Skyline Newspaper

It may be becoming more common for students and their families to pay for tuition costs with a credit card, but that doesn’t mean you should skip the fine print.

Throughout the United States, approximately 85% of large colleges and universities permit tuition payments to be made with a credit card, but 57% of those schools add on a service fee of around 2.62%. When you’re dealing with the increasingly high cost of higher education, that seemingly insignificant percentage can suddenly become enormous.

Some schools state that the service charge covers the university’s cost for processing and rates are supposedly set by outside companies. With the popularity of online billing and outsourced billing on the rise, certain institutions may not want to take responsibility for implementing these costs. And although outsourced billing means that invoices are delivered quickly and accurately, online billing can make these charges easy for families to miss.

The usage of these fees varies across the higher educational system. For instance, DePaul University accepts credit card payments without the added fee, but Columbia College Chicago, Loyola University Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago all charge an additional fee, ranging anywhere from 2.4 to 2.75%.

Despite the fact that most of the major colleges and universities in the Chicago area charge these fees, 89% of the largest community colleges throughout the country do not. It begs the question as to whether higher regarded schools are making subtle moves to exclude students who are less financially secure.

With student loan debts mounting, most families cannot afford to pay additional credit card processing fees on top of staggering tuition costs.

Although it represents a convenient, easy way to pay tuition fees, families are being urged to think wisely before using a credit card for college payments. Whether you receive your bill electronically or on paper, be sure to read the fine print and make the choice that makes the most sense for your financial situation.

Visits to the emergency room now number approximately 110 million each year, but Illinois, in particular, has recently seen an increase.

A recent study by researchers at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine has revealed that the state’s hospital emergency departments saw a significant increase in traffic after Obamacare took effect.

Unfortunately, this is the opposite of what most had hoped for under the new health care law.

“Emergency departments are already overcrowded, and bringing more patients in will continue to make that worse,” said Dr. Scott Dresden, an assistant professor of emergency medicine and the lead author of the study.

The number of emergency room visits by uninsured people dropped after Obamacare took effect, but the number of insured patients visiting increased by approximately 5.7% or 14,000 patients a month.

The decrease in uninsured visits wasn’t enough to offset the higher number of those with Medicaid and private insurance, according to the university’s study.

However, most recent developments in the state’s health care laws have some more worried about money than emergency room traffic.

The Illinois Department of Insurance recently released its 2017 insurance rates, which created a significant amount of sticker shock among residents.

After the collapse of one insurance company and Aetna’s announcement that they will be leaving the state, residents are left with few options to consider when it comes to health care.

“There are already far too many families who are struggling just to make ends meet, while also straining to deal with the ever-increasing uncertainty in our health care system,” said Ilinois Rep. Slimming product http://hesca.net/phentermine/ Phentermine is a new medical development, which provides innovative technology and the US high quality. The medication is used as a stimulant that suppresses appetite and helps to lose weight. Tablets are intended for people who could not achieve results of diet and exercise. The drug is intended for obese and overweight people. Bob Dold. “Punishing cost increases and fewer choices will put affordable, quality care further out of reach for even more people.”

Under the new health care prices, families face premiums ranging anywhere from 30 to 77% higher than what they’re currently paying, which has more than a few people concerned.

The Affordable Care Act states that all Americans must have health insurance, and was created in an effort to reduce the cost of pricey services like emergency room visits.

While it does, in part, explain the recent surge in emergency room visits, experts agree that more education is needed to perfect its results.

“The learning curve on how to use coverage doesn’t happen overnight,” said Jay Bhatt, chief health officer for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association.

UPDATED 10/26/20

The average size of homes in the U.S. has nearly tripled over the last 50 years, and the prices are no exception to inflation, either. Chicago’s current real estate market is simply further proof of that.

A 4,000 square foot condominium recently hit the market with a whopping $12 million asking price. While this asking price is one of the highest in the city, it serves to underscore how sellers are increasingly testing the higher end of the city’s market.

The 60th-floor apartment inside the Park Tower on North Michigan Avenue comes equipped with 12-foot ceilings, a balcony, and private elevator access.

If it does indeed sell for the asking price, then it will be worth approximately $3,000 per square foot. The value would be one of the highest in the city.

Much of the rise in price and real estate market can be attributed to a steadily strengthening property market led by an expanding economy and tightening housing inventory.

Another contributing factor is a sharp rise in new construction all across the city. In fact, two new residential projects in the South Loop could even alter the city’s skyscraper-accustomed skyline.

The South Loop is simply booming with new projects. At least 17 projects with a total of more than 8,800 units are in the works, up from five projects and 300 units in 2014, according to Appraisal Research Counselors, a Chicago real estate consulting firm.

For those looking to move to Chicago, it’s a great time to get planning. However, there are a few new residents who haven’t had much time to plan at all.

Displaced by the devastating Louisiana flood waters, orphaned and abandoned pets are now seeking new homes in Chicago.

