Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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Louisiana state employees and retirees face higher health premiums on Jan. 1 across every Pelican and Magnolia plan, with enrollment open until Nov. 15
Health premiums for Louisiana state workers and retirees go up on Jan. 1, and the window to change plans closes first. The Office of Group Benefits, the agency that runs the state’s health plans, says all Pelican and Magnolia health plans carry a 7.75% premium rate increase effective Jan. 1, 2027. Annual enrollment runs from…
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Oregon’s SNAP rolls fell to 639,261 people in 395,448 households in August, from more than 740,000 people the state reported in September 2025
Oregon had 639,261 people on SNAP in August 2026, living in 395,448 households. A year earlier the picture was different. In a Sept. 30, 2025 release, the Oregon Department of Human Services said more than 740,000 people in the state were receiving SNAP, the federal food benefit once called food stamps. What the state’s data…
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Iowa and West Virginia SNAP shoppers can still buy soda because a court vacated both states’ bans, leaving 5 of 23 listed states blocked
SNAP shoppers in Iowa and West Virginia can still use their cards to buy soda, because a federal court wiped out the approvals behind both states’ bans. Iowa and West Virginia are two of five states where the order applies. USDA’s list shows 23 states with food restriction waivers, so five of them are blocked…
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Pfizer’s Eucrisa eczema ointment lists at $158.48 on TrumpRx, against $792.40
Pfizer’s Eucrisa, a prescription ointment for eczema, is listed on TrumpRx at $158.48 against an original price of $792.40. The federal discount site shows a 60-gram tube, a savings of $633.92 and an 80 percent discount. The page calls it an out-of-pocket price and tells shoppers with insurance to check their copay first. The tube…
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TrumpRx lists Pfizer’s Toviaz bladder pill from $43.50 against a $290 price
Pfizer’s Toviaz, a daily pill for overactive bladder, is listed on TrumpRx from $43.50 for 30 tablets, against a $290 original price. The listing is a cash price, and the page itself tells shoppers with insurance to check their copay first because it may be even lower. That advice matters most to the older adults…
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TrumpRx lists Bristol Myers Squibb’s Sotyktu at $743, against $7,135.55
A 30-day supply of Sotyktu is $743 on TrumpRx, down from an original price of $7,135.55. The federal drug-discount site lists Bristol Myers Squibb’s 6 mg tablets under that figure on its Presidential deals page, with a savings of $6,392.55 and a label of 90 percent off. The Sotyktu page calls the amount an out-of-pocket…
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North Carolina’s attorney general says Duke Energy Progress’s proposed rate hike would cost customers nearly $960 million more than necessary over two years
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson says a rate increase Duke Energy Progress wants would cost its customers nearly $960 million more than necessary over two years. Jackson’s office made the case in an Oct. 6 statement, and he has refused to sign onto the utility’s request. The North Carolina Utilities Commission, which sets the…
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Wisconsin’s winter ban on utility disconnections of residential heating runs Nov. 1 to April 15, and applications for the state’s regular heating-aid payment are taken through May 15
Wisconsin customers who fall behind on a heating bill are protected from a shutoff for five and a half months starting Nov. 1. The Public Service Commission says the winter moratorium on disconnections runs from Nov. 1 to April 15 every year. The state’s home energy assistance program, WHEAP, has been taking applications since Oct.…
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Vermont renters have until Oct. 15 to claim the state Renter Credit, and late claims are not accepted
Vermont will stop taking Renter Credit claims after Oct. 15, and the state says it will not make exceptions. The Department of Taxes puts it flatly on its Renter Credit page: “we do not accept late filings.” With Oct. 15 falling on a Thursday, renters who have not filed have a few days left. Who…
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Massachusetts adds a heating-oil benefit of up to $680 for about 50,000 middle-income households this winter, on top of fuel aid that starts Nov. 1
A Massachusetts household that earns too much for ordinary fuel assistance may still get help with an oil bill this winter. Gov. Maura Healey’s office announced on Oct. 5 a new benefit of up to $680 for about 50,000 middle-income households, and it sits on top of the state’s regular heating aid, which begins taking…