Wyoming

State Lawmakers Want to Ban Health Insurance for Trans Care

Published

1 year ago

February 22, 2023

A brand new Tennessee invoice poses an interstate well being care nightmare. If an insurance coverage supplier covers gender-affirming care in one other state—like hormone remedy in New York, or breast discount surgical procedure in Illinois—that supplier might be minimize off from the 1.7 million Tennesseans who use the state’s Medicaid program.

The invoice, HB1215, is only one of a number of current efforts by lawmakers that focus on insurance coverage, when used for gender-affirming care. In Florida, Wyoming, Kentucky, and Arkansas, proposed laws would hit docs, employers, and sufferers, who depend on longstanding insurance coverage packages.

“This try and attempt to restrict medical insurance, notably for suppliers and medical insurance from firms is simply going to [cost] more cash and delay extra issues in courtroom, as a result of we’ve recognized for nicely over a decade that medical insurance has explicitly mentioned gender-affirming care is included in well being care,” Shelby Chestnut, government director of the Transgender Regulation Heart instructed The Every day Beast.

Tennessee’s HB1215 was launched in early February. Underneath the invoice, Tennessee’s Medicaid program, TennCare, will now not contract with well being suppliers that cowl gender-affirming care, even when the therapy takes place out of state.

“We’re additionally seeing numerous payments that will forestall any sorts of public funds like Medicaid or public amenities together with docs and hospitals from having the ability to be used to supply gender affirming care,” Cathryn Oakley, the Kentucky legislative director for the Human Rights Marketing campaign instructed the Related Press shortly after the invoice’s unveiling.

One week earlier than the Tennessee invoice’s introduction, Wyoming’s Senate launched its personal invoice that will block docs from offering minors with gender-affirming care, together with momentary therapies like hormone blockers. If enacted, the invoice would droop or revoke licenses of docs who supplied these therapies. It will additionally prohibit insurance coverage firms from protecting any gender-affirming procedures for minors.

The Tennessee and Wyoming payments come amid a maelstrom of anti-LGBTQ laws. Greater than 300 such payments have been launched in statehouses this 12 months, in response to the Human Rights Marketing campaign; about 150 of these payments would curtail rights for transgender folks.

Medical consultants overwhelmingly suggest gender-affirming look after transgender youth. A 2020 examine of 11,914 transgender and nonbinary folks of their teenagers and early 20s discovered a big drop in melancholy and suicide makes an attempt amongst younger individuals who obtained gender-affirming care, particularly when these folks had been supported by their mother and father.

Nonetheless, lawmakers have used considerations about transgender youth as half of a bigger broadside towards gender-affirming look after folks of all ages.

“I believe it’s a blanket fear-mongering tactic,” Chestnut mentioned. “It’s regarding the lengths lawmakers are going to criminalize not solely younger folks and their mother and father and their well being care suppliers.”

One new invoice, launched in Kentucky on Tuesday, is nominally about blocking younger folks from gender-affirming well being care and psychological well being care. It requires academics to alert mother and father if children use new pronouns but it surely additionally lays the groundwork for a wider assault on insurance coverage for transgender folks within the state.

The invoice would “set up legal responsibility provisions if an insurer elects to cowl gender transition providers” and amend Kentucky legislation “to ban a totally insured profit plan or self-insured plan for public workers from protecting gender transition providers for an individual below the age of 18 years.”

Well being-care suppliers would even be required to report anybody who supplies gender-affirming care to minors, or face legal costs. The invoice is being fast-tracked via the Kentucky legislature, the Louisville Courier Journal reported.

The Kentucky invoice’s language about legal responsibility comes amid an interstate effort to make gender-affirming care dangerous for docs who present it. A brand new Arkansas invoice would enable individuals who obtained gender-affirming care as minors to sue docs for malpractice up till age 48. The invoice would enormously improve docs’ legal responsibility, making it tough for them to acquire their very own insurance coverage, the Related Press reported.

In Florida, in the meantime, lawmakers have penned laws that will make employers answerable for pricey disputes over gender-affirming care. On Monday, Florida’s Senate launched a invoice that will require employers who pay for gender-affirming care to pay for “therapy that reverses gender dysphoria therapy,” if the affected person desires it later, no matter whether or not the affected person continues to be an worker.

“Woke companies have to be held accountable when providing to pay for gender affirming surgical procedures in different states, reminiscent of California, as a result of they’re nothing greater than political selections masquerading as well being care and human useful resource selections,” the invoice’s sponsor, Sen. Blaise Ingoglia introduced in an announcement.

Florida banned state Medicaid protection for gender-affirming care in 2022.

“The healthcare subject, as a complete, is bursting at its seams proper now,” Chestnut mentioned, citing the pressure that COVID-19 positioned on docs. “Add within the elevated discrimination you’re seeing throughout the nation: the criminalization of transgender folks, and oldsters, and medical suppliers—now they’re attempting to come back for insurance coverage.