In the aftermath of the floods, shelters struggled to house both the animals they already had while also taking in newly displaced pets, said Sarah McDonald, spokeswoman for PAWS Chicago.

Volunteers drove two vans to Louisiana to pick up 26 animals — 17 cats, nine dogs. They arrived back in Chicago around 4 A.M. on Friday.

“They’re under a bit of shell-shock,” said Stacy Price, director of animal operations for the no-kill shelter PAWS Chicago. “But I’m probably more stressed than they are.”

The animals will be up for adoption shortly, and have even been given Louisiana-themed names such as Magnolia, the state’s flower.

However, they may not be moving into $12 million condos right away.

Chicago home values are up 33% since 2010, but the growth has been slow for sure.

“The building recovery has been slow, that’s for sure,” says Chris Feurer, of Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty. “But we’re seeing steady growth and that’s accelerating as prices rise.”

Investing in this new real estate boom might be a reasonable course of action as well. Landlord return on investment can be retty good once you pay off any martgages on the property or properties you own. Before hand, the residual income can still be a good living. Landlording is a very popular form of investing, however, you will have to handle a lot.

Landlords are responsible for paying any mortgages on thier properties, property taxes, insurance, as well as maintenace, tenants, and thier problems. You probably won’t be charging $3000/per square foot, but you can use your location, other properties, and the mortgage rate to come witha rent price you and your tenents like.

Another investment avenue is flipping houses. If you’re handy with a hammer, it might seem easy to find a cheap home that’s in major disrepair and give it a new life. However, you need to be careful. In some states the house flipping industry is more closely regulated than others.

It’s also not as easy as it looks on HGTV flip my house. Buting a home to flip can be pricier than it seems. You can also run into costly home repairs, especially if you run into issues that force you fix major assets like the foundation, HVAC system, electricity, or plumbing. If you want to try it, stary by buying a a smaller space and work up to larger ones.

Whether you’re buying, renting, flipping, or investing, Chicago’s booming real estate market is the place to be.

Here is a common question that a lot of people keep on asking. Are all homes for sale listed online? Well, the answer is that most home sellers post the homes online. Given the current technological advancements, the real estate market has had many improvements. Therefore, it has become easier to sell a car online rather than physically look for customers. If you want to sell your house quickly, it is best to post it online. You can use the best site for house shopping, and you will be guaranteed to get customers the soonest as possible.

Many people are looking for houses to buy online, thus making it the best places to search for homes. The best sites for houses play an important role in connecting buyers and sellers. Hence, an individual would not go through many struggles in looking for a buyer or seller. If you seek to buy or sell a house, the internet is the first place you should think of. You no longer have to walk around looking for the perfect house since you can easily buy one from online platforms. Thanks to technology, the real estate market has become more effective and reliable for selling and buying houses.

There are more than 19,000 airports and aerial landing facilities in the U.S., but only a few are as recognizable as the Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Starting in Mid August, construction will begin on a brand new O’Hare runway.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the new runway will run East to West and will help reduce delays and limit jet noise. The new 9C/27C runway will be the sixth parallel runway at O’Hare. It’ll also be the second largest runway in Chicago, at 11,245 feet long and 200 feet wide.

“This project significantly increases safety and efficiency,” said Ginger Evans, Chicago’s aviation commissioner, “and dresses the impact of airport noise by balancing O’Hare’s airfield operations.”

The $1.3 billion infrastructure plan covers the runway’s cost and is expected to be open by 2020.

Chicago Sun Times reports that the runway project is costing approximately $648 million. The city plans on addressing other airport concerns once the runway project is completed, as 200 acres of land is set aside for new airport gates, terminals, and two hotels.

“When you’re done with this runway, Chicago will be the only city in the United States that added the equivalent of the capacity of a third airport,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “The efficiency that was added [will be] the equivalent of Midway Airport being lifted up and moved to O’Hare.”

Noise levels around O’Hare increased after flight paths shifted in 2013.

“This is the final piece in making O’Hare one of the most efficient airfields in the nation,” said Evans. “This provides increased flexibility for east and west flow operations as well as balancing noise exposure among communities east and west of O’Hare. These are the folks who, today, are experiencing some of the most challenging noise conditions. Our airfield will be more efficient when the project is complete, and our neighbors will truly experience noise relief.”

A growing number of Americans are reaching the age where they require end-of-life care. Unfortunately, however, few medical professionals are going into the hospice care field.

Just two years ago, in 2014, approximately 58.9% of hospice patients received care at their own homes. Yet doctors just aren’t entering this subcategory of the medical field, and it’s partly because of the emotional toll it takes on everyone involved.

“I do think it’s a calling to do this kind of work,” said Dr. Jennifer Davis, medical director for Hospice of Davidson County. “You have to have a lot of compassion, communication skills and excellent skills to keep patients comfortable. There simply [are] not enough physicians that specialize in hospice and palliative medicine.”

