By KEN CARPENTER <a href="https://greatbendpost.com">Great Bend Post</a>

The 
Hoisington Labor Day Celebration is coming up this weekend. It will 
include a&nbsp;weekend&nbsp;carnival, a demolition derby on Sunday and the 
125th&nbsp;edition&nbsp;of the parade on&nbsp;Monday.&nbsp;But two notable people will also 
be in attendance,&nbsp;both&nbsp;former residents&nbsp;of Hoisington.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Doug 
Dumler played professional football in the mid-1970s. He was an 
offensive lineman for the New England Patriots and the Minnesota 
Vikings.&nbsp;Hoisington Chamber of Commerce Director Karen Baldyga says 
you’ll be able to meet Dumler.&nbsp;

"Doug is coming back for this 
weekend,” Baldyga noted.&nbsp;“He’s going to be at our Community BBQ. 
He&nbsp;will&nbsp;have some memorabilia there, and he’ll be able to chit chat and 
talk with anyone who would like to come up and have a conversation with 
him.”&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Community&nbsp;BBQ&nbsp;takes place Friday evening&nbsp;on the corner of North Green &amp; West 7th&nbsp;Streets.&nbsp;

You
 can also meet author Patricia Watts, a woman who lived in Hoisington&nbsp;in
 the 1950s and 60s. Baldyga says&nbsp;Watts wrote a book entitled “South of 
the Tracks.”&nbsp;

“It’s about her experiences growing up in Hoisington
 in a pre-dominant black community that was south of the tracks,” 
Baldyga explained. "She’s such a sweet and wonderful woman.&nbsp;Her story is
 one of understanding what it was like to live then but growing from 
that experience.”&nbsp;

Watts will be reading from her book and signing
 copies during an ice cream social at the Hoisington 
Historical&nbsp;Museum&nbsp;on Sunday afternoon from 2-4 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1630507404429.jpeg" alt="Author Patricia Watts will be reading from her book about growing up in Hoisington on Sunday at the Hoisington Historical Museum." />
 <figcaption>Author Patricia Watts will be reading from her book about growing up in Hoisington on Sunday at the Hoisington Historical Museum.</figcaption>
 </figure>By KEN CARPENTER <a href="https://greatbendpost.com">Great Bend Post</a>The 
Hoisington Labor Day Celebration is coming up this weekend. It will 
include a&nbsp;weekend&nbsp;carnival, a demolition derby on Sunday and the 
125th&nbsp;edition&nbsp;of the parade on&nbsp;Monday.&nbsp;But two notable people will also 
be in attendance,&nbsp;both&nbsp;former residents&nbsp;of Hoisington.&nbsp;&nbsp;Doug 
Dumler played professional football in the mid-1970s. He was an 
offensive lineman for the New England Patriots and the Minnesota 
Vikings.&nbsp;Hoisington Chamber of Commerce Director Karen Baldyga says 
you’ll be able to meet Dumler.&nbsp;"Doug is coming back for this 
weekend,” Baldyga noted.&nbsp;“He’s going to be at our Community BBQ. 
He&nbsp;will&nbsp;have some memorabilia there, and he’ll be able to chit chat and 
talk with anyone who would like to come up and have a conversation with 
him.”&nbsp;The&nbsp;Community&nbsp;BBQ&nbsp;takes place Friday evening&nbsp;on the corner of North Green &amp; West 7th&nbsp;Streets.&nbsp;You
 can also meet author Patricia Watts, a woman who lived in Hoisington&nbsp;in
 the 1950s and 60s. Baldyga says&nbsp;Watts wrote a book entitled “South of 
the Tracks.”&nbsp;“It’s about her experiences growing up in Hoisington
 in a pre-dominant black community that was south of the tracks,” 
Baldyga explained. "She’s such a sweet and wonderful woman.&nbsp;Her story is
 one of understanding what it was like to live then but growing from 
that experience.”&nbsp;Watts will be reading from her book and signing
 copies during an ice cream social at the Hoisington 
Historical&nbsp;Museum&nbsp;on Sunday afternoon from 2-4 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Author, NFL vet will return for Hoisington Labor Day event

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — The COVID-19 surge is stretching oxygen supplies and sending hospitals scrambling for more ventilators, even as there are signs of hope that the spread of the virus is slowing down in pockets of the U.S.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a hospital recently called 911 after coming within just a few hours of running out of oxygen because they needed an emergency transfer for a patient on high-flow oxygen. The hospital got a shipment later that day, but the experience was a warning to other hospitals, said Dr. Jeffrey Goodloe, the chief medical officer for the EMS system that serves Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

“If it can happen to one hospital, it can happen to any hospital,” Goodloe said. “There is no, ‘that is happening over there.’ There is here in a heartbeat.”

The oxygen shortages are yet another sign of the toll that the summer COVID-19 resurgence has taken on the nation’s hospital system. A handful of states including Florida, Oregon, Hawaii, Mississippi and Louisiana have set pandemic records for the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, and many hospitals are dangerously short of staff and intensive care unit beds.

The country is averaging 155,000 new infections a day, but the caseload trajectory has slowed down dramatically from earlier in August.

Florida, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi had slight declines in cases over last two weeks. Florida has seen a dip in COVID-19 admissions in recent days, as have hospitals in Springfield, Missouri, an early epicenter of the delta variant-driven surge.

Vaccination numbers are also up, and White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients credited vaccine mandates that have been implemented across the country, including restaurants, workplaces, sports stadiums and schools.

“Importantly, we’ve accelerated the pace of first shots. In August, we got over 14 million. That’s almost 4 million more first shots in August compared to the prior month in July,” Zients said Tuesday.

But the numbers haven’t budged much in the one week since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to Pfizer for its vaccine after reviewing six months of safety data. The seven-day average for vaccine doses administered across the U.S. rose to 898,000 on Monday, up from 853,000 one week earlier.

Deaths are also on the rise, averaging more than 1,300 a day, in what health officials have predicted would happen as result of the massive rise in cases and hospitalizations over the last month.

Georgia and Oklahoma have emerged as new spots where hospital and state leaders are sounding alarm about the lack of capacity and supplies.

COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are on the cusp of surpassing January peaks in Georgia as hospitals fretted Monday that the delta variant of the respiratory illness threatens to suck some Georgia hospitals dry of medical oxygen, a key treatment for people struggling to breathe.

Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order calling up as many as another 1,500 National Guard soldiers to help short-staffed hospitals with nonmedical jobs, on top of the 1,000 previously authorized.

Augusta University Medical Center has ordered 12 more ventilators to deal with the surge. The hospital was treating 122 COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, pushing its overall hospital census to a record of 501 patients.

The numbers of COVID-19 patients remains about 20 less than winter surge levels, but the hospital has been turning away transfers because it also is working through a backlog of patients who put off care at the height of the pandemic, said Dr. Phillip Coule, chief medical officer.

“We are watching our ventilator use very closely,” he said, noting that more of its patients are needing high-flow oxygen and other treatments that sometimes lead up to them being put on ventilators. “We are concerned about it.”

With oxygen supplies, part of the issue is that hospitals have found success in treating coronavirus patients with high-flow oxygen tubes. But the method uses up to three times more oxygen than treatment methods used earlier in the pandemic, said Andy Brailo, chief customer officer for Premier, a group supply purchaser for hospitals.

Couple that with troubles finding enough drivers with the requisite hazardous material certifications to deliver oxygen to hard-hit hospitals, and supplies are running tighter than ever. Some hospitals have come within a day or two of running out. Others have resorted to using backup tanks that are normally only used when their main tank is being refilled.

In Orlando, residents have been asked to stop watering their lawns and washing cars because of oxygen shortages. That’s because Orlando treats city water with liquid oxygen and supplied that typically go toward water treatment have been diverted to hospitals.

Brailo said the oxygen issue has been particularly acute in Florida. He said he has recently heard of problems in Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas as well.

“Hospitals have started thinking if we are out, what are the options we are going to have to take?” Brailo said. “In some cases that may mean having to move patients. And that may mean going to much more invasive ways to make sure those patients are oxygenated.”

Dr. Ryan Stanton, an emergency room physician in Lexington, Kentucky, who has treated scores of COVID-19 patients, said doctors began discussing whether multiple people could be placed on a single ventilator over the past few days in private Facebook groups. He said that so far, no doctors have said they were attempting it.

“It is just a sign that you are getting at that critical breaking point,” he said of the discussion.

