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What to do when Medicare doesn't cover your prescription drug

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:59 GMT

(NerdWallet) - Although recent changes to Medicare Part D will eventually make covered prescription drugs more affordable for Medicare beneficiaries, there’s still a loophole: What if Medicare doesn’t cover your drug at all?Specific drug coverage varies by plan, and you may not be able to immediately switch to a plan that covers your drug, or you may find that no plans cover it.“The problems are the more expensive brand name medications,” says Katy Votava, who holds a doctorate in health economics and nursing and is president and founder of Goodcare, a consulting firm focused on the economics of Medicare. “That can be difficult for people, and they’re often based on medical necessity anyway, and prior authorization is typically required.”If you find that a medication you’ve been prescribed isn’t covered by your Medicare plan, here are some options to consider.Check the Medicare landscapeFirst, is this a medicine that’s ever covered by Medicare — just not your plan? Does Medicare cov...

Marijuana tax dollars and how they're spent in different states

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:59 GMT

(NewsNation) — All across the country, the once-widely-criminalized drug is becoming more and more a mainstream part of American life. Twenty states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized the use of recreational marijuana and more than three dozen states, territories, and D.C. allow for the use of medical marijuana. One of the reasons why an increasing number of state governments are legalizing marijuana is to tax its sales, opening up an additional stream of revenue. "One of the big talking points, one of the big focal points was, 'Hey, we'll shift the market from illegal to legal and that will create jobs, create tax revenues.' And in fact, many of the early campaigns... really tried to sell the tax revenue towards what might be viewed as the swing voter," Douglas Berman, a researcher at Ohio State University who has spent years studying marijuana legalization. But getting that taxation right can be tricky. "There's kind of a Goldilocks challenge here, how do you set the t...

Sunday Brunch: Sushi By Buo

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:59 GMT

Executive Chef from Sushi By Bou joins us in the studio to make some special sushi recipes.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

TCSO identifies man shot, killed by law enforcement officials on Highway 290

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Saturday, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office identified the Austin man shot and killed Thursday by law enforcement officials off Highway 290.According to TCSO, the man was identified as 25-year-old Dimitri Amarillas.TCSO said its deputies and officers with the Manor Police Department responded to a 911 call at 9:02 p.m. Thursday for a man walking in the middle of the roadway, near a merging lane of travel, in the 10200 block of east US Hwy. 290. PAST COVERAGE: Man dies after being shot by officers on Highway 290 According to a release, a few minutes later, the Austin Police Department sent word of an attempted carjacking where someone was stabbed by the suspect in the 10000 block of east US Hwy. 290 Service Road heading East.“At 9:24 pm, a TCSO Deputy made contact with the subject, who was holding a knife and would not comply with instructions. Additional officers arrived, and the subject remained on the highway, non-compliant,” TCSO said.According to the releas...

Voter Guide: What you need to know ahead of the May 2023 local elections

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — While there may not be headline-grabbing races like president or governor on the May 6 ballot, there are still several important local elections in which voters will get to have their say.Several local cities and school boards are holding elections. Here's what you need to know before heading to the polls.What am I going to see on my ballot?Unlike November's election, the ballot for many this time around will actually be pretty short. Some people may even only have one race to vote on. School district bonds and trustee elections make up the bulk of elections this time round, but some local cities have some important races too.The following cities have propositions: Austin, Burnet, Florence, Granger, Kempner, Luling, Round Rock and Webberville. Milam County has a county-wide proposition.The following cities will choose their next mayor: Bastrop, Blanco, Cottonwood Shores, Georgetown, Granite Shoals, Johnson City, Lakeway, Lampasas, Marble Falls, Schulenburg and Thornd...

Letters: Taxation matters. Which states are growing and which aren’t?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:59 GMT

Which states are growing?I have no difficulty with the headline of David Schultz’s column in the April 20, Pioneer Press: “Competing for businesses? A lot matters more than local tax-break bait”.  However, in the column he tries to extend this to the general level of taxation in a state, and this is where he goes wrong.For tax breaks such as TIFs, he references several studies that specific tax breaks (in contrast to the general level of taxation) have little influence. For overall taxation he relies on more general surveys asking the question, what roles does taxation make in the decision process? In these studies, taxation comes out lower than other factors.Surveys and academic studies are interesting but what is missing from Schultz’s column is what is happening in the real world. In the past several years which states have had growth in businesses and population and which states have had negative or flat growth?  The low-tax states (Texas, Florida, Georgia) have had strong...

St. Louis-area farmers scramble to save crops from the cold

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:59 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - Mother Nature surprised many around St. Louis on Earth Day, which brings near-freezing weekend temperatures to the region overnight. That freeze has many farmers scrambling to save their crops. If the plants don’t make it, it could be devastating to their bottom line. Andrew Wellie has spent most of the last three days on Theis Farm, moving tarps and brinks to cover acres of strawberries. The berries very sensitive this time of year, especially when temps are expected to get below freezing.   Frost Advisory and Freeze Warning early Monday morning, temps in 60s through week “This is pretty substantial, getting this cold," said Wellie. "Usually, we might get 35 with a possible frost, but 32 and a freeze is really a bit much at this time." He shared that the tarp keeps in the heat from the soil, but he still won't sleep well. "I’m going to worry that if the tarps blow off at any point, whatever blows away and becomes exposed to the cold, those b...

At least one hospitalized in overnight shooting on Hollywood Walk of Fame 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:59 GMT

A shooting on the Hollywood Walk of Fame sent at least one person in the hospital and marked the second shooting in Hollywood in as many nights. The incident took place in front of a 7-Eleven convenience store at the intersection of Hollywood Blvd. and Wilcox Avenue around 1 a.m. Sunday morning. Video of the scene shows paramedics providing medical aid to a victim lying on the sidewalk while police put up crime scene tape and canvassed the area for leads and suspects. An employee at 7-Eleven told KTLA 5’s Annie Rose Ramos that they were closed for “a couple of hours” but was not willing to give any more details. This is a developing story. Stay with KTLA for updates.

Two shot at quinceañera party at Laguna Hills Community Center

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:59 GMT

Two people rushed to the hospital after being hit by gunfire at a quinceañera party in Laguna Hills on Saturday night. Gunfire erupted behind the Laguna Hills Community Center, where the party was being held, around 10:30 p.m. Two people were hospitalized in unknown condition. Video shows bullet casings scattered across the ground as police investigate the scene. No suspects have been taken into custody and a motive has not been determined. 

Hemp Flower Meets Aloe Vera — Can CBD Take Aloe To Another Level?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:01:59 GMT

View the original article about CBD And Aloe Vera at Real Tested CBD.The gooey gel from the aloe vera plant is one of the oldest & most widely-used remedies for skin conditions. Pretty much every skincare product designed to soothe redness, itchiness, or cuts will likely have a significant trace of aloe vera in it. And it’s not just dermatologists that have used aloe vera in their practice. There’s emerging evidence that aloe vera may also benefit gut and gum health.Although aloe vera has a long reputation for healing the body, hemp-extracted CBD has quickly ascended the ranks in the skincare space. Indeed, many skincare manufacturers have now begun adding CBD to their aloe formulations. Although CBD topicals don’t have the long track record of aloe vera products, many customers claim CBD may bolster aloe’s effectiveness.How Could CBD Make Aloe Vera Better?Studies worldwide suggest CBD shares many of aloe vera’s positive traits. Most significantly, CBD seems to have anti-inflamm...