Medicaid is one of Illinois government’s largest and fastest-growing expenses, accounting for more than 28 percent of the state’s total operating budget.1 It has also been a prime target of waste, fraud and abuse, earning a “high risk” designation from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.2 Most states, including Illinois, have focused fraud-prevention efforts on provider...
Occupational licensing requirements present one of the steepest barriers to low-income Illinoisans starting careers in beauty services. Illinois requires anyone seeking to become a barber, cosmetologist, nail technician or hair braider to obtain a state license, essentially a permission slip to work. Unlike 45 other states, Illinois offers only one pathway to licensure for each...