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — The COVID-19 surge is stretching oxygen supplies and sending hospitals scrambling for more ventilators, even as there are signs of hope that the spread of the virus is slowing down in pockets of the U.S.In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a hospital recently called 911 after coming within just a few hours of running out of oxygen because they needed an emergency transfer for a patient on high-flow oxygen. The hospital got a shipment later that day, but the experience was a warning to other hospitals, said Dr. Jeffrey Goodloe, the chief medical officer for the EMS system that serves Tulsa and Oklahoma City.“If it can happen to one hospital, it can happen to any hospital,” Goodloe said. “There is no, ‘that is happening over there.’ There is here in a heartbeat.”The oxygen shortages are yet another sign of the toll that the summer COVID-19 resurgence has taken on the nation’s hospital system. A handful of states including Florida, Oregon, Hawaii, Mississippi and Louisiana have set pandemic records for the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, and many hospitals are dangerously short of staff and intensive care unit beds.There is some good news, however.The country is averaging 155,000 new infections a day, but the caseload trajectory has slowed down dramatically from earlier in August.Florida, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi had slight declines in cases over last two weeks. Florida has seen a dip in COVID-19 admissions in recent days, as have hospitals in Springfield, Missouri, an early epicenter of the delta variant-driven surge.Vaccination numbers are also up, and White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients credited vaccine mandates that have been implemented across the country, including restaurants, workplaces, sports stadiums and schools.“Importantly, we’ve accelerated the pace of first shots. In August, we got over 14 million. That’s almost 4 million more first shots in August compared to the prior month in July,” Zients said Tuesday.But the numbers haven’t budged much in the one week since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to Pfizer for its vaccine after reviewing six months of safety data. The seven-day average for vaccine doses administered across the U.S. rose to 898,000 on Monday, up from 853,000 one week earlier.Deaths are also on the rise, averaging more than 1,300 a day, in what health officials have predicted would happen as result of the massive rise in cases and hospitalizations over the last month.Georgia and Oklahoma have emerged as new spots where hospital and state leaders are sounding alarm about the lack of capacity and supplies.COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations are on the cusp of surpassing January peaks in Georgia as hospitals fretted Monday that the delta variant of the respiratory illness threatens to suck some Georgia hospitals dry of medical oxygen, a key treatment for people struggling to breathe.Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order calling up as many as another 1,500 National Guard soldiers to help short-staffed hospitals with nonmedical jobs, on top of the 1,000 previously authorized.Augusta University Medical Center has ordered 12 more ventilators to deal with the surge. The hospital was treating 122 COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, pushing its overall hospital census to a record of 501 patients.The numbers of COVID-19 patients remains about 20 less than winter surge levels, but the hospital has been turning away transfers because it also is working through a backlog of patients who put off care at the height of the pandemic, said Dr. Phillip Coule, chief medical officer.“We are watching our ventilator use very closely,” he said, noting that more of its patients are needing high-flow oxygen and other treatments that sometimes lead up to them being put on ventilators. “We are concerned about it.”With oxygen supplies, part of the issue is that hospitals have found success in treating coronavirus patients with high-flow oxygen tubes. But the method uses up to three times more oxygen than treatment methods used earlier in the pandemic, said Andy Brailo, chief customer officer for Premier, a group supply purchaser for hospitals.Couple that with troubles finding enough drivers with the requisite hazardous material certifications to deliver oxygen to hard-hit hospitals, and supplies are running tighter than ever. Some hospitals have come within a day or two of running out. Others have resorted to using backup tanks that are normally only used when their main tank is being refilled.In Orlando, residents have been asked to stop watering their lawns and washing cars because of oxygen shortages. That’s because Orlando treats city water with liquid oxygen and supplied that typically go toward water treatment have been diverted to hospitals.Brailo said the oxygen issue has been particularly acute in Florida. He said he has recently heard of problems in Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas as well.“Hospitals have started thinking if we are out, what are the options we are going to have to take?” Brailo said. “In some cases that may mean having to move patients. And that may mean going to much more invasive ways to make sure those patients are oxygenated.”Dr. Ryan Stanton, an emergency room physician in Lexington, Kentucky, who has treated scores of COVID-19 patients, said doctors began discussing whether multiple people could be placed on a single ventilator over the past few days in private Facebook groups. He said that so far, no doctors have said they were attempting it.“It is just a sign that you are getting at that critical breaking point,” he said of the discussion.

Oxygen supplies grow precarious amid COVID surge

Better Business Bureau <a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/the-cdc-eviction-moratorium-has-ended-learn-your-options/" target="_blank">The eviction moratorium</a> was struck down by the Supreme Court, but some state and local governments are still issuing their own <a href="https://evictionlab.org/covid-eviction-policies/" target="_blank">eviction policies.</a> Scammers are ready to take advantage of the confustion and stress that renters may be experiencing. With <a href="https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/hhp/#/?measures=EVICTFOR" target="_blank">millions in the United States behind on their rent</a>, the moratorium’s end is a perfect hook. &nbsp;

Watch out for scammers offering loans, peddling credit repair 
services, or promoting government programs. These cons are a way to 
trick desperate people out of money they don’t have. &nbsp;

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/" target="_blank">BBB Scam Tracker</a>
 has seen numerous reports of phony “pandemic relief” grants or 
government programs that allegedly provide funding to people impacted by
 the pandemic. Once you “qualify for the grant,” the scammer will ask 
you to pay a processing or delivery fee to receive your funds. Of 
course, the grant doesn’t exist, and if you pay upfront, you just gave 
money to scammers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/16919-bbb-tip-advance-fee-loan-scams" target="_blank">Advance fee loans</a>, <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/23372-bbb-tip-credit-repair-and-debt-relief-scams" target="_blank">debt relief and credit repair scams</a>
 work in a similar way. They promise a loan – or to repair your credit –
 for an upfront fee. No matter how much you may need it, don’t be 
tempted by “guaranteed loans” or impossible services, such as removing 
late payments or a bankruptcy, from your credit report.

This recent BBB Scam Tracker report describes a situation more people
 will likely encounter as the eviction moratorium nears. “I'd been in a 
desperate financial situation for a few weeks now, so I had been looking
 for loans and being denied left and right,” the scam victim told BBB. 
The victim received a call from a loan provider, saying their loan 
application had finally been accepted. There was just one catch: before 
the company could release the money, the borrow had to increase their 
credit score. Fortunately, this company had a way to help. “The way they
 would do that is they would send money to my account and then all I 
would have to do is send it back and that would boost my score.” Of 
course, the scammers never actually transfered the money. When the 
victim "sent back" the funds, they transferred $1,000 into the hands of 
scammers and overdrafted their account.&nbsp;

Get further insight by reading&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14101-bbb-tip-loans" target="_blank">BBB’s tip on loans</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14106-tip-credit-repair-and-debt-relief-services" target="_blank">credit repair services</a>. Learn more about <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22776-government-impostors-press-release" target="_blank">government impostor scams during COVID-19</a>.&nbsp;

If you’ve spotted a scam (whether or not you’ve lost money), report it to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/ScamTracker">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a>. Your report can help others avoid falling victim to scams. Find more information about scams and how to avoid them <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/8767-bbb-tips-10-steps-to-avoid-scams" target="_blank">BBB.org/AvoidScams</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579883951052.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Better Business Bureau <a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/the-cdc-eviction-moratorium-has-ended-learn-your-options/" target="_blank">The eviction moratorium</a> was struck down by the Supreme Court, but some state and local governments are still issuing their own <a href="https://evictionlab.org/covid-eviction-policies/" target="_blank">eviction policies.</a> Scammers are ready to take advantage of the confustion and stress that renters may be experiencing. With <a href="https://www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/hhp/#/?measures=EVICTFOR" target="_blank">millions in the United States behind on their rent</a>, the moratorium’s end is a perfect hook. &nbsp;<h2>How the Scam Works</h2>Watch out for scammers offering loans, peddling credit repair 
services, or promoting government programs. These cons are a way to 
trick desperate people out of money they don’t have. &nbsp;For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, <a href="https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/" target="_blank">BBB Scam Tracker</a>
 has seen numerous reports of phony “pandemic relief” grants or 
government programs that allegedly provide funding to people impacted by
 the pandemic. Once you “qualify for the grant,” the scammer will ask 
you to pay a processing or delivery fee to receive your funds. Of 
course, the grant doesn’t exist, and if you pay upfront, you just gave 
money to scammers.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/16919-bbb-tip-advance-fee-loan-scams" target="_blank">Advance fee loans</a>, <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/23372-bbb-tip-credit-repair-and-debt-relief-scams" target="_blank">debt relief and credit repair scams</a>
 work in a similar way. They promise a loan – or to repair your credit –
 for an upfront fee. No matter how much you may need it, don’t be 
tempted by “guaranteed loans” or impossible services, such as removing 
late payments or a bankruptcy, from your credit report.This recent BBB Scam Tracker report describes a situation more people
 will likely encounter as the eviction moratorium nears. “I'd been in a 
desperate financial situation for a few weeks now, so I had been looking
 for loans and being denied left and right,” the scam victim told BBB. 
The victim received a call from a loan provider, saying their loan 
application had finally been accepted. There was just one catch: before 
the company could release the money, the borrow had to increase their 
credit score. Fortunately, this company had a way to help. “The way they
 would do that is they would send money to my account and then all I 
would have to do is send it back and that would boost my score.” Of 
course, the scammers never actually transfered the money. When the 
victim "sent back" the funds, they transferred $1,000 into the hands of 
scammers and overdrafted their account.&nbsp;<h2>Protect yourself from this&nbsp;scam:</h2><ul>
 <li>Double check any government program before you sign up. If
 an organization is offering you a grant or relief funds, get to know 
them before you agree to anything. Take a close look at their website 
and read reviews. If you think you might be dealing with an impostor, 
find the official contact information and call the company to make sure 
the offer is legitimate. </li><li>Be wary of out-of-the-blue calls, emails or text message claiming to be from the&nbsp;government. In general, the government will not contact you using these methods, unless you granted permission. </li><li>Think something seems suspicious? Reach out to the agency directly. If
 you doubt that a government representative is legitimate, hang up the 
phone or stop emailing. Then, report the suspicious calls or messages. 
Make sure the agency is real. Scammers often make up names of agencies 
and/or grants. </li><li>Do not pay any money for a "free"&nbsp;government grant or program.&nbsp;It
 is not really free if there is a fee involved. A real government agency
 will not ask for an advanced processing fee. Instead, find out if the 
grant is legitimate by checking <a href="https://www.grants.gov/" target="_blank">grants.gov</a>. </li><li>Advance fees are a concern. Not
 all businesses promising to help you repair bad credit are scams, but 
if you are asked to pay in advance, that’s a big red flag. In both the 
U.S. and Canada, credit repair and debt relief companies can only 
collect their fee after they perform the services promised. </li><li>Avoid guarantees and unusual payment methods. Real
 lenders never guarantee a loan in advance. They will check your credit 
score and other documents before providing an interest rate and/or loan 
amount and will not ask you to pay an upfront fee. Fees are never paid 
via gift cards, CashApp, or prepaid debit card. Unusual payment methods 
and payments to an individual are a big tip off.</li>
 </ul><h2>For more information:</h2>Get further insight by reading&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14101-bbb-tip-loans" target="_blank">BBB’s tip on loans</a> and <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/tips/14106-tip-credit-repair-and-debt-relief-services" target="_blank">credit repair services</a>. Learn more about <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/22776-government-impostors-press-release" target="_blank">government impostor scams during COVID-19</a>.&nbsp;If you’ve spotted a scam (whether or not you’ve lost money), report it to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbb.org/ScamTracker">BBB.org/ScamTracker</a>. Your report can help others avoid falling victim to scams. Find more information about scams and how to avoid them <a href="https://www.bbb.org/article/scams/8767-bbb-tips-10-steps-to-avoid-scams" target="_blank">BBB.org/AvoidScams</a>.

