Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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Indiana is ending a retiree medical savings plan for state workers on Dec. 31, and employees hired before March 14 choose between two options this fall
Indiana will close its Retirement Medical Benefits Account plan for state employees on Dec. 31, 2026, and most workers already on the payroll have to decide what happens to their balance. The Indiana Public Retirement System, which runs the plan, says in its 2026 legislative update that fall open enrollment offers two options. The change…
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Colorado’s SNAP soft-drink ban, rescheduled for Oct. 30, cannot proceed after a federal court in Washington vacated USDA’s approval
Colorado SNAP cards are set to keep buying soda on Oct. 30, the date the state’s soft-drink ban was supposed to begin. A federal court threw out the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s approval of the ban in June, and the order says the waiver “may not proceed.” What Colorado planned Colorado asked USDA to change…
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CalPERS members who buy service credit on or after Jan. 1, 2028 can no longer pay it off through a permanent pension reduction and must pay in full within 90 days of retiring
Public pension members who plan to buy extra service credit have a deadline that most of them have never heard of. CalPERS says that for purchases elected on or after Jan. 1, 2028, a member can no longer pay the balance off by taking a smaller pension for life. Instead, any balance still owed at…
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North Carolina’s State Health Plan extended open enrollment for its 750,000 members to Nov. 6, saying an Atrium Health pricing move caused confusion
North Carolina state employees, retirees and their families now have until Nov. 6, 2026 to choose 2027 coverage under the State Health Plan. The State Treasurer’s office extended open enrollment after Atrium Health announced a new member discount program less than a week before enrollment began. The Plan says the announcement created confusion among its…
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TrumpRx lists Amgen’s Enbrel at $3,353.93 for four autoinjectors against a $9,177.30 original price, but people on government-funded insurance cannot use it
Amgen’s Enbrel is on TrumpRx at $3,353.93, and that price comes with a rule that shuts out a large group of older patients. The federal discount site lists a four-pack of 50 mg Sureclick autoinjectors against an original price of $9,177.30, a drop of $5,823.37 that the page labels 63 percent off. The same page…
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Los Angeles County mails about 2.4 million property tax bills, and the first installment, due Nov. 1, turns delinquent after Dec. 10 with a penalty added
About 2.4 million Los Angeles County property tax bills go out each year, and the 2026-27 round carries a date that costs real money to miss. The first installment is due Nov. 1 and turns delinquent at the close of business on Dec. 10, when a 10 percent penalty is added. The Treasurer and Tax…
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California’s SSI check for an older or disabled person in a licensed care home can reach $1,626.07 a month in 2026, against $1,233.94 for one living independently
An older or disabled Californian who lives in a licensed care home can get up to $1,626.07 a month in 2026 from SSI and the state’s supplement together. A person of the same kind who lives on their own gets $1,233.94. That is a difference of $392.13 a month, and it comes from the state’s…
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Kroger pharmacy customers who paid for prescriptions with insurance face an Oct. 22 exclusion date and a Dec. 21 claim deadline in a class settlement
A Kroger pharmacy receipt from any year covered by a new class settlement could be worth a claim, and two dates decide what a customer can still do. Anyone who wants out of the case has to ask by Oct. 22, 2026. Anyone who wants a payment has to file by Dec. 21, 2026, the…
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Hawaii’s state add-on to SSI averaged $616.40 in August, the largest of the 12 places where Social Security pays the supplement, while New Jersey’s averaged $36.32
Hawaii’s state add-on to Supplemental Security Income averaged $616.40 a month in August, on top of the federal check. New Jersey’s averaged $36.32. Social Security’s August 2026 statistics show how far apart the 12 places that use Social Security to pay a state supplement have grown. The 12 places, ranked Social Security lists 11 states…
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North Dakota’s SNAP candy and soda ban begins Nov. 1 after a USDA-requested delay, covering a program that had about 54,400 recipients in April
North Dakota’s SNAP card will stop covering candy, energy drinks and sweetened drinks on Nov. 1, two months later than planned. The state asked to move the start date from Sept. 1 at the direction of the federal government. The program it affects had just under 54,400 recipients in April. What the limit covers The…