Monthly premiums for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are expected to drop by an average of $3.87 to an estimated $23 in 2020 — a 14 percent decrease, the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) announced on Tuesday. About one-third of Medicare's 60 million beneficiaries belong to these private insurance plans.

Open enrollment for all Medicare enrollees begins Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 7.

Medicare Advantage, also known as Medicare Part C, is a private insurance alternative to original Medicare. These plans include Medicare Part A, which covers hospital care, hospice, and some nursing home and rehabilitative services, and Part B, which helps pay for doctor visits and other outpatient services, including lab tests, scans and other diagnostic services. Most MA plans also include prescription drug coverage.

The premiums announced Tuesday represent a nationwide average. Actual monthly charges for MA plans will vary depending on what the plan covers and where beneficiaries live. CMS announced this year that premiums for Part D prescription drug coverage were also trending down by about 13.5 percent to a projected $30 a month. CMS has not yet set the premiums for Part B or the deductibles for parts A and B.

https://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-2019/medicare-advantage-premiums-decline.html?

Monthly premiums for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are expected to drop by an average of $3.87 to an estimated $23 in 2020 — a 14 percent decrease, the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) announced on Tuesday. About one-third of Medicare's 60 million beneficiaries belong to these private insurance plans.

Open enrollment for all Medicare enrollees begins Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 7.

Medicare Advantage, also known as Medicare Part C, is a private insurance alternative to original Medicare. These plans include Medicare Part A, which covers hospital care, hospice, and some nursing home and rehabilitative services, and Part B, which helps pay for doctor visits and other outpatient services, including lab tests, scans and other diagnostic services. Most MA plans also include prescription drug coverage.

The premiums announced Tuesday represent a nationwide average. Actual monthly charges for MA plans will vary depending on what the plan covers and where beneficiaries live. CMS announced this year that premiums for Part D prescription drug coverage were also trending down by about 13.5 percent to a projected $30 a month. CMS has not yet set the premiums for Part B or the deductibles for parts A and B.

https://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-2019/medicare-advantage-premiums-decline.html?

A federal judge on Friday blocked a part of Missouri’s newly enacted abortion law banning “Down syndrome abortions” of non-viable fetuses.

Senior U.S. District Judge Howard Sachs had previously blocked the state’s ban of most pre-viability abortions. But he asked for further evidence of the number of women who would be affected by the Down syndrome prohibition.

The Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis, which sued to overturn the law, submitted evidence that the Down syndrome ban would affect a small number of women.

That, Sachs ruled, was sufficient to issue an injunction blocking the ban from taking effect while the state appeals.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/judge-blocks-missouri-enforcing-its-down-syndrome-abortion-ban

A federal judge on Friday blocked a part of Missouri’s newly enacted abortion law banning “Down syndrome abortions” of non-viable fetuses.

Senior U.S. District Judge Howard Sachs had previously blocked the state’s ban of most pre-viability abortions. But he asked for further evidence of the number of women who would be affected by the Down syndrome prohibition.

The Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis, which sued to overturn the law, submitted evidence that the Down syndrome ban would affect a small number of women.

That, Sachs ruled, was sufficient to issue an injunction blocking the ban from taking effect while the state appeals.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/judge-blocks-missouri-enforcing-its-down-syndrome-abortion-ban

East St. Louis has asked the federal government for $2.5 million to repair damage from this spring’s floods, but could wind up getting only a fraction of what it wants.

The city is among two dozen local governments that have applied for $33 million in assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Five months after this spring’s historic flooding, they’re beginning to get an idea of how much they will receive as FEMA teams investigate their requests.

East St. Louis has been temporarily approved by FEMA to receive $209,557 — or about 8% of what it wants — to fix its sewer system the city claims was damaged by flooding on the Mississippi River. It could get more once the process is completed.

The Metro East Sanitary District in Madison County applied for $2.79 million but so far has been approved to receive $1.8 million, or $940,000 less than it requested.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/east-st-louis-asked-25-million-fix-flood-damages-it-may-get-far-less

Several years ago, restaurant industry veteran Michael “Kup” Kupstas was happily enjoying retirement when the appeal of Lion’s Choice prompted a change of plans. He wound up reentering the workforce in 2017 as the regional fast-food chain’s president and CEO.