BBB Scam Alert: Watch out for false promises as eviction moratoriums end

FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating threats allegedly made by students in Dodge City.

Just after 3:30p.m. Monday, the Dodge City High School Resource Officer (SRO) was made aware of a potential threat to the school, according to a media release from police.

The SRO began investigating an alleged Snapchat message sent to other students telling them not to go to school Monday.&nbsp; The message came in a thread where the subject was about the previous threat made to the school on August 27. 

The students did the right thing and alerted school authorities. Since there were no described threats to the school or students, two students were charged with disorderly conduct, and a case will be filed with the Ford County Attorney’s Office.

While investigating the threat to the school, the same high school SRO was approached by high school staff at approximately 9:00a.m. to inform him of another threat made on Monday at the high school. 

It is alleged that a 15-year-old student told other students that he would be “the next school shooter.” He indicated that two other students would be first and second on his list. He then held his hand up in the form of a gun and pointed at one of the students after indicating that he had a gun in his backpack. This student was located off-campus and arrested for felony criminal threat. A case will be filed with the Ford County Attorney’s Office.

FORD COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating threats allegedly made by students in Dodge City.Just after 3:30p.m. Monday, the Dodge City High School Resource Officer (SRO) was made aware of a potential threat to the school, according to a media release from police.The SRO began investigating an alleged Snapchat message sent to other students telling them not to go to school Monday.&nbsp; The message came in a thread where the subject was about the previous threat made to the school on August 27. The students did the right thing and alerted school authorities. Since there were no described threats to the school or students, two students were charged with disorderly conduct, and a case will be filed with the Ford County Attorney’s Office.While investigating the threat to the school, the same high school SRO was approached by high school staff at approximately 9:00a.m. to inform him of another threat made on Monday at the high school. It is alleged that a 15-year-old student told other students that he would be “the next school shooter.” He indicated that two other students would be first and second on his list. He then held his hand up in the form of a gun and pointed at one of the students after indicating that he had a gun in his backpack. This student was located off-campus and arrested for felony criminal threat. A case will be filed with the Ford County Attorney’s Office.

SW Kan. high school investigating school threats

WASHINGTON (AP) — The sharp shock of the coronavirus recession pushed Social Security a year closer to insolvency but left Medicare’s exhaustion date unchanged, the government reported Tuesday in a counterintuitive assessment that deepens the uncertainty around the nation’s bedrock retirement programs.

The new projections in the annual Social Security and Medicare trustees reports indicate that Social Security’s massive trust fund will be unable to pay full benefits in 2034 instead of last year’s estimated exhaustion date of 2035. For the first time in 39 years the cost of delivering benefits will exceed the program’s total income from payroll tax collections and interest during this year. From here on, Social Security will be tapping its savings to pay full benefits.

The depletion date for Medicare’s trust fund for inpatient care remained unchanged from last year, estimated in 2026.

In the 1980s, financial warnings about Social Security prompted then-President Ronald Reagan and lawmakers of both parties in Congress to collaborate on a long-term solvency plan, but such action is unlikely in today’s bitter political climate. Democrats who control the White House and Congress offered assurances they would protect both programs.

“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to safeguarding these programs and ensuring they continue to deliver economic security and health care to older Americans,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

The latest estimates reflected the push and pull of many factors flowing from the pandemic, and the full impact may take years to sort out. The deep but relatively short recession slashed revenue from payroll taxes. But the death toll from COVID-19, concentrated among older people, reduced future Social Security benefit payouts. Hospitals were stressed by the influx of COVID patients, but Medicare didn’t have to pay for as many knee surgeries, colonoscopies and other more routine procedures. Birth rates and immigration, which tend to bolster the two programs, both fell.

For Social Security, the loss of payroll tax revenue outweighed any savings from what the program would have paid out to people whose lives were lost in the pandemic. The report noted that employment, earnings, interest rates and economic growth plummeted in the second quarter of 2020 after the pandemic hit the United States.

“The finances of both programs have been significantly affected by the pandemic and the recession of 2020,” the trustees said. But “given the unprecedented level of uncertainty” there was no consensus on what the long-lasting effects of the pandemic would be. A looming question for Medicare: Will the population of beneficiaries who survived the pandemic be healthier on the whole, or will a high number suffer from new conditions like long COVID?

Social Security pays benefits to more than 65 million Americans, mainly retirees but also disabled people and survivors of deceased workers. Medicare covers more than 60 million older and disabled people. Together, both programs account for more than 40% of the federal budget, and act as stabilizer not only for families, but for the national economy.

While long-term projections are sobering, in the short run there was some good news for Social Security recipients.

Government economic experts who prepared the Social Security report estimated recent increases in inflation mean the cost-of-living adjustment for 2022 will approach 6%, a whopping jump from the 1.3% COLA awarded for this year.

Some of that may go for higher Medicare costs. The Medicare “Part B” premium for outpatient coverage was projected to rise by $10 a month in 2022, to $158.50 under the report’s intermediate assumptions. The official number won’t be released until later this year.

Social Security and Medicare remain under intense financial pressure with the retirement of millions of baby boomers, who are living longer than previous generations.

When the Social Security trust fund is depleted the government will be able to pay 78% of scheduled benefits, the report said. When Medicare’s trust fund for inpatient care runs short, it will be able to pay only 91% of expected costs, mainly hospital bills.

Because reductions of that magnitude would cause a political uproar, it is likely that a future Congress would find ways to recover the lost benefits, either by hiking the payroll taxes paid by current workers or by increasing government borrowing to cover the shortfall. With Medicare, lawmakers could also raise premiums paid by beneficiaries.

It’s unclear how the Medicare projections will affect the debate on Capitol Hill about authorizing the program to negotiate prescription drug prices and then using projected savings to provide new Medicare coverage for dental, vision and hearing services. Republicans have argued that any savings should go to shore up the underlying program, not expand benefits.

The Medicare report steered clear of making any projections about the new Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm, which has a list price of $55,000. Most of the 6 million Americans dealing with Alzheimer’s are covered by the program, though not all would be candidates for the medication.

The trustees’ reports, which have been delayed for months, represent the government’s effort to assess the impact of last year’s pandemic and recession on Social Security and Medicare.

The U.S. economy lost a staggering 22.4 million jobs in March and April 2020 as the pandemic forced businesses to close or cut their hours and the economy went into recession.

But the recession turned out to be brief and hiring has bounced back as economic growth has resumed. Employers have brought back 16.7 million jobs since April 2020 but that gain still leaves the labor force 5.7 million jobs below where it was before the pandemic hit.

