Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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Nebraska’s Medicaid work rule has cost at least 1,090 people their coverage or their application, Georgetown researchers say, before the federal rule reaches other states by Jan. 1
Nebraska is the first state to enforce a Medicaid work requirement, and the first numbers show people losing coverage over paperwork. Researchers at Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families count at least 1,090 Nebraskans who have lost coverage or been denied at application since the rule began. In an analysis posted Sept. 30, executive…
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Treasury began mailing $500 Obamacare refund checks Sept. 30 to about 950,000 people, with a letter that blames the Biden administration, an official told ABC News
The first of the $500 Obamacare refund checks went into the mail on Sept. 30, an administration official told ABC News, and the letter that comes with each one puts the blame for the overcharge on the Biden administration. Treasury is sending the checks to about 950,000 people, the official said. In an Oct. 1…
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Widows and widowers who remarry before 60, or before 50 if disabled, usually lose Social Security survivor benefits, while remarrying later does not block them
Social Security draws one line through a survivor’s second marriage, and it sits at age 60. A widow or widower who remarries before then usually loses the surviving-spouse benefit, while one who waits until 60 or later does not, according to the agency’s April 2026 survivors booklet. For a survivor with a disability, the line…
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Stores that take food stamps must stock at least 84 units of staple foods starting Nov. 4, or USDA will withdraw them from SNAP
Any store that takes SNAP benefits has until Nov. 4 to show it keeps a fuller shelf of everyday food, or the U.S. Department of Agriculture will cut it from the program. USDA’s stocking standards page says a store that does not meet the new requirements “will be withdrawn from participating in SNAP.” The final…
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Western Union scam victims who wired money to fraudsters from 2004 to early 2020 can petition for refunds through the end of 2026 in the Justice Department’s final phase
The Justice Department has opened the third and final round of its Western Union fraud compensation program, and anyone who wired money to a scammer through the company between January 1, 2004 and March 9, 2020 has until December 31, 2026 to ask for money back. The petition window reopens even for people who never…
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Food stamps cannot buy hot foods, vitamins, medicines, supplements, alcohol or tobacco
A SNAP card will not pay for hot foods, vitamins, medicines, supplements, alcohol or tobacco. Those items are on USDA’s federal no-buy list, and a cashier’s register will reject them at checkout. Some states have since added to the list, and a few shoppers can use SNAP for hot meals under a separate program. For…
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College students aged 18 to 49 generally need at least 20 hours a week of paid work or another exemption to qualify for food stamps
A college student between 18 and 49 who is enrolled at least half time generally cannot get food stamps without an exemption. USDA’s eligibility page puts it this way: students ages 18 through 49 who are enrolled in college at least half time are not eligible for SNAP unless they meet certain specific exemptions. The…
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Henry Hub natural gas is forecast at $3.16 in 2027, down 32 cents
Henry Hub is the benchmark that sets the tone for natural gas prices across the country, and the Energy Information Administration expects it to slip next year. In its October 6 outlook, the agency forecasts the Henry Hub price will average $3.16 per million British thermal units in 2027. That is down 32 cents, or…
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Gas averaged $4.33 in September, a record for the month, AAA says
September was the most expensive September on record for gasoline. AAA says the national average for the month came to $4.33 a gallon, which is 50 cents above the previous September record of $3.83, set in 2023. The motor club announced the figure in its weekly gas price report on Oct. 1. The record covers…
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AIDS Healthcare Foundation will pay $1.44 million over alleged invalid Medicare Advantage diagnosis codes
The case began with someone who coded patient diagnoses for a living. Donna Irons, a former risk adjustment coder at AIDS Healthcare Foundation, is the whistleblower behind a False Claims Act lawsuit that ended Oct. 6 with the Los Angeles nonprofit agreeing to pay $1.44 million, the Justice Department said. The government alleges that AHF…