“It was really the similarity of an experience I had early on [in a previous role] with Panera, to be honest,” Kupstas said on Tuesday’s St. Louis on the Air, explaining what impressed him about Lion’s Choice. “I think what makes certain brands stand out is that they are able to differentiate dramatically in a really crowded field.”

Kupstas told host Sarah Fenske that he was also drawn to the “loyal, fanatic fans” and the employees of Lion’s Choice, which Food & Wine magazine recently deemed Missouri’s best fast food.

“We just gave a team member who’s been slicing roast beef for us for 42 years [her] service award,” Kupstas said.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/lion-s-choice-scores-food-wine-s-top-pick-fast-food-missouri

While fans are excited about the arrival of Major League Soccer in St. Louis, the new stadium could be the beginning of a more vibrant sports-entertainment district in downtown.

The likely site of the MLS expansion team’s venue will be west of Union Station, just down the street from the Enterprise Center, where the Blues play, and Busch Stadium, home of the Cardinals. That will mean a roughly one-mile stretch boasting three professional sports venues, similar to districts in Pittsburgh and Detroit.

St. Louis Public Radio's Wayne Pratt spoke with Washington University Sports Business Program Director Patrick Rishe, who says there a couple of key reasons cities are creating such districts.

Patrick Rishe: Number one, if you put the buildings in the center of the city, you’re gonna hopefully stimulate additional development. A lot of cities in the last 20 years have decided that they want to redevelop their core. I think the second thing, just practically speaking, is that if the facilities are located downtown, you are more central to all of your local suburban areas and therefore people living north, south, east and west of downtown, it’s now equally easy for them to get to ballgames and hockey games and basketball games and so on and so forth.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/pro-soccer-hockey-baseball-all-within-mile-what-it-means-downtown-st-louis

Across the country, people who live in rural areas are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer than city dwellers, according to a new study published in the Journal of Rural Health.

Patients living in counties far from populated cities and suburbs were 1.23 times more likely to be diagnosed with non-curable, stage 4 colon cancer than people living in urban areas, according to the research. That’s despite rural residents having lower rates of developing the disease.

Treatment outcomes are also worse for rural patients, with various studies finding they have an 8% to 15% greater chance of dying from colon cancer.

That comes as no surprise to Dr. Hope Tinker, a primary care physician working in the small central Missouri town of Fayette.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/rural-residents-are-less-likely-develop-colon-cancer-more-likely-die-it#stream/0

Across the country, people who live in rural areas are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer than city dwellers, according to a new study published in the Journal of Rural Health.

Patients living in counties far from populated cities and suburbs were 1.23 times more likely to be diagnosed with non-curable, stage 4 colon cancer than people living in urban areas, according to the research. That’s despite rural residents having lower rates of developing the disease.

Treatment outcomes are also worse for rural patients, with various studies finding they have an 8% to 15% greater chance of dying from colon cancer.

That comes as no surprise to Dr. Hope Tinker, a primary care physician working in the small central Missouri town of Fayette.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/rural-residents-are-less-likely-develop-colon-cancer-more-likely-die-it#stream/0

September National Poll: Warren Surges, Biden Slips, and Sanders Holds, Creating Three Way Dead Heat for the Nomination

The September 2019 Emerson national poll finds former Vice President Joe Biden losing support, now at 25%, down six points from 31% in August. Senator Elizabeth Warren has jumped 8 points, from 15% to 23%, while Senator Bernie Sanders holds his ground only dropping 2 points to 22% from 24%. Entrepreneur Andrew Yang increased his support to 8%, Mayor Pete Buttigieg is at 6%, and Senator Kamala Harris is at 4%. No other candidate polls higher than 2%. (MM, RV, n=462, +/-4.6%, 9/21-23)

https://emersonpolling.reportablenews.com/pr/september-national-poll-warren-surges-biden-slips-and-sanders-holds-creating-three-way-dead-heat-for-the-nomination