In the News

Everett Herald: As patients ‘get sicker while they wait,’ doctors fight insurance delays

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When doctors diagnosed Robin Sparks with cancer two years ago, they needed to act fast. The hard lump on her neck was Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer that penetrates bone marrow and attacks the immune system. Sparks, of Marysville, spent weeks wading through tests and appointments to get her diagnosis. Three months into her six-month chemotherapy treatment, Sparks’ doctors…

Axios: Prior auth has its moment (again)

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  A prior authorization overhaul for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries may have a stronger chance of passage in this Congress. That's because of an expected lower CBO score, a new rule on the issue, and renewed urgency in a post-Chevron environment. Why it matters: Medicare Advantage beneficiaries have faced delays and denials of care due to the prior…

Politico: Lawmakers play waiting game with CMS in bid to reform prior authorization

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Tags: Health

Doctors have long complained to Congress about the time-consuming paperwork and delayed care that comes when insurers fail to authorize costly procedures or treatments. Lawmakers are sympathetic, but their ability to act may hinge on an upcoming rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A bipartisan bill from Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) and Rep. Suzan…

The Nation: We Have the Solution to Child Poverty. Republicans Are Blocking It.

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This year, 11 states either created a state-level child tax credit or beefed up an existing one. Minnesota led the pack. It didn’t just establish a new, permanent credit; it now boasts the country’s most generous one, offering families who earn less than $35,000 as much as $1,750 a year for each child under the age of 17. These states are enacting a policy that has been an irrefutable…

Broadband Breakfast: Rep. Suzan DelBene: Want Protection From AI? The First Step Is a National Privacy Law

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In the six months since a new chatbot confessed its love for a reporter before taking a darker turn, the world has woken up to how artificial intelligence can dramatically change our lives and how it can go awry. AI is quickly being integrated into nearly every aspect of our economy and daily lives. However, in our nation’s capital, laws aren’t keeping up with the rapid…

Newsweek: Want Protection From AI? The First Step Is a National Privacy Law (Opinion)

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In the six months since a new chatbot confessed its love for a reporter before taking a darker turn, the world has woken up to how artificial intelligence can dramatically change our lives—and how it can go awry. AI is quickly being integrated into nearly every aspect of our economy and daily lives. Yet in our nation's capital, laws aren't keeping up with the rapid evolution of…

Everett Herald: At the Evergreen State Fair, try the deep-fried Oreos

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Families stood in line for roller coasters, nibbled at nachos and watched 4-H Club animal showings as the Evergreen State Fair opened Thursday. The fair will run through Sept. 4, but will be closed Wednesday. Attractions include a monster truck rally Friday, a Neon Trees concert Tuesday and an international lumberjack show Thursday. Liam Sorensen, 10, enjoyed the Tilt-a-Whirl because…

Salon: Time, food and money: With hunger on the rise, here are ways to actually help

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Hunger is on the rise in America. Food insecurity experts have predicted this surge for months, starting as soon as expanded pandemic-era supplemental nutrition benefits were cut earlier this year. According to the USDA, more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, in the United States are food insecure, while the pandemic increased food insecurity among…

Everett Herald: $250K in federal money to boost transit in east Snohomish County

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 Char McCain had the chance to visit family in Index this summer, a trip the 86-year-old bus rider from Snohomish doesn’t always get to make. There are few transit options between the two towns, though a $250,000 federal grant to Homage aims to help solve the problem for elderly, disabled and low-income people. Door-to-door transit throughout the eastern reaches of the county is…