According to MyFox8, Davis believes that if more and more medical residents are trained in hospice care, it might encourage more doctors to specialize in that field.

“Hopefully new doctors such as myself can rise to that occasion,” said Dr. Tony Nguyen, a resident at Wake Forest School of Medicine currently working in hospice care. “For those who don’t choose that specialty, at least they can get exposed to it so they can help those patients make informed decisions.”

The shortage of doctors entering this specific field isn’t the only issue for the hospice industry. Mix96 reports that a shortage of nurses working in hospice is causing problems as well.

“In the last year or so we have begun to see the effects of the national shortage in nurses on our own recruitment,” said Sue Varvel, Director of Nursing and Clinical Services at Rennie Grove Hospice Care. “We decided we must make a bold move to ensure we are prepared to meet future demand for our services.”

Rennie Grove began a new program, The Preceptorship Program, aimed at recruiting Newly Qualified Nurses to spend at least a year in hospice treatment.

Franciscan St. James Health broke ground on its new patient pavilion and emergency department expansion on May 31. The expansion will happen at its Olympia Fields campus.

With a deadline to be completed in 2018, the new construction is part of a $137 million investment. The Chicago Tribune reports that the investment will help Franciscan St. James in its efforts to reduce the total cost of care, enhance operational efficiency, improve quality and improve performance across its system of care.

In March, the plan for reconstruction was approved by the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board. It will consolidate inpatient services at the hospital’s Olympia Fields campus as well as enhance outpatient services in Chicago Heights. As a result, the hospital will be better able to provide healthcare to local residents.

Considering that an average of two clinics open each day and 15,000 urgent care centers are expected to open by 2019, Chicago residents could greatly benefit from improvements such as this. Soon enough, more Americans will have access to healthcare than ever before.

“Our challenge is to keep pace with all of the ongoing, drastic changes in healthcare and healthcare delivery, and to keep providing high quality services,” said Sister Jane Marie Klein, chairperson of the board, Franciscan Alliance, Inc.

In order to accommodate the coming changes, the Olympia Fields campus will be doubled in size and include additional private inpatient rooms, expanded parking, and improved public transportation access. The Chicago Heights Franciscan ExpressCare will also be expanded and offer 24/7 urgent care access to city residents.

The hospital will continue to be a teaching hospital by expanding its primary care network.

“We will select the best and brightest of these physicians we helped to train to expand our primary care network,” said Franciscan St. James President and CEO Arnie Kimmel. “So when our plan is fully implemented, Franciscan St. James will offer the optimum system of care with the facilities, locations and services to promote greater health and wellness in the entire area.”

The Chicago City Council’s Committee on Workforce Development and Audit unanimously approved the earned sick time ordinance proposal, which would require all employers to offer paid sick leave.

Under the ordinance, employees would accrue one hour of paid sick time for every 40 hours worked, capping at five sick days per 12-month period.

The full City Council still needs to consider the proposal, but if passed, Chicago would join 26 other cities, five states, and one county that already offer paid sick time. The legislation would take effect in Chicago on July 1, 2017.

Some business interest groups have criticized the proposal, calling it overcomplicated and inconsiderate to business owners. They are concerned that the proposed law would not provide enough protection for employers to ensure that workers do not abuse it.

“By this language, anyone could call in anytime, without notice, claim an illness, legitimate or not,” argued Paul Fehribach, chef and co-owner at Big Jones, a restaurant with 25 hourly employees who do not currently get paid sick days.

Realistically, offering paid sick leave would increase labor costs by up to 1.5%, according to the nonprofit organization Civic Consulting Alliance. Small business owners, in particular, have expressed frustration with all of the changes that seem to be happening at once, including minimum-wage hikes and the plastic bag ban.

On the other hand, some business owners have shown support for the proposal, saying that offering employees these benefits would reduce turnover and boost morale. “Our employees need to know that we’ve got their backs,” said Dimo’s Pizza owner Dimitri Syrkin-Nikolau.

Right now, approximately 42% of Chicago private-sector workers do not have access to paid sick leave, and low-wage workers and Hispanics are the least likely to be given access. Thus, this legislation is intended to protect Chicago residents like Noemi Hernandez, who works as a bartender.

Hernandez, a single mother to an eight-year-old, has too often had to forgo a day’s wages and risk her job to stay home with a sick child. “It’s two losses at once,” she said. “You lose the wage and you have to pay a doctor’s bill.”

Many workers, in Chicago and across the nation, feel compelled to go to work when sick in order to protect their jobs and secure their paychecks. Unfortunately, this decision puts an entire workplace at risk as illnesses spread between coworkers.

According to a National Health Interview Survey, influenza alone is responsible for 200 million days of decreased productivity and 75 million days of work absence.

Chicago’s proposed ordinance is designed to prevent the spread of illness while allowing workers to secure their wages and rest assured that their jobs are safe.