The ShowMe Times is offering a new series of informational articles from A-Z on many topics including Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly, Human Trafficking, Health and Wellness and many more topics. We need to stay educated and keep learning as we grow in life. Knowledge is the key to success!
What exactly is the Environmental Protection and the Attorney General's Office?
The Governmental Affairs Section aggressively protects Missouri’s natural resources. Attorneys take legal action to stop pollution of the state’s air, water and soil through injunctions, fines, penalties and in the most serious cases, incarceration.
Attorneys represent the Department of Natural Resources and its constituent boards and commissions that regulate the use of the state’s air, land and waters. The section is responsible for over 400 active enforcement cases, including administrative appeals before the DNR’s commissions.
Enforcement litigation is filed primarily in state courts to seek preliminary and permanent injunctions to ensure compliance with Missouri’s environmental laws.
The section obtains civil penalties for the state and recovers costs and damages for the DNR. Since 2008, the division has obtained over $6 million in civil penalty judgments.
What Does the Governmental Affairs Section Do?
The Governmental Affairs Section’s mission and objectives are to:
- defend Missouri’s Constitution, statutes, and state agencies, through representing the State of Missouri in a wide variety of legal proceedings;
- protect Missouri’s public safety, vulnerable populations, and natural resources, through initiating enforcement actions against licensed professionals, registered entities, and others that violate their legal obligations and do harm to Missourians; and
- promote local governmental transparency through enforcing Missouri’s Sunshine Law and providing public education and training.
Attorneys in the Section serve as litigation counsel to the State of Missouri and its state agencies, boards, and commissions, as well as provide outside general counsel and advisory services to many of those same bodies. The Section has over 50 state executive, legislative, and judicial clients. Attorneys practice in both state and federal trial and appellate courts, as well as in state administrative tribunals.
The Section’s attorneys are able to engage with a wide variety of matters as appropriate to their skills and experiences. This includes almost any type of legal claim that does not contain a request for monetary damages against the State. The Section’s most common legal areas include constitutional law; statutory interpretation; administrative law; professional licensure discipline against those who do not adhere to state laws and disciplinary rules, including police officers, educators, and real estate agents; election law, campaign finance, and ballot initiatives; Sunshine Law enforcement and education; environmental and natural resources law; government contracts; criminal records expungements; social services and mental health work, including guardianships, abuse and neglect issues, and eligibility for services; and animal welfare and cruelty issues to shut down facilities providing substandard or inhumane conditions.
The ShowMe Times is offering a new series of informational articles from A-Z on many topics including Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly, Human Trafficking, Health and Wellness and many more topics. Stay tuned and see what's next!
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has two principal objectives. Its primary mission is to investigate allegations of fraud committed by Medicaid providers.
Additionally, the Unit investigates and prosecutes allegations of abuse or neglect in Medicaid funded facilities. The Unit does not investigate allegations of fraud committed by Medicaid participants and it does not investigate fraud perpetrated against the Medicare program.
Possible Signs of Abuse and Neglect
Victims
Unexplained burns, welts, bruises or cuts, especially on non-ambulatory patients Fractures, dislocations, sprains
Weight loss; symptoms of malnutrition Dehydration
Bedsores (decubitus ulcers)
Untreated medical conditions or lack of necessary medication
Lack of basic hygiene
Lack of necessary dentures, glasses, hearing aids, etc.
Fearfulness or mistrust of caretakers
Facilities
Unnecessary use of restraints
Lack of supervision / insufficient staff Isolation; no participation in activities Strong odors of urine or feces
Financial Abuse
Sudden change in financial status Unusual bank account activity Frequent checks written for cash or to a caregiver/stranger
Unpaid bills
If the victim is in the care, custody, or control of the alleged perpetrator, call 911. Once local law enforcement has been notified, please contact the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Call toll free at (800) 286-3932
Email: attorney.general@ago.mo.gov
Write to us at:
Missouri Attorney General’s Office
Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
P.O. Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102
You may also contact the Department of Health and Senior Services Elder Abuse & Neglect Hotline toll free at (800) 392-0210 to report suspected abuse of the elderly or disabled adults.
What’s new in Medicare for 2025
Things, they are a changing in Medicare, especially the prescription drug programs. Every year there are some changes to particular plans but 2025 will have big changes for Medicare Part D.
Open Enrollment for Medicare Part C and Part D plans is every year from October 15 through December 7 so now is the time to look at your current plan and see what will be best for the coming year. Medicare Part D plans send out an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) in September to give you a heads up about what is changing with your plan. You should look over that form and take into consideration what will change with your current plan. Plans can change the monthly premium amount, one plan will be increasing from $9.90 each month to $44.90, that is a huge difference and you don’t want that surprise in January when you can’t make a change. The deductible maximum is also going up to $590, some plans will have a lower one and some have no deductible. The most important yearly change is plans can change their formulary, which is what medicines are covers under a plan and what the co-pay amount is. You do not want to go fill a prescription in the New Year and find out it is not covered.
Some big changes for Medicare Part D is there will be an out of pocket spending cap on medicine for all Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage Plans. This cap is $2,000 for 2025 and includes the amounts paid for the deductible, copayments and coinsurance on all covered medicines. It does not include the monthly premiums or anything paid for non-covered Part D drugs. This cap will eliminate the donut hole in its entirety.
