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 can I do if I feel an animal is being abused?

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office has authority to enforce certain provisions of the Missouri Animal Care Facilities Act (ACFA) and Canine Cruelty Prevention Act (CCPA).  The Office will enforce the law as written, which includes holding accountable those who continue to violate those state laws and abuse or neglect Missouri’s animals.  The Office may file a lawsuit upon substantiating allegations through complaints or referral by the Missouri Department of Agriculture.  The Office works closely with the Department when taking action against substandard breeders across the state.  The Office has worked to shut down numerous unlawful operations and rescued hundreds of animals from inhumane conditions.

Violations of the ACFA and CCPA may include operating without a license; failing to correct violations from facility inspections; housing animals in small enclosure spaces or spaces without solid resting areas; failing to provide potable food and water; neglecting veterinary care; failing to grant sufficient access to outdoor spaces; and failing to allow state inspectors access to the facility.  For more information about the ACFA and CCPA, please refer to Chapter 273, RSMo by clicking here. You may also contact the Missouri Department of Agriculture here to check on the status of licensed entities and report suspected violations of the law.

You may also submit a complaint to the Attorney General’s Office to report violations.  By completing the form below, you understand and agree to the following:

• The information you are providing in your complaint is truthful and accurate;
• The Attorney General’s Office is not your attorney, cannot provide you with legal advice, cannot represent you directly, and can take action only to enforce the law in the public’s interest;
• You will testify in Court as a witness upon lawful request if the Attorney General’s Office initiates a lawsuit based on the allegations in your complaint; and
• The Attorney General’s Office will maintain a copy of your complaint as a public record, and the information in it may be treated as an open record depending on the circumstances, and it may be provided to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, investigators, or the entity subject to your complaint.
• A complaint form and can be accessed by click HERE:

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.

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/