The trustees of Social Security and Medicare include the secretaries of Treasury, Health and Human Services, and Labor, as well as the Social Security commissioner. They are supposed to be joined by two “public trustees,” knowledgeable private citizens who act as the eyes and ears of taxpayers and beneficiaries. But those posts have been vacant since July 2015 — before the end of the Obama administration. And this year there’s no Social Security commissioner either, since President Joe Biden fired Andrew Saul, a holdover appointee from the Trump administration.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The sharp shock of the coronavirus recession pushed Social Security a year closer to insolvency but left Medicare’s exhaustion date unchanged, the government reported Tuesday in a counterintuitive assessment that deepens the uncertainty around the nation’s bedrock retirement programs.The new projections in the annual Social Security and Medicare trustees reports indicate that Social Security’s massive trust fund will be unable to pay full benefits in 2034 instead of last year’s estimated exhaustion date of 2035. For the first time in 39 years the cost of delivering benefits will exceed the program’s total income from payroll tax collections and interest during this year. From here on, Social Security will be tapping its savings to pay full benefits.The depletion date for Medicare’s trust fund for inpatient care remained unchanged from last year, estimated in 2026.In the 1980s, financial warnings about Social Security prompted then-President Ronald Reagan and lawmakers of both parties in Congress to collaborate on a long-term solvency plan, but such action is unlikely in today’s bitter political climate. Democrats who control the White House and Congress offered assurances they would protect both programs.“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to safeguarding these programs and ensuring they continue to deliver economic security and health care to older Americans,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.The latest estimates reflected the push and pull of many factors flowing from the pandemic, and the full impact may take years to sort out. The deep but relatively short recession slashed revenue from payroll taxes. But the death toll from COVID-19, concentrated among older people, reduced future Social Security benefit payouts. Hospitals were stressed by the influx of COVID patients, but Medicare didn’t have to pay for as many knee surgeries, colonoscopies and other more routine procedures. Birth rates and immigration, which tend to bolster the two programs, both fell.For Social Security, the loss of payroll tax revenue outweighed any savings from what the program would have paid out to people whose lives were lost in the pandemic. The report noted that employment, earnings, interest rates and economic growth plummeted in the second quarter of 2020 after the pandemic hit the United States.“The finances of both programs have been significantly affected by the pandemic and the recession of 2020,” the trustees said. But “given the unprecedented level of uncertainty” there was no consensus on what the long-lasting effects of the pandemic would be. A looming question for Medicare: Will the population of beneficiaries who survived the pandemic be healthier on the whole, or will a high number suffer from new conditions like long COVID?Social Security pays benefits to more than 65 million Americans, mainly retirees but also disabled people and survivors of deceased workers. Medicare covers more than 60 million older and disabled people. Together, both programs account for more than 40% of the federal budget, and act as stabilizer not only for families, but for the national economy.While long-term projections are sobering, in the short run there was some good news for Social Security recipients.Government economic experts who prepared the Social Security report estimated recent increases in inflation mean the cost-of-living adjustment for 2022 will approach 6%, a whopping jump from the 1.3% COLA awarded for this year.Some of that may go for higher Medicare costs. The Medicare “Part B” premium for outpatient coverage was projected to rise by $10 a month in 2022, to $158.50 under the report’s intermediate assumptions. The official number won’t be released until later this year.Social Security and Medicare remain under intense financial pressure with the retirement of millions of baby boomers, who are living longer than previous generations.When the Social Security trust fund is depleted the government will be able to pay 78% of scheduled benefits, the report said. When Medicare’s trust fund for inpatient care runs short, it will be able to pay only 91% of expected costs, mainly hospital bills.Because reductions of that magnitude would cause a political uproar, it is likely that a future Congress would find ways to recover the lost benefits, either by hiking the payroll taxes paid by current workers or by increasing government borrowing to cover the shortfall. With Medicare, lawmakers could also raise premiums paid by beneficiaries.It’s unclear how the Medicare projections will affect the debate on Capitol Hill about authorizing the program to negotiate prescription drug prices and then using projected savings to provide new Medicare coverage for dental, vision and hearing services. Republicans have argued that any savings should go to shore up the underlying program, not expand benefits.The Medicare report steered clear of making any projections about the new Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm, which has a list price of $55,000. Most of the 6 million Americans dealing with Alzheimer’s are covered by the program, though not all would be candidates for the medication.The trustees’ reports, which have been delayed for months, represent the government’s effort to assess the impact of last year’s pandemic and recession on Social Security and Medicare.The U.S. economy lost a staggering 22.4 million jobs in March and April 2020 as the pandemic forced businesses to close or cut their hours and the economy went into recession.But the recession turned out to be brief and hiring has bounced back as economic growth has resumed. Employers have brought back 16.7 million jobs since April 2020 but that gain still leaves the labor force 5.7 million jobs below where it was before the pandemic hit.The trustees of Social Security and Medicare include the secretaries of Treasury, Health and Human Services, and Labor, as well as the Social Security commissioner. They are supposed to be joined by two “public trustees,” knowledgeable private citizens who act as the eyes and ears of taxpayers and beneficiaries. But those posts have been vacant since July 2015 — before the end of the Obama administration. And this year there’s no Social Security commissioner either, since President Joe Biden fired Andrew Saul, a holdover appointee from the Trump administration.

COVID recession pushed Social Security insolvency up a year

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?514378-1/president-biden-defends-us-withdrawal-afghanistan">CLICK here to watch </a>the President's comments

WASHINGTON (AP) — A defensive President Joe Biden called the U.S. airlift to extract more than 120,000 Americans, Afghans and other allies from Afghanistan to end a 20-year war an “extraordinary success,” though more than 100 Americans and thousands of others were left behind.

Twenty-four hours after the last American C-17 cargo plane roared off from Kabul, Biden spoke to the nation and vigorously defended his decision to end America’s longest war and withdraw all U.S. troops ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline.

“I was not going to extend this forever war,” Biden declared Tuesday from the White House. “And I was not going to extend a forever exit.”

Biden has faced tough questions about the way the U.S. went about leaving Afghanistan — a chaotic evacuation with spasms of violence, including a suicide bombing last week that killed 13 American service members and 169 Afghans.

He is under heavy criticism, particularly from Republicans, for his handling of the evacuation. But he said it was inevitable that the final departure from two decades of war, first negotiated with the Taliban for May 1 by former President Donald Trump, would have been difficult, with likely violence, no matter when it was planned and conducted.

“To those asking for a third decade of war in Afghanistan, I ask, ‘What is the vital national interest?’” Biden said. He added, “I simply do not believe that the safety and security of America is enhanced by continuing to deploy thousands of American troops and spending billions of dollars in Afghanistan.”

Asked after the speech about Biden sounding angry at some criticism, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the president had simply offered his “forceful assessment.”

Biden scoffed at Republicans — and some Democrats — who contend the U.S. would have been better served maintaining a small military footprint in Afghanistan. Before Thursday’s attack, the U.S. military had not suffered a combat casualty since February 2020 — around the time the Trump administration brokered its deal with the Taliban to end the war by May of this year.

Biden said breaking the Trump deal would have restarted a shooting war. He said those who favor remaining at war also fail to recognize the weight of deployment, with a scourge of PTSD, financial struggles, divorce and other problems for U.S. troops.

“When I hear that we could’ve, should’ve continued the so-called low-grade effort in Afghanistan at low risk to our service members, at low cost, I don’t think enough people understand how much we’ve asked of the 1% of this country to put that uniform on,” Biden said.

In addition to all the questions at home, Biden is also adjusting to a new relationship with the Taliban, the Islamist militant group the U.S. toppled after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in America, and that is now once again in power in Afghanistan.

Biden has tasked Secretary of State Antony Blinken to coordinate with international partners to hold the Taliban to their promise of safe passage for Americans and others who want to leave in the days ahead.

“We don’t take them by their word alone, but by their actions,” Biden said. “We have leverage to make sure those commitments are met.”

Biden also pushed back against criticism that he fell short of his pledge to get all Americans out of the country ahead of the U.S. military withdrawal. He said many of the Americans left behind are dual citizens, some with deep family roots that are complicating their ability to leave Afghanistan.

“The bottom line: 90% of Americans in Afghanistan who wanted to leave were able to leave,” Biden said. “For those remaining Americans, there is no deadline. We remain committed to get them out, if they want to come out.”

Biden repeated his argument that ending the Afghanistan war was a crucial step for recalibrating American foreign policy toward growing challenges posed by China and Russia — and counterterrorism concerns that pose a more potent threat to the U.S.

“There’s nothing China or Russia would rather have, want more in this competition, than the United States to be bogged down another decade in Afghanistan,” he said

In Biden’s view the war could have ended 10 years ago with the U.S. killing of Osama bin Laden, whose al-Qaida extremist network planned and executed the 9/11 plot from an Afghanistan sanctuary. Al-Qaida has been vastly diminished, preventing it thus far from again attacking the United States. The president lamented an estimated $2 trillion of taxpayer money that was spent fighting the war.

“What have we lost as a consequence in terms of opportunities?” Biden asked.

Congressional committees, whose interest in the war waned over the years, are expected to hold public hearings on what went wrong in the final months of the U.S. withdrawal.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Tuesday described the Biden administration’s handling of the evacuation as “probably the biggest failure in American government on a military stage in my lifetime” and promised that Republicans would press the White House for answers.

Meanwhile, the Senate met briefly Tuesday, with Vice President Kamala Harris presiding over the chamber, to pass by unanimous consent a bill that increases spending for temporary assistance to U.S. citizens and their dependents returning from another country because of illness, war or other crisis. Biden quickly signed the legislation, which raises funding for the program from $1 million to $10 million.

A group of Republican lawmakers gathered on the House floor Tuesday morning and participated in a moment of silence for the 13 service members who were killed in the suicide bomber attack.

They also sought a House vote on legislation from Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., which among other things would require the administration to submit a report on how many Americans remain in Afghanistan as well as the number of Afghans who had applied for a category of visas reserved for those employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government.

The GOP lawmakers objected as Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., gaveled the House into adjournment. They then gathered for a press conference to denounce the administration.

For many U.S. commanders and troops who served in Afghanistan, it was a day of mixed emotions.

“All of us are conflicted with feelings of pain and anger, sorrow and sadness, combined with pride and resilience,” said Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He commanded troops in Afghanistan earlier in his career. “But one thing I am certain of, for any soldier, sailor, airman or Marine and their families, your service mattered. It was not in vain.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Addressing the nation, a defensive President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the U.S. military airlift to extract more than 120,000 Afghans, Americans and other allies to end a 20 year war an “extraordinary success,” though more than 100 Americans and thousands of Afghans looking to leave remain.

Twenty-four hours after the departure of the last American C-17 cargo plane from Kabul, Biden vigorously defended his decision to end America’s longest war and withdraw all U.S. troops ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline.

“I was not going to extend this forever war,” Biden said in an address from the White House State Dining Room. “And I was not going to extend a forever exit.”

Biden has faced tough questions about the way the U.S. went about leaving Afghanistan — a chaotic evacuation and spasms of violence including a suicide bomb that killed 13 American service members and 169 Afghans.

He is under heavy criticism, particularly from Republicans, for his handling of the evacuation, though it successfully airlifted more than 120,000 people from Kabul airport.

But he said it was inevitable that the final departure from two decades of war would be difficult with likely violence, no matter when it was planned and conducted.

“To those asking for a third decade of war in Afghanistan I ask, ‘What is the vital national interest?’” Biden said. He added, “I simply do not believe that the safety and security of America is enhanced by continuing to deploy thousands of American troops and spending billions of dollars in Afghanistan.”

In addition to all the questions at home, Biden is also adjusting to a new relationship with the Taliban, the Islamist militant group that the U.S. toppled after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and that is now once again in power in Afghanistan.

The last Air Force transport plane departed Kabul one minute before midnight Monday, raising questions about why Biden didn’t continue the airlift for at least another day. He had set Tuesday as a deadline for ending the evacuation and pulling out remaining troops after the Taliban took over the country.

In a written statement Monday, Biden said military commanders unanimously favored ending the airlift instead of extending it. He said he asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken to coordinate with international partners to hold the Taliban to their promise of safe passage for Americans and others who want to leave in the days ahead.

