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CVS Health and other massive corporations often use their pharmacy middleman subsidiaries to force people to get the most expensive class of drugs from the businesses’ own mail-order pharmacies. Some call the practice “patient steering.” CVS and companies such as UnitedHealth and ExpressScripts/Cigna say the arrangements save patients money. But some patients, oncologists and other […]

The post CVS sometimes forces people to use its pharmacies. Now the Supreme Court will weigh in appeared first on Missouri Independent.

It’s clear that lead exposure is a problem for Missouri’s children. An estimated 4.5% have elevated levels of lead in their blood, more than almost any other state in the country. What’s far more difficult is figuring out where children are getting exposed to lead, said Carlton Waterhouse, President Joe Biden’s pick for one of […]

The post New funds, strategy may boost ‘massive task’ of reducing lead exposure for Missouri kids appeared first on Missouri Independent.

They say outer space has a smell, and it stinks. Astronauts who have come back from space walks have described the smell as oily meat. Or gunpowder and gym socks and rum. Or welding fumes. The space walkers have a hard time describing exactly what the smell is like because, reportedly, it’s not like anything else […]

The post We’ve never been here before. We’ll be judged on what we do next | Opinion appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House cleared a $1.2 trillion physical infrastructure bill and took a major step toward passage of a landmark $1.85 trillion social spending and climate bill late Friday, following months of wrangling between Democrats’ progressive and moderate wings. The votes marked a milestone in the marathon negotiations among members of the House […]

The post U.S. House sends $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill to Biden for his signature appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The Giffords gun safety organization has sued the National Rifle Association and the campaigns of U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley and U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, alleging group used shell corporations to improperly aid the Republican lawmakers in 2018. The suit alleges two NRA affiliates made up to $35 million in illegal campaign contributions — […]

The post Gun safety group files suit alleging NRA illegally coordinated with Hawley campaign appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Tyson Foods is facing new challenges in its effort to dispose of lawsuits that accuse the company of failing to protect workers from injury and death caused by COVID-19. In the past few months, the U.S. Department of Justice has sided with Tyson workers on a key element of the case; a federal judge in […]

The post Tyson faces new legal challenges over its pandemic response appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Even as nursing homes worked through the summer to get Missouri over the halfway mark in employee vaccinations, the state fell further behind peers, dropping to last in the nation. And while neighboring Kansas has fared better, both states have large swaths of nursing home staff to get vaccinated before a federal deadline next month. […]

The post Missouri last in U.S. for nursing home staff vaccinations as federal deadline nears appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A recent New York Times article about U.S. Supreme Court edits of wording mistakes reminded me about how Missouri’s Supreme Court has dealt with legislative mistakes. The New York Times story referenced an editing correction the U.S. Supreme Court in a 1928 property-rights case in which decision incorrectly used the word “property” for what was […]

The post Capitol Perspectives: Judicial correction of legislative gaffes appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The company providing health care to state prisoners failed to prove a competitor misled state purchasing officers to win the $1.4 billion contract, Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green ruled Thursday. Corizon Health, which has been the state’s vendor for prisoner medical needs since 1992, accused the state Purchasing Division of giving the contract to […]

The post Corizon loses challenge to Missouri prisoner medical care contract award appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A staffing crisis across state-run mental health facilities has decreased access to care for patients, with some waiting months for services, state officials told the Mental Health Commission on Thursday. Within the Department of Mental Health’s division of behavioral health, about 35% of registered nurse positions are vacant, 57% of licensed practical nurses are vacant, […]

The post Across Missouri mental health facilities, staffing shortages limit access to patient care appeared first on Missouri Independent.

A collaboration between The Missouri Independent, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting and the St. Louis American has been chosen as a finalist for the 2022 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards. The project, “Why Police Reform Fails,” followed a group of Ferguson activists who decided the key to transforming public safety is changing who […]

The post Report on push for police accountability in St. Louis named finalist for national journalism award appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Many private employers beginning in January will have to ensure their workers either are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or that they will undergo weekly testing and wear a face covering, under a new federal rule announced Thursday by the White House. The policy from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is set to […]

The post Federal vaccine rule for private businesses to kick in on Jan. 4 appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri GOP Senate candidate Mark McCloskey told a crowd in Osage Beach last month that vaccine mandates were an effort by the government to push “right-thinking, freethinking Americans” out of their jobs to leave only “the indoctrinated sheep.” And after that, McCloskey told the assembled crowd, those COVID vaccine resisters would get “their name on […]

The post Missouri Senate hopeful Mark McCloskey stokes fear over vaccine mandate at town hall appeared first on Missouri Independent.

WASHINGTON — Conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court expressed skepticism Wednesday after listening to two hours of oral arguments on a New York law that imposes strict limits on carrying a gun outside the home—a case that will test how far states can go when crafting their own laws. In New York State Rifle & […]

The post Supreme Court justices skeptical about New York gun control law appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The two redistricting commissions created to design new district maps for the General Assembly are moving into their work phase. Each has held the constitutionally mandated three public hearings on how the maps should look for the 163-member Missouri House and the 34-member Missouri Senate. They have heard requests to protect incumbents, suggestions on where […]

The post Redistricting commissions near end of public hearings on Missouri House, Senate maps appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The 40 people chosen to draw new legislative districts for Missouri include political consultants, former candidates and political party officers. There are lawyers and union members, grass-roots activists and academics. And they have until late January to design 163 Missouri House and 34 state Senate districts that would be used for the first time next […]

The post Missouri redistricting panels feature party leaders, political pros, activists appeared first on Missouri Independent.

The company fighting in court to hold onto Missouri’s prison health care contract targets “puffery” language of little meaning to show a competitor misled the state, an assistant attorney general said Wednesday as a trial began in Jefferson City. Corizon Health, which has held the contract since 1992, zeroed in on statements about the stability […]

The post No need to start again on Missouri prison health contract, state tells judge as trial begins appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Twice last year a federal grand jury demanded the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services turn over records pertaining to the medical marijuana program.  The pair of subpoenas, issued by the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri in September 2020, were redacted by the department at the request of the […]

The post Federal grand jury subpoenas sought records from Missouri medical marijuana regulators appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Missouri and Kansas residents may be drinking unsafe amounts of arsenic, nitrates and other chemicals — even if their provider is meeting federal drinking water requirements, according to data published Wednesday by an environmental group. The Environmental Working Group released its most up to date tap water database, compiling testing information for water utilities across […]

The post Database shows Missouri residents what contaminants are in their drinking water appeared first on Missouri Independent.

As both sides of a dispute over Missouri’s $1.4 billion prison health care contract prepare to face off in court Wednesday, the current provider is being accused of bad faith in its lawsuit seeking to hold on to the contract. Long-term contractor Corizon Health is accusing the winning bidder, Centurion Health, of failing to disclose […]

The post Trial set to begin in dispute over $1.4 billion Missouri prison health care contract appeared first on Missouri Independent.