In addition, in 2025, there will be a Prescription Payment Plan; this will allow Medicare Beneficiaries to spread out the cost of their prescriptions over the entire year. This could be beneficial for those with high drug costs; it allows you a set amount each month instead of the highs and lows when paying of the deductible. There will not be any additional fees or interest charged for this and it is open to all beneficiaries, no income guidelines. You will need to contact your prescription drug company to enroll. It is best to contact them earlier in the year so the amount can be spread out over a longer period. The payments are made directly to the plan, not the pharmacy and you will still need to pay the monthly premium for the plan.
Medicare.gov is the website to help determine what drug plan will be best for next year. At Aging Matters, we also look at which drug plan will best suit the beneficiaries’ needs for next year. Prescription information such as name of medicine, dosage and frequency are entered along with preferred pharmacy and zip code. The available plans are sorted by least expensive coverage. The costs for each medicine, the premium amount and the deductible are easy to see. You can also compare the Advantage Plans and see the different benefits they offer. This will allow you to make an educated choice about what coverage you want for next year.
When reviewing Medicare coverage for 2025 it is also a great time to check if there are any Extra Help programs you might qualify for. Those who meet the income and asset guidelines could get help to pay the Medicare Part D premium and help with co-pays for medicine.
Aging Matters will have Open Enrollment events at senior centers, libraries and other locations throughout our service area to assist Medicare Beneficiaries, let us know if you need assistance. To make an appointment for Medicare Part D or for more information call Aging Matters at 1-800-392-8771, because Aging Matters.
The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center will host a VetFest event October 5 at its main Poplar Bluff campus, located at 1500 N. Westwood Blvd.
The VetFest will kick off at 10:00 a.m. and conclude at 2:00 p.m. Music, games and fun for all ages are planned, and all Veterans, their families and survivors, and caregivers are invited to attend. Food will be available for purchase on site; however, there is no cost for the event.
“We hope area Veterans and their families will join us for this great event,” said Interim Medical Center Director, James Warren. “We have a big day planned, and we hope to provide Veterans with all the information they need to navigate the VA health care system.”
Informational outreach booths covering a variety of VA programs and services like Home Telehealth, Caregiver Support, the Volunteer Transportation Network, Enrollment and Eligibility, My HealtheVet, the Women Veterans Program and others will be available, and representatives from local Veteran Service Organizations will be on hand. Additionally, staff from VA’s Fisher House will be on site to discuss the important role that program plays for traveling Veterans and their families.
Veterans with questions about VA health care and services will be able to talk with subject-matter experts and get the answers they need, plus, if they are eligible, they will be able to register for care on site.
Veterans also will have the opportunity to get their blood pressure checked and get updated flu vaccinations. VA nurses also will provide information about FIT tests, which are used as a first-step screening for colorectal cancer.
Visitors are encouraged to check out the classic car show, talent show and other displays, and their children can take part in the face painting, craft booths and other fun activities.
“We want Veterans to get the most out of their VA health care, and for those who are not registered, we want to show them what it is all about,” said Warren. “We hope all area Veterans will stop by, have some fun, and see what VA can do for them.”
For more information about this event or the programs and services offered at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, or its outpatient clinics in southeast Missouri and northeast Arkansas, call 573-686-4151 or go online to www.va.gov/poplar-bluff-health-care/
Hispanic entrepreneurship at the forefront of the American business boom
By Mindy Brissey, U.S. Small Business Administration Regional Administrator
Each year from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, Americans celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month as a time to recognize the many contributions, diverse cultures, and extensive histories of the Hispanic communities in the United States. The American dream of small business ownership is embraced by people of all cultures and heritages.
As a Hispanic small business owner myself, I can attest to the challenges faced by small businesses. In my role, I am devoted to ensuring that small business owners and entrepreneurs have the tools they need to succeed. I have come across many entrepreneurs whose journeys reflect my own. The Hispanic community is one of the most entrepreneurial spirited groups in the nation. It lives in the dreams of those who have only just arrived here and in the legacy of families who have been here for centuries.
The Biden-Harris administration and U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman are committed to the success of Hispanic communities. More Hispanic individuals than ever before are seizing the opportunity to create new businesses which improve their cities and neighborhoods. Data showsthatfivemillionHispanic-ownedbusinessescontribute$800billioneachyeartooureconomy. In the past decade, Hispanic entrepreneur growth rates have risen 10 times faster than non-Hispanic business rates.
SBA Administrator Guzman, the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the President’s Cabinet, has made strengthening our Hispanic-owned small businesses a priority. Over the last 44 months we have seen the fastest creation rate of Hispanic-owned businesses in over a decade, which was more than 20 percent faster than pre-pandemic levels. The Biden-Harris administration has also made a goal of increasing by 50 percent the amount of federal contracting dollars going to small, disadvantaged businesses by 2025—which would translate to an additional $100 billion for minority-owned and other underserved businesses.
SBA is committed to empowering Hispanic businesses as they continue to break down barriers and achieve success in business. As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, let us not only recognize the contributions of Hispanic entrepreneurs but also uplift the next generation of business leaders and build a prosperous business landscape for all.
For more information about SBA’s programs and services visit www.sba.gov. To stay up to date on SBA news and upcoming events, follow us on social media.
SBA Great Plains Region X/Twitter: @SBAgreatplains LinkedIn: @SBAgreatplainsregion
Mindy Brissey is the SBA Regional Administrator overseeing the agency’s programs, offices, and operations in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska.