Blinken put the number of Americans still in Afghanistan at under 200, “likely closer to 100,” and said the State Department would keep working to get them out. He said the U.S. diplomatic presence&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-afghanistan-qatar-6c1e9e4ef1a9f0c3d19eac20b9321339">would shift to Doha, Qatar.</a>

Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said Tuesday of the effort to get remaining Americans out: “It’s just that it has shifted from a military mission to a diplomatic mission.” On ABC’s “Good Morning America,” he cited “considerable leverage” over the Taliban to complete that effort.

The closing hours of the evacuation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-kabul-airport-rocket-attack-b657e37e182c445eb985a585bbde8b5e">were marked by extraordinary drama</a>. American troops faced the daunting task of getting final evacuees onto planes while also getting themselves and some of their equipment out, even as they monitored repeated threats — and at least two actual attacks — by the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate. A suicide bombing on Aug. 26 killed 13 American service members and some 180 Afghans. More died in various incidents during the airport evacuation.

The final pullout fulfilled Biden’s pledge to end what he called a “forever war” that began in response to the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and rural Pennsylvania. His decision, announced in April, reflected a national weariness of the Afghanistan conflict.

In Biden’s view the war could have ended 10 years ago with the U.S. killing of Osama bin Laden, whose al-Qaida extremist network planned and executed the 9/11 plot from an Afghanistan sanctuary. Al-Qaida has been vastly diminished, preventing it thus far from again attacking the United States.

Congressional committees, whose interest in the war waned over the years, are expected to hold public hearings on what went wrong in the final months of the U.S. withdrawal. Why, for example, did the administration not begin earlier the evacuation of American citizens as well as Afghans who had helped the U.S. war effort?

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Tuesday described the Biden administration’s handling of the evacuation as “probably the biggest failure in American government on a military stage in my lifetime” and promised that Republicans would press the White House for answers on what went wrong.

“We can never make this mistake again,” McCarthy said.

A group of Republican lawmakers gathered on the House floor on Tuesday morning and participated in a moment of silence for the 13 service members who were killed during the suicide bomber attack last week.

They also sought a House vote on legislation from Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., which among other things, would require the administration to submit a report on how many Americans remain in Afghanistan as well as the number of Afghans who had applied for a category of visas reserved for those who were employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government.

The GOP lawmakers objected as Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., gaveled the House into adjournment and then gathered for a press conference to denounce the administration.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is defending his handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, including the frantic final evacuation from Kabul airport.

In remarks at the White House on Tuesday, Biden said the U.S. government had reached out 19 times since March — prior to his public announcement that he was going to end the U.S. war — to encourage all American citizens in Afghanistan to leave. He acknowledged that 100 to 200 were unable to get out when the airlift ended Monday.

Biden asserted that his administration was ready when the U.S.-backed government in Kabul collapsed in mid-August and the Taliban took over. But the airlift that began Aug. 14 has been heavily criticized by many as initially unorganized and chaotic.

Biden said that 5,500 Americans eventually got out, and that “arrangements” will be made to get the remaining Americans out if they so choose.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630438976465.png" alt="President Biden spoke about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan one day after the last U.S. service member left the country closing out the 20-year conflict.-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden spoke about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan one day after the last U.S. service member left the country closing out the 20-year conflict.-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?514378-1/president-biden-defends-us-withdrawal-afghanistan">CLICK here to watch </a>the President's commentsWASHINGTON (AP) — A defensive President Joe Biden called the U.S. airlift to extract more than 120,000 Americans, Afghans and other allies from Afghanistan to end a 20-year war an “extraordinary success,” though more than 100 Americans and thousands of others were left behind.Twenty-four hours after the last American C-17 cargo plane roared off from Kabul, Biden spoke to the nation and vigorously defended his decision to end America’s longest war and withdraw all U.S. troops ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline.“I was not going to extend this forever war,” Biden declared Tuesday from the White House. “And I was not going to extend a forever exit.”Biden has faced tough questions about the way the U.S. went about leaving Afghanistan — a chaotic evacuation with spasms of violence, including a suicide bombing last week that killed 13 American service members and 169 Afghans.He is under heavy criticism, particularly from Republicans, for his handling of the evacuation. But he said it was inevitable that the final departure from two decades of war, first negotiated with the Taliban for May 1 by former President Donald Trump, would have been difficult, with likely violence, no matter when it was planned and conducted.“To those asking for a third decade of war in Afghanistan, I ask, ‘What is the vital national interest?’” Biden said. He added, “I simply do not believe that the safety and security of America is enhanced by continuing to deploy thousands of American troops and spending billions of dollars in Afghanistan.”Asked after the speech about Biden sounding angry at some criticism, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the president had simply offered his “forceful assessment.”Biden scoffed at Republicans — and some Democrats — who contend the U.S. would have been better served maintaining a small military footprint in Afghanistan. Before Thursday’s attack, the U.S. military had not suffered a combat casualty since February 2020 — around the time the Trump administration brokered its deal with the Taliban to end the war by May of this year.Biden said breaking the Trump deal would have restarted a shooting war. He said those who favor remaining at war also fail to recognize the weight of deployment, with a scourge of PTSD, financial struggles, divorce and other problems for U.S. troops.“When I hear that we could’ve, should’ve continued the so-called low-grade effort in Afghanistan at low risk to our service members, at low cost, I don’t think enough people understand how much we’ve asked of the 1% of this country to put that uniform on,” Biden said.In addition to all the questions at home, Biden is also adjusting to a new relationship with the Taliban, the Islamist militant group the U.S. toppled after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in America, and that is now once again in power in Afghanistan.Biden has tasked Secretary of State Antony Blinken to coordinate with international partners to hold the Taliban to their promise of safe passage for Americans and others who want to leave in the days ahead.“We don’t take them by their word alone, but by their actions,” Biden said. “We have leverage to make sure those commitments are met.”Biden also pushed back against criticism that he fell short of his pledge to get all Americans out of the country ahead of the U.S. military withdrawal. He said many of the Americans left behind are dual citizens, some with deep family roots that are complicating their ability to leave Afghanistan.“The bottom line: 90% of Americans in Afghanistan who wanted to leave were able to leave,” Biden said. “For those remaining Americans, there is no deadline. We remain committed to get them out, if they want to come out.”Biden repeated his argument that ending the Afghanistan war was a crucial step for recalibrating American foreign policy toward growing challenges posed by China and Russia — and counterterrorism concerns that pose a more potent threat to the U.S.“There’s nothing China or Russia would rather have, want more in this competition, than the United States to be bogged down another decade in Afghanistan,” he saidIn Biden’s view the war could have ended 10 years ago with the U.S. killing of Osama bin Laden, whose al-Qaida extremist network planned and executed the 9/11 plot from an Afghanistan sanctuary. Al-Qaida has been vastly diminished, preventing it thus far from again attacking the United States. The president lamented an estimated $2 trillion of taxpayer money that was spent fighting the war.“What have we lost as a consequence in terms of opportunities?” Biden asked.Congressional committees, whose interest in the war waned over the years, are expected to hold public hearings on what went wrong in the final months of the U.S. withdrawal.House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Tuesday described the Biden administration’s handling of the evacuation as “probably the biggest failure in American government on a military stage in my lifetime” and promised that Republicans would press the White House for answers.Meanwhile, the Senate met briefly Tuesday, with Vice President Kamala Harris presiding over the chamber, to pass by unanimous consent a bill that increases spending for temporary assistance to U.S. citizens and their dependents returning from another country because of illness, war or other crisis. Biden quickly signed the legislation, which raises funding for the program from $1 million to $10 million.A group of Republican lawmakers gathered on the House floor Tuesday morning and participated in a moment of silence for the 13 service members who were killed in the suicide bomber attack.They also sought a House vote on legislation from Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., which among other things would require the administration to submit a report on how many Americans remain in Afghanistan as well as the number of Afghans who had applied for a category of visas reserved for those employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government.The GOP lawmakers objected as Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., gaveled the House into adjournment. They then gathered for a press conference to denounce the administration.For many U.S. commanders and troops who served in Afghanistan, it was a day of mixed emotions.“All of us are conflicted with feelings of pain and anger, sorrow and sadness, combined with pride and resilience,” said Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He commanded troops in Afghanistan earlier in his career. “But one thing I am certain of, for any soldier, sailor, airman or Marine and their families, your service mattered. It was not in vain.”___WASHINGTON (AP) — Addressing the nation, a defensive President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the U.S. military airlift to extract more than 120,000 Afghans, Americans and other allies to end a 20 year war an “extraordinary success,” though more than 100 Americans and thousands of Afghans looking to leave remain.Twenty-four hours after the departure of the last American C-17 cargo plane from Kabul, Biden vigorously defended his decision to end America’s longest war and withdraw all U.S. troops ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline.“I was not going to extend this forever war,” Biden said in an address from the White House State Dining Room. “And I was not going to extend a forever exit.”Biden has faced tough questions about the way the U.S. went about leaving Afghanistan — a chaotic evacuation and spasms of violence including a suicide bomb that killed 13 American service members and 169 Afghans.He is under heavy criticism, particularly from Republicans, for his handling of the evacuation, though it successfully airlifted more than 120,000 people from Kabul airport.But he said it was inevitable that the final departure from two decades of war would be difficult with likely violence, no matter when it was planned and conducted.“To those asking for a third decade of war in Afghanistan I ask, ‘What is the vital national interest?’” Biden said. He added, “I simply do not believe that the safety and security of America is enhanced by continuing to deploy thousands of American troops and spending billions of dollars in Afghanistan.”In addition to all the questions at home, Biden is also adjusting to a new relationship with the Taliban, the Islamist militant group that the U.S. toppled after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and that is now once again in power in Afghanistan.The last Air Force transport plane departed Kabul one minute before midnight Monday, raising questions about why Biden didn’t continue the airlift for at least another day. He had set Tuesday as a deadline for ending the evacuation and pulling out remaining troops after the Taliban took over the country.In a written statement Monday, Biden said military commanders unanimously favored ending the airlift instead of extending it. He said he asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken to coordinate with international partners to hold the Taliban to their promise of safe passage for Americans and others who want to leave in the days ahead.Blinken put the number of Americans still in Afghanistan at under 200, “likely closer to 100,” and said the State Department would keep working to get them out. He said the U.S. diplomatic presence&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-afghanistan-qatar-6c1e9e4ef1a9f0c3d19eac20b9321339">would shift to Doha, Qatar.</a>Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said Tuesday of the effort to get remaining Americans out: “It’s just that it has shifted from a military mission to a diplomatic mission.” On ABC’s “Good Morning America,” he cited “considerable leverage” over the Taliban to complete that effort.The closing hours of the evacuation&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-kabul-airport-rocket-attack-b657e37e182c445eb985a585bbde8b5e">were marked by extraordinary drama</a>. American troops faced the daunting task of getting final evacuees onto planes while also getting themselves and some of their equipment out, even as they monitored repeated threats — and at least two actual attacks — by the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate. A suicide bombing on Aug. 26 killed 13 American service members and some 180 Afghans. More died in various incidents during the airport evacuation.The final pullout fulfilled Biden’s pledge to end what he called a “forever war” that began in response to the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and rural Pennsylvania. His decision, announced in April, reflected a national weariness of the Afghanistan conflict.In Biden’s view the war could have ended 10 years ago with the U.S. killing of Osama bin Laden, whose al-Qaida extremist network planned and executed the 9/11 plot from an Afghanistan sanctuary. Al-Qaida has been vastly diminished, preventing it thus far from again attacking the United States.Congressional committees, whose interest in the war waned over the years, are expected to hold public hearings on what went wrong in the final months of the U.S. withdrawal. Why, for example, did the administration not begin earlier the evacuation of American citizens as well as Afghans who had helped the U.S. war effort?House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Tuesday described the Biden administration’s handling of the evacuation as “probably the biggest failure in American government on a military stage in my lifetime” and promised that Republicans would press the White House for answers on what went wrong.“We can never make this mistake again,” McCarthy said.A group of Republican lawmakers gathered on the House floor on Tuesday morning and participated in a moment of silence for the 13 service members who were killed during the suicide bomber attack last week.They also sought a House vote on legislation from Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., which among other things, would require the administration to submit a report on how many Americans remain in Afghanistan as well as the number of Afghans who had applied for a category of visas reserved for those who were employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government.The GOP lawmakers objected as Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., gaveled the House into adjournment and then gathered for a press conference to denounce the administration.—-WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is defending his handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, including the frantic final evacuation from Kabul airport.In remarks at the White House on Tuesday, Biden said the U.S. government had reached out 19 times since March — prior to his public announcement that he was going to end the U.S. war — to encourage all American citizens in Afghanistan to leave. He acknowledged that 100 to 200 were unable to get out when the airlift ended Monday.Biden asserted that his administration was ready when the U.S.-backed government in Kabul collapsed in mid-August and the Taliban took over. But the airlift that began Aug. 14 has been heavily criticized by many as initially unorganized and chaotic.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629817206585.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Biden said that 5,500 Americans eventually got out, and that “arrangements” will be made to get the remaining Americans out if they so choose.

