WILKES-BARRE — U.S. Senators Bob Casey, D-Scranton, chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging; Tammy Duckworth (D-IL); and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) this week called on the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to extend Medicare coverage to include a device which would help some Americans with disabilities get around more easily and live healthier and more independent lives.
In the bipartisan letter, the Senators urged the agency to cover standing systems embedded in power wheelchairs, which currently are not covered by Medicare. The letter comes after the Senators successfully pushed the agency to provide Medicare coverage for seated elevation systems last year.
The Senators wrote:
“These [standing] systems enable users to achieve a standing position, which can greatly enhance their independence, improve metabolic functions, reduce the risk of secondary complications, such as pressure sores and osteoporosis, and improve their overall physical and mental well-being. The absence of Medicare coverage for these systems leaves many beneficiaries without access to critical technology that can significantly improve their health outcomes and quality of life.”
Currently, Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities are forced to pay out of pocket for standing systems in power wheelchairs—life-changing durable medical equipment that empowers users to independently conduct mobility-related activities of daily living, or outright denied access because they can’t afford such equipment out-of-pocket.
Rep. Meuser co-sponsors legislation to end policies encouraging terrorist acts
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas. this week co-sponsored H.R. 9160 — the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestinian Authority (PA) Terror Payments Accountability Act.
Meuser said this legislation targets “martyr payments,” which are financial rewards given to terrorists and their families after committing bombings, stabbings, or other attacks against innocent Israeli citizens.
Meuser said these “pay-to-slay” policies incentivize acts of terrorism, with the payments often increasing based on the number of people injured or killed in the attack.
In 2018, Meuser said Congress passed the Taylor Force Act, which prohibits economic aid to the Palestinian Authority as long as it continues these “pay-to-slay” practices. The Taylor Force Act was specifically designed to cut off U.S. funding to the Palestinian Authority until it ceases paying stipends through the Palestinian Authority Martyr’s Fund to individuals who commit acts of terrorism and to the families of deceased terrorists.
Meuser said the PLO and PA Terror Payments Accountability Act mandates sanctions on foreign persons and institutions involved in facilitating or supporting terrorist martyr payments. It requires the President to enforce these sanctions within 90 days and includes a sunset clause if the PLO and PA end these payment policies.
“Terrorists being incentivized for their atrocities is unacceptable,” Meuser said. “The vile ‘pay-to-slay’ practice must come to an end. While the Taylor Force Act was a crucial step, we must go further to guarantee that no terrorist or their families profit from these despicable acts. I urge my colleagues to back the PLO and PA Terror Payments Accountability Act — this vital legislation strengthens our alliance with Israel and helps prevent any future rewards being paid to those committing heinous crimes.”
H.R. 9160 was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Judiciary Committee, and Financial Services Committee for further consideration.
State highlights new food program that feeds kids while school is out
State officials this week visited a Harrisburg summer food service location to highlight the SUN Bucks program, a new summer benefit for children that can be used to purchase fresh food and groceries at retailers around Pennsylvania.
Attending the event were Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh, Department of Education Secretary Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, USDA Food and Nutrition Service Policy Advisor, Alberto Gonzalez, Jr. and partners from the City of Harrisburg, Feeding Pennsylvania, and Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.
This federal program provides households with children who already receive free and reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program during the school year with a SNAP-like benefit to purchase food for the summer months when school is not in session.
Because this is the first year of the program, benefits will start to be issued beginning in mid-August for Summer 2024. All 2024 SUN Bucks benefits will be issued by the end of October. Most eligible children will receive the benefit automatically and do not need to apply, but households who need to apply must apply by Aug. 31. Families can use the Sun Bucks Eligibility Navigator to see if they need to complete an application.
“The Shapiro Administration is committed to helping parents have the resources they need to keep their children fed so they can grow and thrive,” Arkoosh said. “The new SUN Bucks program will provide eligible households with critical dollars to help bridge the gap during the summer break and ensure that children have enough to eat. I am grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration and the U.S. Congress for their work to allow states to extend this support to families for summer months, and I urge all Pennsylvania families whose kids get free or reduced-price meals during the school year to use our Eligibility Navigator to see if they are automatically eligible or if they need to get their SUN Bucks application in by Aug. 31.”
Free or reduced-priced meals during the school year provide critical nutrition to students that is an essential foundation for learning and positive child development– that’s why Governor Shapiro fought to secure universal free breakfast for Pennsylvania students in his first two budgets.
During the summer months, these same students and families may be strained by higher food bills when school is closed.
This year, Pennsylvania opted in to the new nationwide Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer program, also known as SUN Bucks or Summer EBT. SUN Bucks will provide a one-time payment for households of $40 per summer month ($120 maximum) per eligible child. An estimated 1.2 million children in Pennsylvania will qualify for this new program, a benefit that is paid for by federal funds.
Most children who will receive SUN Bucks are automatically eligible and do not need to apply. If families already have an EBT card, SUN Bucks benefits will be automatically added to this card, if possible. Families who do not have an EBT card will receive a Summer EBT card in the mail.
Pa. budget invests $13M in tax credits to support farmers improving water, soil quality
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding this week invited Pennsylvania farmers to apply for $13 million in tax credits available to support their efforts to improve soil health and water quality.
Tax credits through Pennsylvania’s innovative conservation financing program, Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP), can be combined with other state funding, including the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program, and Conservation Excellence Grants, as well as federal funding to help pay for farm enhancements that protect the environment and boost farm sustainability.
“Pennsylvania farmers are investing heavily in cleaner water and productive soil to sustain us in the future,” Redding said. “Their investments are paying dividends in the form of healthier waterways and a greener future for Pennsylvania farms and communities.”
Pennsylvania’s State Conservation Commission, a partnership of the PA Departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, is accepting applications for REAP tax credits from agricultural producers who implement best management practices or purchase equipment to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff, enhance soil health and improve water quality across the mid-Atlantic region.
Gov. Shapiro’s 2024-25 budget also includes new investments in agriculture innovation and conservation to keep Pennsylvania a national leader.
Roughly $85 million of the $154 million American Rescue Plan dollars Pennsylvania invested in ACAP are helping more than 1,200 farmers improve conservation on their farms since January 2023. New state investments will continue that momentum and be magnified further by current historic level of state and federal conservation investments.
REAP, which is in its sixth year of increased funding under the PA Farm Bill, awards Farmers up to $250,000 credits in any seven-year period. Spouses filling jointly can also use REAP Tax Credits.
REAP has awarded over $155 million in PA income tax credits to farmers and businesses for more than 8,500 projects on 4,000 farms since the program began in 2007. These projects have kept 6.5 million pounds of nitrogen, 350,000 pounds of phosphorus, and 350,000 tons of sediment out of Pennsylvania streams and rivers and waterways they feed.