediatric specialist in her county, it’s not unusual for her days to fill up with appointments. “I see a large volume of kids every single…