🎥  Pres. Biden defends departure from 'forever war,' praises airlift

The
 Federal Trade Commission is sending 4,505 checks to people who lost 
money in a financing scheme that targeted customers shopping for 
computers and related electronic devices.

In 2008, the FTC alleged that BlueHippo Funding, LLC and affiliate BlueHippo Capital, LLC promised
 to finance new computers, collected money from customers, and then 
failed to provide them with computers. The Commission also alleged that 
the two companies failed to disclose key terms of BlueHippo’s refund 
policy to customers prior to their making payments.

<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase"></a>After
 agreeing to a settlement with the FTC, BlueHippo continued to engage in
 deceptive practices. In 2009, the FTC sued the companies again, as well
 as CEO and sole owner Joseph Rensin, charging them with contempt for 
violating the 2008 order. The FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/02/ftc-wins-key-ruling-allowing-agency-continue-efforts-hold">won a lengthy court battle</a>, and is now using the money it recovered from Rensin to provide more than $103,000 in refunds to consumers.

People who receive checks should deposit or cash them within 90 days,
 as indicated on the check. Recipients who have questions about their 
checks can call the refund administrator Analytics, Inc., at 
1-855-558-1233. The FTC never requires people to pay money or provide 
account information to cash a refund check.

The FTC’s <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase">interactive dashboards for refund data(link is external)</a>
 provide a state-by-state breakdown of FTC refunds. In 2020, FTC actions
 led to more than $483 million in refunds to consumers across the 
country, but recently the United States Supreme Court ruled the FTC 
lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief in federal 
court going forward. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a> to restore the FTC’s ability to get money back for consumers.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">protect and educate consumers</a>. You can <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/">learn more about consumer topics</a> and file a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/complaint">consumer complaint online</a> or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).&nbsp;For the latest news and resources, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a> and read our <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619632629588.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>FTCThe
 Federal Trade Commission is sending 4,505 checks to people who lost 
money in a financing scheme that targeted customers shopping for 
computers and related electronic devices.In 2008, the FTC alleged that BlueHippo Funding, LLC and affiliate BlueHippo Capital, LLC promised
 to finance new computers, collected money from customers, and then 
failed to provide them with computers. The Commission also alleged that 
the two companies failed to disclose key terms of BlueHippo’s refund 
policy to customers prior to their making payments.<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase"></a>After
 agreeing to a settlement with the FTC, BlueHippo continued to engage in
 deceptive practices. In 2009, the FTC sued the companies again, as well
 as CEO and sole owner Joseph Rensin, charging them with contempt for 
violating the 2008 order. The FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/02/ftc-wins-key-ruling-allowing-agency-continue-efforts-hold">won a lengthy court battle</a>, and is now using the money it recovered from Rensin to provide more than $103,000 in refunds to consumers.People who receive checks should deposit or cash them within 90 days,
 as indicated on the check. Recipients who have questions about their 
checks can call the refund administrator Analytics, Inc., at 
1-855-558-1233. The FTC never requires people to pay money or provide 
account information to cash a refund check.The FTC’s <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/Refunds_15797958402020/RefundsbyCase">interactive dashboards for refund data(link is external)</a>
 provide a state-by-state breakdown of FTC refunds. In 2020, FTC actions
 led to more than $483 million in refunds to consumers across the 
country, but recently the United States Supreme Court ruled the FTC 
lacks authority under Section 13(b) to seek monetary relief in federal 
court going forward. The <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/04/ftc-asks-congress-pass-legislation-reviving-agencys-authority">Commission has urged Congress</a> to restore the FTC’s ability to get money back for consumers.The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection">protect and educate consumers</a>. You can <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/">learn more about consumer topics</a> and file a <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/complaint">consumer complaint online</a> or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357).&nbsp;For the latest news and resources, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/social-media">follow the FTC on social media</a>, <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/stay-connected">subscribe to press releases</a> and read our <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs">blogs</a>.

Refund checks heading to those who lost money in computer shopping scheme

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal stabbing, have made an arrest and located the alleged murder weapon.

Just after 9:30p.m. Monday, deputies were dispatched to a stabbing in the 5600 block of south 143rd Street East in Wichita, according to Lt. Benjamin Blick.

 When deputies arrived, they located a 48-year-old as Kelly Joe Ralph in the driveway with multiple stab wounds. EMS transported&nbsp; him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

During the investigation, deputies learned there was a physical disturbance between Ralph and and his 32-year-old nephew Douglass R. McGathy over a gun sale, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter. They both lived at the home.

Deputies arrested McGathy and booked him on requested charges of Murder in the second degree.&nbsp; 

On Tuesday, investigators returned to the crime scene and&nbsp; located the knife used in the murder. It was thrown on the roof of the home, according to Sheriff Jeff Easter.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630426752484.png" alt="McGathy-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>McGathy-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal stabbing, have made an arrest and located the alleged murder weapon.Just after 9:30p.m. Monday, deputies were dispatched to a stabbing in the 5600 block of south 143rd Street East in Wichita, according to Lt. Benjamin Blick. When deputies arrived, they located a 48-year-old as Kelly Joe Ralph in the driveway with multiple stab wounds. EMS transported&nbsp; him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.During the investigation, deputies learned there was a physical disturbance between Ralph and and his 32-year-old nephew Douglass R. McGathy over a gun sale, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter. They both lived at the home.Deputies arrested McGathy and booked him on requested charges of Murder in the second degree.&nbsp; On Tuesday, investigators returned to the crime scene and&nbsp; located the knife used in the murder. It was thrown on the roof of the home, according to Sheriff Jeff Easter.

Sheriff: Deputies find murder weapon on roof of Kan. home

KANSAS CITY —The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to halt the October execution of a man convicted of a triple killing who claimed his intellectual disability made him ineligible for the death penalty.

Ernest Lee Johnson, 61, is scheduled to die by injection Oct. 5 at the state prison in Bonne Terre. It would be the first execution in Missouri since convicted killer Walter Barton was put to death in May 2020.

Johnson's attorney, Kansas City public defender Jeremy Weis, said he is still weighing options about what to do next. Weis said Johnson “meets all statutory and clinical definitions” of intellectual disability and has an IQ that in various tests has ranged from 67 to 77. The Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits executing intellectually disabled people.

Johnson was convicted of killing 46-year-old Mary Bratcher, 57-year-old Mable Scruggs and 58-year-old Fred Jones during a closing-time robbery of a Casey’s General Store in Columbia in February 1994. Johnson wanted money to buy drugs, authorities said.

All three workers were beaten to death with a claw hammer. Bratcher also was stabbed at least 10 times with a screwdriver and Jones was shot in the face. The bodies were hid in a cooler.