“It’s simply going to enormously reduce folks’s security in going to the physician.”

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Wyoming

Don Day Wyoming Weather Forecast: Wednesday,… | Cowboy State Daily

Published

4 hours ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

Don Day Wyoming Weather Forecast: Wednesday,… | Cowboy State Daily

Chance of rain in much of Wyoming on Wednesday, otherwise mostly sunny. Severe storms possible in the eastern plains and southeast. Highs generally in the 80s and lows in the 50s or low 60s.

Central:

Casper: Chance of rain mainly after 4 p.m. today and a slight chance tonight before 9 p.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny today with a high near 87 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 65.

Riverton: Mostly sunny today with a high near 87 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 59.

Glenrock: Chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m. today and a slight chance before 9 p.m. tonight. Otherwise, mostly sunny today with a high near 87 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 60.

Southwest:

Evanston: Chance of rain today and a slight chance overnight. Otherwise, partly sunny today with a high near 84 and mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 54.

Green River: Chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m. today and a slight chance overnight. Otherwise, partly sunny today with a high near 83 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 59 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph.

Lyman: Sunny today with a high near 85 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 54.

Western Wyoming:

Pinedale: Chance of rain today and a slight chance overnight. Otherwise, partly sunny today with a high near 84 and mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 57.

Alpine: Chance of rain mainly after 5 p.m. today and tonight mainly before 9 p.m. Otherwise, partly sunny today with a high near 83 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 54.

Big Piney: Slight chance of rain today and overnight. Otherwise, partly sunny today with a high near 80 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 50 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph.

Northwest:

Dubois: Chance of rain mainly after 1 p.m. today and tonight mainly before midnight. Otherwise, partly sunny today with a high near 77 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 54 and wind gusts as high as 20 mph.

Jackson: Slight chance of rain today and overnight. Otherwise, partly sunny today with a high near 82 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 50.

Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park: Chance of rain today and tonight mainly before 9 p.m. Otherwise, partly sunny today with a high near 73 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 46.

Bighorn Basin:

Thermopolis: Mostly sunny today with a high near 87 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 61.

Cody: Slight chance of rain after 1 p.m. today and before midnight tonight. Otherwise, partly sunny today with a high near 85 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 61.

Powell: Slight chance of rain after 3 p.m. today and before 9 p.m. tonight. Otherwise, increasing clouds today with a high near 88 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 61.

North Central:

Buffalo: Mostly sunny and breezy today with a high near 84 and wind gusts as high as 23 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before midnight and a low near 63.

Sheridan: Increasing clouds and hot today with a high near 90 and partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before midnight and a low near 59.

Dayton: Becoming sunny in the afternoon today with a high near 85 and partly cloudy overnight with a slight chance of rain before midnight and a low near 60.

Northeast:

Gillette: Slight chance of rain after 3 p.m. today and before midnight tonight. Otherwise, increasing clouds today with a high near 86 and wind gusts as high as 21 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 60 and wind gusts as high as 24 mph.Sundance: Chance of rain after noon today and overnight. Otherwise, mostly sunny today with a high near 80 and wind gusts as high as 16 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 60 and wind gusts as high as 18 mph.

Upton: Chance of rain after 3 p.m. today and mainly before midnight tonight. Otherwise, mostly sunny today with a high near 85 and wind gusts as high as 23 mph. Partly cloudy overnight with a low near 61 and wind gusts as high as 23 mph.

Eastern Plains:

Torrington: Chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m. today and before midnight tonight. Some storms could be severe. Otherwise, mostly sunny and hot today with a high near 90 and mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 61.

Douglas: Chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m. today and before 9 p.m. tonight. Some storms could be severe. Otherwise, mostly sunny today with a high near 86 and mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 59.

Midwest: Slight chance of rain after 4 p.m. today and before 9 p.m. tonight. Otherwise, mostly sunny today with a high near 86 and partly cloudy overnight with a low near 62.

Southeast:

Cheyenne: Chance of rain after noon today and overnight. Some of the storms could be severe. Otherwise, mostly sunny today with a high near 87 and mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 60.

Laramie: Chance of rain after noon today and a slight chance overnight. Some of the storms could be severe. Otherwise, mostly sunny today with a high near 83 and mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 57.

Medicine Bow: Chance of rain after noon today and tonight before 9 p.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny today with a high near 87 and mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 56.

South Central:

Rawlins: Chance of rain after noon today and a slight chance tonight before 9 p.m. Otherwise, increasing clouds today with a high near 87 and mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 59.

Encampment: Chance of rain mainly after 3 p.m. today and tonight mainly before midnight. Otherwise, mostly sunny today with a high near 84 and mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 56.

Baggs: Slight chance of rain after noon today and a chance of rain tonight mainly before midnight. Otherwise, increasing clouds and hot today with a high near 90 and mostly cloudy overnight with a low near 54.

