To mark the beginning of the Medicare Open Enrollment period, the Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) offers free counseling assistance to help educate Medicare-eligible individuals and their caregivers about their Medicare insurance options. Medicare Open Enrollment started on October 15 and runs through December 7. During this time, people can shop for a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan or a Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) for 2016.

Chicago – Schools

·         Chicago Public Schools receive $235 million in overpayments from Illinois taxpayers; Rep. Pihos files reform package to hold Chicago accountable.  In response to recent revelations that Illinois taxpayers overpaid Chicago Public Schools (CPS) by $235 million in block grant funds for the 2011-2012 school year, Representative Sandy Pihos has filed a package of bills that would repeal the preferential block grant funding for CPS and require CPS to submit claims for reimbursement of special education costs, just like the other 859 school districts throughout Illinois are required to do.

According to Pihos, the root of the problem can be traced to a lack of accountability with how grant money is sent to CPS and a failure within CPS to comply with reporting mandates required within the Illinois School Code.  Whereas every other public school district in the state gets reimbursed for services delivered, current law allows CPS to receive their block grant money up front.  For 2011-12, CPS received $483.7 million in block grants, but provided only $249 in student benefits.  Nearly 30 percent of special education funding was earmarked to CPS, which only had 16 percent of the special education student population in the state.