Latest news with #medicalassistance
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
UK ‘taking forward' Gaza food airdrop plan: PM Starmer's office
British Prime minister Keir Starmer on Saturday spoke to his French and German counterparts and outlined UK plans to get aid to people in Gaza and evacuate sick and injured children, his office said. 'The prime minister set out how the UK will also be taking forward plans to work with partners such as Jordan to airdrop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance,' a statement said.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal bill brings changes, uncertainty to Mower Health and Human Services
Jul. 11—SNAP and medical assistance will be impacted by sweeping changes of One Big Beautiful Bill Act Named by the Trump administration as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," the 2025 budget reconciliation bill is creating concern as effects reverberate down the pipeline for governmental entities like Mower County. On Tuesday morning, during the Mower County Board of Commissioners meeting, Health and Human Services Director Crystal Peterson laid out a stark picture of how the act could cast a shadow over the county in the coming years. In particular, Peterson warned the board of impending impacts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and medical assistance programming that could have significant effects for both the department and those it serves. Adding to the pall being cast by the bill is the amount of unknown currently coming along with the changes. "It's terribly confusing for us as professionals so I can't imagine how confusing it is for the public," Peterson said Wednesday afternoon. While the bill makes wide-ranging changes to a variety of areas, the areas that would impact the county's HHS come primarily to the SNAP benefits and medical assistance programming. In regard to SNAP, which acts as a supplemental food income for families, the bill would affect the reimbursement scale of the department. In the past, the department received around 50% reimbursement federally, however, with the bill's signing by President Donald Trump, that will be cut in half down to 25% representing a significant reduction in revenue. This part will be effective on Oct. 1, 2026. "That's an automatic cost shift to our local levy because there are no other payments for that sort of thing and that's just to administer the SNAP program," Peterson said. "Our piece of the pie is going to get larger." A year down the line, starting on Oct. 1, 2027 (fiscal year 2028 for the federal government), counties will have to start paying for a share of the benefits administered at the county level, which Peterson believes Mower will have to pay around 10%. "Again, a big hit," Peterson said. "We're hovering right around $500,000, $600,000 a month in benefits that we're administering." On the medical assistance side, those participating in the program will have to now register twice a year where in the past it required renewal just once a year, which would create an additional work load for current employees. On top of all of this is a tiered implementation by the federal government with few known details currently, something the State of Minnesota is having to deal with as well. "From a policy procedural standpoint, as far as what the workers can do with these changes, it's all directed to us from the state," said Jennie Crews, financial assistant supervisors for HHS. "At times they are scrambling to figure it out as much as we are. It's kind of last minute and our systems are not updated quite the way we want them to be." What that means for the HHS is that the department will have to begin looking ahead with vision. Even though there is a tiered approach over the next three years, there are still questions HHS and the county in general will have to keep a close eye including any possible impacts this could cause in the coming year. "I think first of all, we need to spend some time just reviewing exactly what we're looking at," Peterson said. "Get a feel for the implementation dates and kind of work backwards. What do we need to look at for next budget year? We're just in the planning for 2026 right now. Are any of these going to impact 2026?" The notion of what the impacts could entail is a sobering reality as it's likely that because of these cuts from the federal bill, it's likely that less people will be served through these two programs. The effects on SNAP in particular are unfortunate in the wake of efforts of programs like the Hometown Food Security Project, which is putting a renewed and group focus on lessening the impact of food insecurity in the county. "Our community really invested in trying to get people all the resources they need for food," Peterson said. "Are we going to be serving less people? Probably. Our fear is we're going to start serving them through other venues like perhaps child protection or adult protection because SNAP was the glue that held the household together. That extra income or extra food allowed that family to be self-sufficient." Another factor is the impact on HHS itself as it seeks not only answers to questions of revenue, but staffing questions as well. Already, the department has put a hold on filling positions where people have left in an effort to make up for any potential lost revenue. The positions themselves, however, are not being eliminated and when they are filled, Peterson said that steps will be taken to ensure that "we've tried every creative solution and we're filling it in the most cost effective way to still meet the needs of the public." What's not being considered is the laying off of staff. "That's not something we're even considering at all," Peterson said. "Again, that's why we're being so mindful of when we have a natural opening holding or not filling it until we're absolutely certain there is no additional solution." Still, there is reason for optimism as Peterson said that HHS is backed by a supportive board and a department with employees that are all in to making any changes work. "That's everything," Peterson said. "We have heard directly from commissioners that there are so many other things we can do besides lay people off. That's the last thing they want to do as well." "We see staff already invested in trying to figure out how to provide services at the lowest cost possible," Peterson added. In the meantime, both Peterson and Crews said that HHS will continue looking ahead as much as possible, adapting and relaying information to the public as soon as it's available to make sure the situation is as clear as possible. "There will definitely be communications coming, probably by mail," Crews said. "The state has taken a proactive approach by texting and emails. There will be a lot of communication."
