(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address is set to focus significantly on the economy, with the former member of the U.S. Senate calling on Congress to pass much of the agenda stalled in the so-called Build Back Better bill. During the Tuesday night speech, which begins at 9 p.m. […]
Tag: Centers
Missouri budget bill blocks Medicaid patients from accessing Planned Parenthood
Missouri’s supplemental budget bill signed into law Thursday includes a provision to block patients who rely on Medicaid from accessing Planned Parenthood health centers. Federal Medicaid law protects patients’ rights to choose their providers, including Planned Parenthood. Michelle Trupiano, executive director of the Missouri Family Health Council, noted because of the Hyde Amendment, Medicaid cannot cover abortions, […]
Ten Florida residents indicted for $67 million healthcare fraud, wire fraud, kickback, and money laundering scheme
Ten Florida residents were charged in an indictment unsealed in the Southern District of Florida for their alleged roles in a $67 million health care fraud, wire fraud, kickback, and money laundering scheme involving the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic tests and durable medical equipment. Daniel M. Carver, […]
USDA extends deadline for spot market hog pandemic program
Hog producers who sold hogs through a spot market sale during the COVID-19 pandemic now have until April 15, 2022, to submit their applications for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Spot Market Hog Pandemic Program. SMHPP, which is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, originally had a deadline to submit applications by Feb. 25, […]
Missouri takes months to process Medicaid applications — longer than law allows
(Missouri Independent) – This story was originally published by Kaiser Health News. Aneka French applied for Medicaid in October, not long after Missouri became the 38th state to expand eligibility for the program. But her application sat for months in a backlog with tens of thousands of others. While she waited, French, 45, an uninsured medical […]
Missouri Attorney General announces finalization of opioid settlement
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced that his Office has finalized opioid settlements with Johnson & Johnson and major opioid distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen. The Attorney General was joined by families of victims of opioid overdose and representatives from treatment centers and nonprofits across the state. Combined, these settlements bring a total of […]
Agricultural producers have until March 15 to enroll in USDA’s Key Commodity Safety Net Programs
Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2022 crop year have until March 15, 2022, to sign a contract. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers these two safety net programs to provide vital income support to farmers experiencing substantial declines in […]
Why millions on Medicaid are at risk of losing coverage in the months ahead
(Missouri Independent) – This story was originally published by Kaiser Health News. The Biden administration and state officials are bracing for a great unwinding: Millions of people losing their Medicaid benefits when the pandemic health emergency ends. Some might sign up for different insurance. Many others are bound to get lost in the transition. State Medicaid […]
Missouri health centers continue to vaccinate, despite staffing shortages
As Community Health Centers (CHCs) mark a year of administering vaccines to underserved Missourians, the needs of the pandemic have strained their services. More than 40% of centers report they do not have enough staff to keep up the vaccination pace. Rodney Hummer, vice president of strategy for the Missouri Primary Care Association and a registered nurse, […]
CDC preps guidance for governors on relaxing COVID rules, but states forge ahead
(Missouri Independent) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing guidance for governors about when to relax masking and other measures meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 but doesn’t want to release those instructions just yet. Director Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday that it’s too soon to begin rolling backmasking and other public […]
Deadline extended to enroll in 2022 Dairy Margin Coverage and Supplemental Dairy Margin coverage
USDA has extended the deadline to enroll in Dairy Margin Coverage and Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage for the program year 2022. The deadline to apply for 2022 coverage is now March 25, 2022. As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to support dairy farmers and rural communities, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) opened DMC […]
White House plans speedy delivery to states of COVID vaccine for littlest kids
(Missouri Independent) – The Biden administration is preparing to ship COVID-19 vaccines to the states as quickly as possible, should the Food and Drug Administration approve an emergency use authorization for kids under 5. White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients said Wednesday that approval of the specially formulated vaccine would make 18 million young […]
Century Farm applications for 2022 now available
If your farm has been in your family since Dec. 31, 1922, you can apply to have it recognized as a Missouri Century Farm. The University of Missouri Extension, the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and the Missouri Farm Bureau sponsor the program. The application deadline to be recognized as a 2022 […]
Northwest Missouri State University to host retired NASA astronaut Captain Scott Kelly
Northwest Missouri State University will host retired NASA astronaut Capt. Scott Kelly at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 8, at the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts as the next featured speaker for the University’s Distinguished Lecture Series. Kelly’s presentation centers on the remarkable story of his year in space – and how personal determination made […]
USDA announces Conservation Reserve Program signups for 2022
Agricultural producers and landowners can sign up soon for the Conservation Reserve Program, a cornerstone conservation program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a key tool in the Biden-Harris Administration effort to address climate change and achieve other natural resource benefits. The General CRP signup will run from Jan. 31 to March 11, and the […]
USDA urges producers to submit applications for 2021 grazing loss assistance by January 31
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reminds ranchers and livestock producers that they may be eligible for financial assistance through the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) for 2021 grazing losses due to qualifying drought or fire. The deadline to apply for 2021 LFP assistance is Jan. 31, 2022. “Ongoing, widespread drought conditions have resulted in significant financial losses […]
North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees hear a multitude of reports at lengthy meeting
Multiple reports were given at the North Central Missouri College Board of Trustees meeting on January 25th. Math, Science, History, and Social Behavioral Sciences Division Chairperson Doctor Lindsay Oram reported the division currently represents 10 faculty members. In the fall, there were 11 faculty members in the division, and they taught 109 course sections and […]
Director of Agriculture announces grants for 4-H and FFA service projects
Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn announced that 16 youth groups from across Missouri were awarded grants from the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s 2022 Building Our American Communities grant program. Eight local chapters of the National FFA Organization and eight Missouri 4-H clubs statewide have been awarded funds for their community service projects this year. “We […]
Audio: Missouri could ban hospitals and long-term care centers from restricting visitors
Missouri could ban hospitals and long-term care centers from restricting visitors, including during an emergency. A state House committee is reviewing the bill sponsored by State Representative Brian Seitz, a Republican from southwest Missouri’s Branson. State Representative Ashley Aune, a Democrat from Kansas City, says medical professionals should be making the health care […]
Governor proposes record $47.3B Missouri budget as he taps surplus and federal aid
(Missouri Independent) – Gov. Mike Parson proposed massive new spending on infrastructure and college buildings, and still found money to set aside for pensions and future revenue shortfalls, in the budget submitted Wednesday to lawmakers. Missouri will enter the new fiscal year with nearly $3 billion in surplus general revenue, an anticipation of record future tax collections, […]