Johnson was arrested after police found a bank bag, stolen money and store receipts at his home.

Johnson had previously asked that his execution be carried out by firing squad. His lawyers argued that Missouri's lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, could trigger seizures. In 2008 Johnson had most, but not all, of a benign brain tumor removed, and a later MRI revealed that up to 20% of his brain tissue was also removed.

But Missouri law does not authorize execution by firing squad and the U.S. Supreme Court in May refused to consider Johnson's appeal. The Missouri Supreme Court, in its decision on Tuesday, also declined to halt the execution based on concerns about the drug.

Johnson has been sentenced to death three times.

He was already on death row in 2001 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing the mentally ill was unconstitutionally cruel and a new sentencing hearing was ordered. Johnson was again sentenced to death in 2003. The Missouri Supreme Court tossed that sentence, too. In 2006, Johnson was sentenced to death again.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630442442895.png" alt="Johnson photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Johnson photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to halt the October execution of a man convicted of a triple killing who claimed his intellectual disability made him ineligible for the death penalty.Ernest Lee Johnson, 61, is scheduled to die by injection Oct. 5 at the state prison in Bonne Terre. It would be the first execution in Missouri since convicted killer Walter Barton was put to death in May 2020.Johnson's attorney, Kansas City public defender Jeremy Weis, said he is still weighing options about what to do next. Weis said Johnson “meets all statutory and clinical definitions” of intellectual disability and has an IQ that in various tests has ranged from 67 to 77. The Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits executing intellectually disabled people.Johnson was convicted of killing 46-year-old Mary Bratcher, 57-year-old Mable Scruggs and 58-year-old Fred Jones during a closing-time robbery of a Casey’s General Store in Columbia in February 1994. Johnson wanted money to buy drugs, authorities said.All three workers were beaten to death with a claw hammer. Bratcher also was stabbed at least 10 times with a screwdriver and Jones was shot in the face. The bodies were hid in a cooler.Johnson was arrested after police found a bank bag, stolen money and store receipts at his home.Johnson had previously asked that his execution be carried out by firing squad. His lawyers argued that Missouri's lethal injection drug, pentobarbital, could trigger seizures. In 2008 Johnson had most, but not all, of a benign brain tumor removed, and a later MRI revealed that up to 20% of his brain tissue was also removed.But Missouri law does not authorize execution by firing squad and the U.S. Supreme Court in May refused to consider Johnson's appeal. The Missouri Supreme Court, in its decision on Tuesday, also declined to halt the execution based on concerns about the drug.Johnson has been sentenced to death three times.He was already on death row in 2001 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing the mentally ill was unconstitutionally cruel and a new sentencing hearing was ordered. Johnson was again sentenced to death in 2003. The Missouri Supreme Court tossed that sentence, too. In 2006, Johnson was sentenced to death again.

Court declines to halt triple-killer's execution

WICHITA — A man was sentenced to life in prison Monday for having sexual relations with an underage Wichita girl. 

District Judge Kevin O’Connor sentenced Breyon Mukes, 27 of Wichita, to life on one count of attempted aggravated criminal sodomy and nine months for criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.

The sentences will run concurrently. Mukes will be eligible for parole after 25 years.

The crimes occurred in September 2014 in Wichita. A jury found Mukes guilty in 2016, but the convictions were overturned on appeal by the Kansas Court of Appeals in 2019.

A new trial was ordered and in February of this year, Mukes was found guilty of the attempt sodomy charge. At the sentencing hearing last Friday, Judge O’Connor ruled Mukes will have to finish his sentence for attempted aggravated robbery in an unrelated 2012 case before he can begin to serve his life sentence in this matter. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630353771742.png" alt="Mukes photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Mukes photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA — A man was sentenced to life in prison Monday for having sexual relations with an underage Wichita girl. District Judge Kevin O’Connor sentenced Breyon Mukes, 27 of Wichita, to life on one count of attempted aggravated criminal sodomy and nine months for criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney.The sentences will run concurrently. Mukes will be eligible for parole after 25 years.The crimes occurred in September 2014 in Wichita. A jury found Mukes guilty in 2016, but the convictions were overturned on appeal by the Kansas Court of Appeals in 2019.A new trial was ordered and in February of this year, Mukes was found guilty of the attempt sodomy charge. At the sentencing hearing last Friday, Judge O’Connor ruled Mukes will have to finish his sentence for attempted aggravated robbery in an unrelated 2012 case before he can begin to serve his life sentence in this matter.

Kansas man gets life in prison for child sex crime

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-08-30/landing-in-the-hospital-with-covid-19-is-getting-more-expensive-heres-why">Kansas News Service</a>

For many Kansans, landing in the hospital with COVID-19 could easily 
cost thousands more dollars now than earlier in the pandemic.

It’s the latest, financial reason that experts encourage people to get vaccinated.

The vast majority of people hospitalized with the coronavirus today never got their shots against the disease. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7032e3.htm" target="_blank">Getting the coronavirus vaccine gives you excellent odds</a> of staying out of the hospital.

Early
 in the pandemic, most major insurance companies and many employers 
promised to waive cost-sharing (coinsurance, copays, deductibles) if you
 caught COVID-19 and needed medical care.

“Insurers
 were voluntarily waiving deductibles and copays,” said Krutika Amin, a 
researcher at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “The environment has shifted
 with the safe and highly effective vaccines that are now widely 
available.”

In recent months, <a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/most-private-insurers-are-no-longer-waiving-cost-sharing-for-covid-19-treatment/" target="_blank">most health plans nationwide</a>
 appear to have dropped those promises. Others plan to make the same 
move in coming weeks or months. That includes Kansas’ two largest 
insurers, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas and Blue KC.

If you 
come down with a nasty case of COVID-19 and end up in the hospital, the 
key money things you need to worry about are your health plan’s network,
 its cost-sharing rules and the risk of surprise bills.

Here’s the lowdown for Kansans who have health insurance, including 
cost-sharing rules for major insurers and health plans in Kansas.

(Side note: If you don’t have insurance, you’re in an even more precarious situation. <a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/unvaccinated-covid-patients-cost-the-u-s-health-system-billions-of-dollars/" target="_blank">A typical COVID-19 hospital stay</a> can easily add up to $20,000 at prices negotiated by insurers. The uninsured risk getting charged even higher amounts.)

You may not be able to stay in-network.

Many Kansas hospitals are so busy right now that they <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-08-17/short-staffed-fatigued-and-filling-up-kansas-hospitals-struggle-again-with-covid-surge" target="_blank">can’t take on more patients</a>. Some have even had to divert ambulances to other hospitals. And some are <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-08-18/a-kansas-doctor-tells-the-story-of-sending-her-critically-ill-covid-patient-570-miles-away" target="_blank">sending critically ill patients in air ambulances</a> to beds in other states hours away from home.

All of this means that you can’t count on getting admitted to a hospital within your insurance network if you wind up needing intensive care.

Those
 air ambulances — with their eye-popping bills — could also easily fall 
outside your network. Last year we wrote about one COVID-19 patient’s <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-21/what-it-took-for-this-coronavirus-patients-80-000-air-ambulance-charge-to-go-away" target="_blank">$80,000 bill for an air ambulance</a> from southeast Kansas to Kansas City.

So
 what happens if you end up in an out-of-network ICU? Experts say you 
may end up paying out-of-network rates for that care, or need to spend 
long hours filing paperwork and talking to your insurance carrier, 
making your case that the bills should count as in-network because you 
had no control over which hospital had a bed available.

“The 
patient — or, in many cases, it’s going to be a family member — needs to
 talk to the insurance company right away,” said Jack Hoadley, a health 
policy researcher and professor emeritus at Georgetown University. “Ask 
the insurance company: ‘Will you treat me as in-network?’”

If all else fails and your health plan falls under state regulations, you can also contact the <a href="https://insurance.kansas.gov/complaint/" target="_blank">Kansas Insurance Department</a> through its online complaint form to see if the agency can help. But many employer plans <a href="https://khn.org/news/for-millions-of-insured-americans-state-health-laws-dont-apply/" target="_blank">do not fall under state rules</a>.

Cost-sharing waivers for COVID-19 hospital bills are disappearing.

The Kaiser Family Foundation found most of the biggest insurers in each state have dropped their cost-sharing waivers.

Below
 are several major insurers active in Kansas, but keep in mind that the 
rules may be different if you get your coverage through your employer.

For
 Aetna, United HealthCare and Cigna, regular cost-sharing applies to 
COVID-19 hospital bills. Oscar returns to regular cost-sharing on Aug. 
31. Medica does at the end of September.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of
 Kansas will keep waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment until the 
end of the public health emergency or the end of this year — whichever 
comes first. And Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City will waive 
cost-sharing for inpatient COVID-19 care at least until the end of the 
year.

If you have KanCare (Medicaid), your COVID-19 treatment will
 not involve cost-sharing. If you have Medicare, the amount you pay out 
of pocket will depend on <a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/faqs-on-medicare-coverage-and-costs-related-to-covid-19-testing-and-treatment/" target="_blank">the details of your coverage</a>.

Watch out for surprise billing, even though Congress tried to rein it in.

Normally,
 you can get billed directly by an out-of-network hospital or even by 
out-of-network doctors at an in-network hospital. These “surprise bills”
 happen when the hospital or doctor feels your insurance didn’t pay 
enough, and so they demand you pay the balance.

Congress tied 
strings to its COVID-19 stimulus funds last year to stop that, but those
 rules don’t apply to all health care providers. Moreover, Hoadley says 
it’s unclear how well the law is being enforced or followed.

Next year, things will get better. Congress <a href="https://www.kff.org/private-insurance/fact-sheet/surprise-medical-bills-new-protections-for-consumers-take-effect-in-2022/" target="_blank">banned most kinds of surprise billing</a> — ground ambulances not included — for health plans that start on Jan. 1, 2022 or later.

