Newswires

Raul M. Grijalva, D- Ariz., ranking Democratic member of the House Natural Resources Committee, issued the following news release:. In a previously unreleased Jan. 24 letter to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Ranking Member Raul M. Grijalva and Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone highlight the damage to Indian Country should Republicans…

The University of Michigan issued the following news release:. While laudable, the new rule fails to address two big remaining problems with the current system–conflicts of interest and a lack of transparency, according to University of Michigan researchers. We need to learn from the experience of defined benefit plans and proactively prevent conflicts of…

The University of Michigan issued the following news release:. For decades, hospitals across Michigan have written off the cost of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of health care every year, after caring for people who didn’t have health insurance. But a new University of Michigan study shows that soon after the state government expanded Medicaid under…

Larry Hogan, R- Md., issued the following news release:. Governor Larry Hogan today announced the State Retirement Choice Act for the 21st Century Workforce, legislation that will restructure and protect Maryland’s current underperforming employee pension system. “Protecting the integrity of our pension system and keeping the promises made to our…

Jan. 31– Nathan Carman had three chances to activate the emergency beacon on his boat that would have alerted the Coast Guard to his craft’s location before it sank but didn’t do so even though the beacon was located right above the emergency kit he grabbed and took with him in the life raft, according to court documents. National Liability& Fire Insurance Co. and…

Jan. 31– The deadline to sign up for individual health insurance is midnight Tuesday, and Connecticut officials want people to know the coverage available has not changed. Typically, there is a rush to enroll the last two weeks of open enrollment, but this year, with a movement by President Trump and Congress to repeal Obamacare, that surge wasn’t materializing.

Senator Patty Murray, Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Senators Al Franken, Tammy Baldwin, and Elizabeth Warren today sent a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Chairman Orrin Hatch urging them to postpone the vote until Rep. Price responds to the HELP Committee’s questions and has “provided documents…

Dannel P. Malloy said Monday he will propose lowering an insurance tax that would save the industry $11 million next year and $22 million in the following year in Connecticut. “The insurance industry has a long and storied history in Connecticut, and we must ensure that we maintain our competitive edge so that they continue to thrive and grow in our state.”

Jan. 30– A new payment model the Hawaii Medical Service Association began rolling out with its primary care physicians in April is being expanded to include alternative reimbursements for specialists such as cardiologists, oncologists and orthopedists. HMSA, with more than 3,000 physicians in its network, has been paying primary care doctors a fixed monthly…

Jan. 31– Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and HealthPartners are joining the state’s MNsure exchange in offering a special enrollment period so people who buy individual health plans can take advantage of new rebates offered by the state. “The SEP will apply to our off-exchange products,” said Catherine Scott, a spokeswoman for Bloomington- based…

Jan. 31– BLOOMINGTON– U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R- Taylorville, hopes a new bill he has introduced will protect people with pre-existing conditions from discrimination against insurance companies as part of the larger legislation to replace the Affordable Care Act. “Republicans have said we do not want to pull the rug out from anyone, and this bill will ensure…

Jan. 31– The cause of the weekend mosque fire in Victoria is for investigators to determine. From Victoria to the other side of the world, people of differing faiths and opinions about the existence and form of a higher power have rallied to embrace and protect Victoria’s Muslim congregation and help its members rebuild. As of Monday morning, a fund-raising effort…

Jan. 30– Officials from the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut are reminding residents that enrollment for health insurance plans remains open through Tuesday, and people can enroll at any of the state’s Federally Qualified Health Centers. –Charter Oak Health Center, Hartford; www.thecharteroak.org, 860-550-7500.. –Community Health…

Jan. 30– BOISE– Idaho’s investment of nearly $1 million last year to launch a new state Office of Suicide Prevention came “in the nick of time,” state public health Administrator Elke Shaw-Tulloch told lawmakers Monday, as she shared new data on suicide in Idaho: In 2015, 362 people in Idaho took their lives, an increase of 13 percent from 2014; and Idaho moved from 9th in…

Jan. 30– If you’re on Medicare and think you don’t have to worry about the growing threat to the Affordable Care Act, you might want to check your confidence at the door. The gap is created when Medicare stops paying part of the cost of drugs, so beneficiaries have to pay full price. Once out-of-pocket costs reached “catastrophic” level, however, Medicare kicks in, paying…

Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, a Democratic appointee, said Monday she has directed Justice Department attorneys to not defend Trump’s order, as she is not convinced it is lawful. Trump responded by swiftly firing her and replacing her with Dana Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. And the Council on American-Islamic Relations also…

Jan. 30– Idahoans have until midnight Tuesday to purchase healthcare coverage through the Idaho health insurance exchange. “We know changes are coming to the health insurance marketplace,” said Pat Kelly, executive director of Your Health Idaho in a news release. Your Health Idaho was established by state law in 2013 to provide an online marketplace where Idaho…

Pat McCrory declared 45 counties disaster areas, FEMA had personnel assessing damage and sitting up disaster recovery sites. The last three sites, in Edgecombe, Cumberland and Robeson counties, will shut down Thursday. Mike Wade, FEMA spokesperson, said the agency assisted 81,223 households statewide with $91,167,996 in grants.

Lachelle Elaine Grice, 35, of Selena Drive in Jacksonville was arrested Jan. 27 by the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office and charged with insurance fraud and attempting to obtain property by a false pretense. Grice is accused of attempting to obtain $17,390 from Assurant Insurance by providing a false claim that a fire had occurred at her home, resulting in $9,250…