Agencies Archives - DR News - News, Retirement, Finance

Long-term Care Confusion: Washington State Agencies at Odds Over Exemptions

Olympia, Washington – Confusion has arisen among state agencies regarding workers who were granted exemptions from WA Cares, Washington’s mandatory long-term care benefit program. The program, funded by a 58-cent deduction from every $100 earned from workers’ paychecks, allowed individuals to opt out if they could demonstrate they had private long-term care insurance in place before November 1, 2021. However, this opt-out provision is no longer available for new applicants. During a recent WA Cares …

Congress Sends Biden Bill to Fund Health Agencies, Avoiding Shutdown Until March

Washington, D.C. – As the end of the year approaches, Congress has taken action to prevent a government shutdown and provide funding for health agencies. A stopgap bill has been passed to keep the government funded until March, sending the legislation to President Biden’s desk for approval. The decision to pass the bill comes after multiple delays and concerns about a potential shutdown, which could have had widespread implications for various government agencies and departments. …

Policies on COVID-19 in Nursing Homes and Home Healthcare Agencies Do Not Guarantee Lower Disease Burden, Study Finds

New York City, NY – A recent research letter published in JAMA Network Open highlights the findings of a study conducted by a team of researchers from Columbia University concerning the impact of COVID-19 policies on nursing homes (NHs) and home healthcare agencies (HHAs) across the United States. The research team examined 38 COVID-19 policies implemented by state and territory governments between March 2020 and July 2022, with a focus on NH- and HHA-specific measures. …

911 Outages Across Four States Spark Panic for Law Enforcement Agencies

Las Vegas, Nevada – Law enforcement agencies in multiple states faced challenges on Wednesday night due to widespread 911 outages, leaving millions unable to contact authorities. Reports of outages came in from Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, and Texas, causing panic and confusion. Fortunately, many of the disrupted services were restored by late evening. Authorities emphasized that there is currently no evidence to suggest that the outages were the result of a cyberattack or deliberate interference. …

Mermaid Role in Barbie Movie Convinced John Cena to Switch Agencies

Tampa, Florida – Professional wrestler and actor John Cena recently shared an interesting anecdote on SiriusXM’s The Howard Stern Show. Cena revealed how he defied his agency’s opinion and accepted a role in the upcoming film “Barbie” despite being initially advised against it. The agency believed that the role of a mermaid was beneath Cena’s stature, but he was persuaded to join the cast after a conversation with actress Margot Robbie. During the interview, Cena …

Home Health Worker Agencies Plead with Gov. Kathy Hochul to Reverse State Budget Provision Allocating Benefits to Union

ALBANY, N.Y. – Home health worker organizations are lobbying for a reversal of a provision included in last year’s state budget that they say left many providers without a crucial revenue stream while increasing funds going to a politically connected union. The provision reduced a state-funded supplement for the wages of home health workers and was quietly included in the budget deal after negotiations held behind closed doors. At the same time, funding for a …