Latest Government programs News

Many states are expanding their Medicaid programs to provide dental care to their poorest residents

Oct. 03, 2023 16:32 PM EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — For months, Carlton Clemons endured crippling pain from a rotting wisdom tooth. He couldn’t sleep, barely ate and relied on painkillers to get by. The 67-year-old from Nashville, Tennessee, could not afford to see a dentist on the $1,300-a-month his family...

Biden says that all 10 drugs targeted for the first Medicare price negotiations will participate

Oct. 03, 2023 10:34 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that the manufacturers of all of the first 10 prescription drugs selected for Medicare's first price negotiations have agreed to participate, clearing the way for talks that could lower their costs in coming years and give him a potential...

A government shutdown in Nigeria has been averted after unions suspended a labor strike

Oct. 03, 2023 08:34 AM EDT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian government workers on Tuesday continued working after last-minute efforts by authorities averted a nationwide strike to protest growing hardship that could have shut down government services in Africa's most populous country. The indefinite strike by...

Part of Ohio's GOP-backed K-12 education overhaul will take effect despite court order

Oct. 02, 2023 19:11 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — At least part of a Republican-backed overhaul of the Ohio's K-12 education system will take effect as planned, despite a court order Monday delaying the changes after a lawsuit said they violate the constitution. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce...

Congress didn't include funds for Ukraine in its spending bill. How will that affect the war?

Oct. 02, 2023 18:03 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukraine had little reason to celebrate when U.S. lawmakers approved a spending bill Saturday that averted a widely expected government shutdown. The measure didn't include the $6 billion in military assistance that Ukraine said it urgently needed. Now the...

National Democrats sue to block Wisconsin's absentee voting witness requirements

Oct. 02, 2023 17:48 PM EDT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A national Democratic law firm on Monday challenged Wisconsin's witness requirements for absentee voting, arguing that the state is violating the federal Voting Rights Act by demanding a witness signature on ballot envelopes. Elias Law Group, representing four...

House Republican duo calls for fraud probe into federal anti-poverty program

Oct. 02, 2023 17:25 PM EDT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The federal government should investigate potential fraud in one of its largest anti-poverty programs, two Republican members of Congress say. In a Sept. 20 letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodoro that was made public Monday by Mississippi's state auditor,...

Cigna is paying over $172 million to settle claims over Medicare Advantage reimbursement

Oct. 02, 2023 14:36 PM EDT

Health insurance provider The Cigna Group will pay more than $172 million over claims it gave the federal government inaccurate Medicare Advantage diagnoses codes in order to inflate reimbursement. The case centered around allegations that Cigna violated the False Claims Act by...

Wind power project in New Jersey would be among farthest off East Coast, company says

Oct. 02, 2023 12:40 PM EDT

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. (AP) — A proposed wind energy project off New Jersey would be among the farthest from land on the East Coast, the New York-based development company said Monday. Attentive Energy released new information on the project, which will be 42 miles (67 kilometers)...

Liz Weston: 5 surprising facts about assisted living

Oct. 02, 2023 09:10 AM EDT

If you or a loved one can no longer live safely at home, assisted living may be the answer. Residents typically live in their own rooms or apartments and get housekeeping services, meals and help with personal care. But facilities can vary enormously, and people’s expectations...