COVID-19 vaccines are free. Many coronavirus tests are, too.

The shots that can help you avoid those hospital bills in the first place are free, whether you have insurance or not.

You can also get a <a href="https://www.gogettested.com/kansas#booking-widget" target="_blank">free COVID-19 test</a> by picking a site through Kansas’ online list of participating locations. No insurance or ID needed.

If
 you opt instead to go somewhere else and use your insurance, 
cost-sharing rules will depend on whether the test was medically 
necessary.

Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health for 
the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or 
email her at celia@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630430968292.png" alt="Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-08-30/landing-in-the-hospital-with-covid-19-is-getting-more-expensive-heres-why">Kansas News Service</a>For many Kansans, landing in the hospital with COVID-19 could easily 
cost thousands more dollars now than earlier in the pandemic.It’s the latest, financial reason that experts encourage people to get vaccinated.The vast majority of people hospitalized with the coronavirus today never got their shots against the disease. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7032e3.htm" target="_blank">Getting the coronavirus vaccine gives you excellent odds</a> of staying out of the hospital.Early
 in the pandemic, most major insurance companies and many employers 
promised to waive cost-sharing (coinsurance, copays, deductibles) if you
 caught COVID-19 and needed medical care.That’s changing.“Insurers
 were voluntarily waiving deductibles and copays,” said Krutika Amin, a 
researcher at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “The environment has shifted
 with the safe and highly effective vaccines that are now widely 
available.”In recent months, <a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/most-private-insurers-are-no-longer-waiving-cost-sharing-for-covid-19-treatment/" target="_blank">most health plans nationwide</a>
 appear to have dropped those promises. Others plan to make the same 
move in coming weeks or months. That includes Kansas’ two largest 
insurers, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas and Blue KC.If you 
come down with a nasty case of COVID-19 and end up in the hospital, the 
key money things you need to worry about are your health plan’s network,
 its cost-sharing rules and the risk of surprise bills.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601308401778.png" alt="This story is part of the series, Bills of Health. Do you have a medical bill from Kansas that you want to share with a reporter? Email celia@kcur.org." />
 <figcaption>This story is part of the series, Bills of Health. Do you have a medical bill from Kansas that you want to share with a reporter? Email celia@kcur.org.</figcaption>
 </figure>Here’s the lowdown for Kansans who have health insurance, including 
cost-sharing rules for major insurers and health plans in Kansas.(Side note: If you don’t have insurance, you’re in an even more precarious situation. <a href="https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/unvaccinated-covid-patients-cost-the-u-s-health-system-billions-of-dollars/" target="_blank">A typical COVID-19 hospital stay</a> can easily add up to $20,000 at prices negotiated by insurers. The uninsured risk getting charged even higher amounts.)You may not be able to stay in-network.Many Kansas hospitals are so busy right now that they <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-08-17/short-staffed-fatigued-and-filling-up-kansas-hospitals-struggle-again-with-covid-surge" target="_blank">can’t take on more patients</a>. Some have even had to divert ambulances to other hospitals. And some are <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-08-18/a-kansas-doctor-tells-the-story-of-sending-her-critically-ill-covid-patient-570-miles-away" target="_blank">sending critically ill patients in air ambulances</a> to beds in other states hours away from home.All of this means that you can’t count on getting admitted to a hospital within your insurance network if you wind up needing intensive care.Those
 air ambulances — with their eye-popping bills — could also easily fall 
outside your network. Last year we wrote about one COVID-19 patient’s <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-07-21/what-it-took-for-this-coronavirus-patients-80-000-air-ambulance-charge-to-go-away" target="_blank">$80,000 bill for an air ambulance</a> from southeast Kansas to Kansas City.So
 what happens if you end up in an out-of-network ICU? Experts say you 
may end up paying out-of-network rates for that care, or need to spend 
long hours filing paperwork and talking to your insurance carrier, 
making your case that the bills should count as in-network because you 
had no control over which hospital had a bed available.“The 
patient — or, in many cases, it’s going to be a family member — needs to
 talk to the insurance company right away,” said Jack Hoadley, a health 
policy researcher and professor emeritus at Georgetown University. “Ask 
the insurance company: ‘Will you treat me as in-network?’”If all else fails and your health plan falls under state regulations, you can also contact the <a href="https://insurance.kansas.gov/complaint/" target="_blank">Kansas Insurance Department</a> through its online complaint form to see if the agency can help. But many employer plans <a href="https://khn.org/news/for-millions-of-insured-americans-state-health-laws-dont-apply/" target="_blank">do not fall under state rules</a>.Cost-sharing waivers for COVID-19 hospital bills are disappearing.The Kaiser Family Foundation found most of the biggest insurers in each state have dropped their cost-sharing waivers.Below
 are several major insurers active in Kansas, but keep in mind that the 
rules may be different if you get your coverage through your employer.For
 Aetna, United HealthCare and Cigna, regular cost-sharing applies to 
COVID-19 hospital bills. Oscar returns to regular cost-sharing on Aug. 
31. Medica does at the end of September.Blue Cross Blue Shield of
 Kansas will keep waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment until the 
end of the public health emergency or the end of this year — whichever 
comes first. And Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City will waive 
cost-sharing for inpatient COVID-19 care at least until the end of the 
year.If you have KanCare (Medicaid), your COVID-19 treatment will
 not involve cost-sharing. If you have Medicare, the amount you pay out 
of pocket will depend on <a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/faqs-on-medicare-coverage-and-costs-related-to-covid-19-testing-and-treatment/" target="_blank">the details of your coverage</a>.Watch out for surprise billing, even though Congress tried to rein it in.Normally,
 you can get billed directly by an out-of-network hospital or even by 
out-of-network doctors at an in-network hospital. These “surprise bills”
 happen when the hospital or doctor feels your insurance didn’t pay 
enough, and so they demand you pay the balance.Congress tied 
strings to its COVID-19 stimulus funds last year to stop that, but those
 rules don’t apply to all health care providers. Moreover, Hoadley says 
it’s unclear how well the law is being enforced or followed.Next year, things will get better. Congress <a href="https://www.kff.org/private-insurance/fact-sheet/surprise-medical-bills-new-protections-for-consumers-take-effect-in-2022/" target="_blank">banned most kinds of surprise billing</a> — ground ambulances not included — for health plans that start on Jan. 1, 2022 or later.COVID-19 vaccines are free. Many coronavirus tests are, too.The shots that can help you avoid those hospital bills in the first place are free, whether you have insurance or not.You can also get a <a href="https://www.gogettested.com/kansas#booking-widget" target="_blank">free COVID-19 test</a> by picking a site through Kansas’ online list of participating locations. No insurance or ID needed.If
 you opt instead to go somewhere else and use your insurance, 
cost-sharing rules will depend on whether the test was medically 
necessary.Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health for 
the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @celia_LJ or 
email her at celia@kcur.org.

Landing in the hospital with COVID getting costlier. Here's why.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The suspect in the death of a Missouri woman and her daughter last week appears to be trying to disappear and limit the ability to track him, Boone County authorities said.

JT McLean, 45, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Allison Abitz, 43, and her 11-year-old daughter, Jozee. Their bodies were found Aug. 22 at their home south of Columbia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629988465629.png" alt="McLean -photo Boone Co." />
 <figcaption>McLean -photo Boone Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The suspect in the death of a Missouri woman and her daughter last week appears to be trying to disappear and limit the ability to track him, Boone County authorities said.JT McLean, 45, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Allison Abitz, 43, and her 11-year-old daughter, Jozee. Their bodies were found Aug. 22 at their home south of Columbia.Evidence indicated Allison Abitz, who was an elementary school teacher in Fulton, was strangled and her daughter was drowned in a bathtub, Boone County authorities said Monday.McLean was Abitz's longtime boyfriend, according to a probable cause statement. The couple was seen together on the night of Aug. 21 and McLean's vehicle was captured on video leaving the home the next day.It is unclear how McLean is traveling because all vehicles registered to him have been found, Boone County authorities said. Two phones were found burning at a home were he was known to stay, according to the probable cause statement.----------BOONE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a woman and her 11-year-old daughter and searching for a central Missouri man who is charged in the deaths.Just before 11p.m. August 22, a concerned citizen contacted Boone County officials reporting they had been unable to contact Allison Abitz and her daughter Jozee Abitz, who lived&nbsp; in the 7500 block of Lavender Drive south of Columbia, according to a media release.Deputies responded to the residence and once inside located Allison, age 43, and her daughter Jozee, age 11, deceased. Investigators soon learned that 45-year-old JT McLean was Allison's long-term boyfriend and the investigation revealed he was the last person known to be in contact with them at the residence.During the investigation, probable cause was developed to believe that McLean murdered Allison and Jozee. Currently, the motive for the murder of these victims is unknown.On Wednesday the Boone County Prosecuting Attorney charged McLean with two counts of Murder in the 1st Degree. A warrant for the arrest of McLean was then issued in the 13th Judicial Circuit Boone County, Missouri. McLean’s bond for these charges was set at $1,000,000.00 cash only. JT McLean previously changed his name and has been known to go by the names of John McLean, Steven Nagy, and Steven McLean. He is described as a white male with a fair complexion, is approximately 5-foot 9 and weighs approximately 210 pounds with&nbsp; green eyes and brown hair. McLean was last known to have grown his hair out; however, he has been known to shave his head bald in the past.He was last known to reside on County Road 355, Fulton, Missouri. McLean, who is an over the road truck driver by trade, has ties to Las Vegas, Nevada; Chicago, Illinois; St. Peter, Minnesota; Columbia, Missouri and Fulton, MissouriAnyone with information regarding the whereabouts of McLean or this investigation is asked to contact the Boone County Sheriff’s Office or call 911