Times of Oman
10-07-2025
- Times of Oman
Border security boost: ROP apprehends 25 infiltrators, offers humanitarian aid
Muscat: In a series of recent operations, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has apprehended 25 individuals for illegal infiltration, providing medical care to eleven of them who were suffering from exhaustion and dehydration. The Nimr Police Unit, part of the Oil and Gas Installations Security Police, made a significant arrest within an oil facility area. They apprehended an Omani citizen who was transporting 14 Ethiopian infiltrators in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Following this, ROP patrols located an additional 11 infiltrators of the same nationality attempting to cross desert terrain on foot. Some of these individuals were reportedly suffering from exhaustion and dehydration, and they received immediate medical assistance before legal procedures commenced. Separately, the Police Command in Al Dhahirah Governorate successfully apprehended a Yemeni national. He was arrested for illegally entering the country and is also suspected of committing acts of sabotage and theft at two commercial shops in Ibri. He remains in custody as formal legal actions are underway.
Arab News
05-07-2025
- Arab News
Several hurt in Ryanair false fire alarm
MADRID: A false fire alarm aboard a Ryanair jet preparing for takeoff from Spain's Palma de Mallorca airport saw several passengers injured as they left the plane via inflatable ramps, the Irish carrier said Saturday. Friday evening's Manchester-bound flight was suspended owing to a false fire alarm warning indication. 'Passengers were disembarked using the inflatable slides and returned to the terminal,' Ryanair said in a statement, adding that there was no fire on the aircraft. 'While disembarking, a small number of passengers encountered very minor injuries (ankle sprains, etc.) and crew requested immediate medical assistance. 'To minimize disruption to passengers, we quickly arranged a replacement aircraft to operate this flight, which departed Palma at 07:05 this morning.' Local Mallorca media reported 18 injuries, all minor, with six requiring hospitalization and the remainder treated on site. The low-cost airline is popular with British tourists visiting coastal destinations in Spain and southern Europe, including the Balearic island of Mallorca. State-owned Spanish airport managing company Aena confirmed that 'there was an incident on a Ryanair plane last night at Palma de Mallorca Airport. 'There was no fire and the incident did not affect airport operations.'
Al Arabiya
05-07-2025
- Al Arabiya
Several passengers hurt after false fire alarm on Ryanair flight
A false fire alarm aboard a Ryanair jet preparing for takeoff from Spain's Palma de Mallorca airport saw several passengers injured as they left the plane via inflatable ramps, the Irish carrier said Saturday. Friday evening's Manchester-bound flight was suspended owing to a false fire alarm warning indication. 'Passengers were disembarked using the inflatable slides and returned to the terminal,' Ryanair said in a statement, adding that there was no fire on the aircraft. 'While disembarking, a small number of passengers encountered very minor injuries (ankle sprains, etc.) and crew requested immediate medical assistance. 'To minimize disruption to passengers, we quickly arranged a replacement aircraft to operate this flight, which departed Palma at 07:05 this morning.' Local Mallorca media reported 18 injuries, all minor, with six requiring hospitalization and the remainder treated on site. The low-cost airline is popular with British tourists visiting coastal destinations in Spain and southern Europe, including the Balearic island of Mallorca. State-owned Spanish airport managing company Aena confirmed that 'there was an incident on a Ryanair plane last night at Palma de Mallorca Airport. 'There was no fire and the incident did not affect airport operations.'