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Wyoming

New mobile app for pest identification available for Wyoming pests – Platte County Record-Times

Published

12 hours ago

June 25, 2024

Press Room

New mobile app for pest identification available for Wyoming pests – Platte County Record-Times

Laramie – The University of Wyoming Extension recently released a new software application that can be used to identify Wyoming plant diseases and pests.
The mobile app, called Wyoming Crop Pests, is available for both Android and Apple devices and can be found in app stores by searching “Wyoming Crop Pests”. Scott Schell, UW Extension entomologist, developed the tool to help amateur home gardeners and producers identify plant diseases and pests.
The Wyoming Crop Pests app contains information about common pests of vegetables grown in Wyoming. Users select a crop and types of damage based on both pictures and short descriptions. Once users have used the interactive key to narrow down the kinds of pests that may be causing the damage they’re seeing, they can explore links explaining the best ways to manage those pests.

To develop the app, Schell tapped into resources from other land-grant universities to share links to current, well-researched information about each pest. The app also contains links to the “Wyoming Vegetable and Fruit Growing Guide,” a free publication from UW Extension that provides comprehensive information about how to garden successfully in Wyoming conditions. While the app currently focuses on vegetable pests, Schell may eventually add information about fruit pests as well.

Schell emphasizes that if a user isn’t sure whether what they’re seeing on their plants matches what they’re seeing in the app, they should contact their local extension office.

“This is a tool that give people some independence, but I also want them to know where they can reach out for more info and help on pest issues,” says Schell. “I’m always happy to look at pictures of bugs!”

He sees the new tool as an opportunity to reach younger audiences who may not know about extension services.

Schell also aimed to make the app accessible to users who may be less comfortable with technology. “I find it kind of ironic that a guy like me was involved in making an app,” says Schell. “There’s probably a lot more verbiage explaining how to use it than most apps. For a lot of people my age, these apps aren’t intuitive.”

For more information about the app or Wyoming crop pests, contact Schell at sschell@uwyo.edu or (307) 766-2508.

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Wyoming

Construction on Wyoming emergency detour nears completion

Published

19 hours ago

June 25, 2024

Press Room

Construction on Wyoming emergency detour nears completion

Paving work on a temporary detour around a collapsed section of Wyoming’s Teton Pass highway is expected to be completed this week, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) said Monday.

Read more: Learn More About Emergency Funds and Where to Keep Them

WYDOT said crews are about halfway done with installing box culverts in the area that will improve drainage, and that paving operations for the detour are tentatively scheduled for Thursday.

The landslide caused significant damage to the highway at Teton Pass. WYDOT expect paving work on the new detour to be completed this week.

WYDOT

Newsweek has contacted the Wyoming Department of Transportation for comment.

The Context

Teton Pass highway, which runs between Wyoming and Idaho, suffered a “major disruption” earlier this month after it was damaged in a landslide following snowmelts in the Teton Range.

Read more: How to Build an Emergency Fund

Images released by WYDOT showed that a large section of the road had completely collapsed.

At the time, WYDOT said crews were working in the area to construct a detour around the initial damage, but the landslide continued to move, leading to further damage. No crews were hurt in the process.

What We Know

The new detour will include a paved roadway with two 12-foot lanes, one in each direction. Concrete barriers will be in place to keep drivers safe from any hazards.

The detour is being constructed inside the curve, away from the unstable slide area. It will introduce a slightly sharper curve and steeper grade. To accommodate for this, WYDOT plans to reduce the speed limit in the area.

A WYDOT statement said that officials hope to have the detour paved and open to traffic by the end of the week.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHA) has provided $6 million in emergency relief funding to offset the cost of repairs in the area.

“The Federal Highway Administration is working closely with the Wyoming Department of Transportation to repair the damage caused by the landslide at Teton Pass,” FHA Administrator Shailen Bhatt said in a news release on Friday.

“The Emergency Relief funding we are providing will help get repairs done as soon as possible and restore temporary access to the area during the busy summer tourist season.”

Views

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg referred to the road damage as “a major disruption for travelers.”

Part of Highway 22 near the WY-ID border has been taken out by a landslide, a major disruption for travelers. Our DOT team is working with WY officials to assist with emergency repairs. In the meantime, plan ahead if your route takes you over Teton Pass. https://t.co/bFqjtQEPtR
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) June 9, 2024

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon issued an Executive Order declaring an emergency in response to the “catastrophic failure” of the highway.

A press release accompanying the Executive Order directed WYDOT and the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security to “take all appropriate and necessary action, including, but not limited to, coordination of state and federal resources.”

The governor said in a statement: “I recognize the significant impacts this closure has to Teton County residents, regional commuters and the local economy.”

What’s next?

WYDOT have said that more permanent reconstruction plans are underway, and WYDOT engineers are working with geologists, planning and design departments, and environmental services to develop long-term reconstruction strategies.

Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about road projects in your state? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com