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What to Know for Wednesday, June 24th, 2026: |
1: Medicare's AI-powered prior authorization pilot creating delays, errors, payment backlogs in 6 states — WISeR intended to stop fraud, but ensnaring patients in red tape |
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WISeR launched January 2026 in Oklahoma, Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, Washington requiring AI-reviewed prior authorization for 13 medical services: Program announced June 2025, launched mid-January (unusually rapid for federal government) requiring preapproval for epidurals, kyphoplasty, skin substitutes, and other procedures — CMS promised 72-hour decisions, but reality shows 6-8 week payment delays — example: Oklahoma cattle farmer Bill Curry made 10-hour road trips for repeated appointments, some for paperwork; Arizona pain doctor Jerry Sobel unpaid for 9 epidurals as of May. AI-driven errors and suspected "hallucinations" denying necessary care — University of Washington had 100 patients delayed for epidurals: Doctors report denials contradicting submitted medical records (one patient marked "lacks numbness" despite documentation four times stating no numbness) — denials sometimes overturned on appeal — patients forced to seek expensive alternative care while waiting; one patient went to hospital instead of back pain procedure — CMS vendors deny AI hallucinations occur but acknowledge large backlogs from January. Program intended to prevent fraud (skin substitutes spending up 700%) but creating higher government costs through appeals and administrative burden: More rejections triggering more appeals — Medicare paying administrative contractors to handle appeal volume — shifting costs to patients/doctors through delays and inconvenience — doctors worry expansion inevitable if pilot shows savings — CMS says "no changes considered" for service list currently but "continues to assess."
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➜ Read the full article from CBS News here. |
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2: Women receive $438/month less Social Security than men — 2032 benefit cuts would deepen poverty gap for 55% of beneficiaries |
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Gender pay gap carries into retirement: women average $1,760/month vs. men's $2,198 annually, losing $5,254/year: Women comprise 55% of Social Security recipients 62+ but receive substantially less due to 83-cent gender wage gap (women earn only 83% of men's full-time wages) — disparities driven by career interruptions for caregiving (counting as zeros in benefits calculation), part-time work, occupational segregation (teaching, nursing, child care pay less than male-dominated fields). Older women at higher poverty risk — 2032 cuts would impact them most since already reliant on benefits: Poverty rate jumped to 16.2% for older women (2023-2024) vs. 13.5% for men — women 80+ have 21.0% poverty rate, single women 65+ have 21.4% (vs. 10.9% married) — Social Security lifted 11.4 million older women out of poverty in 2024 vs. 8.6 million men — National Women's Law Center: "policymakers must strengthen and expand — not weaken and cut — Social Security." Social Security gender gap varies dramatically by state: DC smallest gap ($174/month difference), Utah largest (27% gap = $649/month difference): States with smallest gaps (DC, Hawaii, New York) have diverse service economies, federal employment, professional representation for women — states with largest gaps (Utah 27%, Louisiana 25.9%, Wyoming 23.89%) historically dominated by male industries (energy, mining, manufacturing boosting men's lifetime earnings) — closing gaps requires building retirement savings independent of Social Security.
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➜ Read the full article from USA Today here. |
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3: Federal judge blocks 5 states from banning soda, candy purchases with SNAP — ruled USDA lacked authority for health-focused restrictions |
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Judge blocked Trump administration's MAHA initiative allowing Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, West Virginia to restrict food stamp purchases: U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled USDA lacked authority to approve state waivers for pilot projects banning sugary drinks and candy — major setback for Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" movement focused on reducing ultraprocessed foods to combat obesity and diabetes — Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins had granted waiver requests from nearly two dozen states, though not all bans implemented yet. States sought to restrict soda, energy drinks, and candy with no exceptions for all SNAP recipients: Five states had different bans but all limited sugary drinks — some also restricted candy — restrictions applied universally to all beneficiaries with no exceptions allowed — five SNAP recipients who sued argued they needed restricted items for health: some drinks necessary for Type 1 diabetes, kidney issues, lack of energy. Judge ruled SNAP pilot authority allows testing efficiency, not imposing dietary restrictions — administration vows to continue fighting: Jackson wrote "federal defendants and states cannot violate law and their own regulations" despite "genuine desire to improve health" — SNAP pilot authority doesn't include improving health/diet of recipients — Rollins posted vow to continue MAHA fight, calling restriction "commonsense" and opposing "taxpayers subsidiz[ing] junk food," but legal challenge succeeded on procedural/jurisdictional grounds.
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➜ Read the full article from CNN here. |
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Here’s What You Missed on YouTube: |
Check out our new YouTube videos for Wednesday, June 24th. |
July 2026 Social Security: Your Payment Dates + Why Some Get Two Checks |
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July 2026 Social Security: Your Payment Dates + Why Some Get Two Checks |
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This newsletter is for information only. Always confirm your options directly with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or a qualified advisor before making big decisions about your benefits. |
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