Keystone State News Connection ( Photo provided with release)

Danielle Smith

Tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians will be shopping for new health insurance plans for next year when open enrollment begins on Nov. 1.

Experts urge consumers to be aware of exactly what they are getting. More 680,000 Pennsylvania residents do not have health insurance, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Zachary Sherman, executive director of Pennie.com, the state’s online insurance marketplace, said the website is where to start if you are shopping for an individual health plan.

“Pennie is a place for Pennsylvanians who don’t have access to job-based coverage or medical assistance, or Medicare,” Sherman explained. “It’s for those who don’t have access to affordable coverage, for them to go to access high-quality, affordable health insurance plans. Very importantly, it’s the only place to get savings on coverage to lower your monthly premiums.”

The Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress extended the Affordable Care Act’s premium subsidies through 2025, so the same subsidy rules in effect this year will continue for 2023. Sherman added if the subsidies had not been extended, Pennsylvanians would be spending about 20% more on their health coverage for next year.

Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare employer and individual, noted there are some options people may not think about, such as how a plan would handle a significant health event, like a pregnancy or chronic health condition. She added since the pandemic, more people also have recognized the benefits of getting care online.

“Plans that include virtual care services for both medical conditions as well as behavioral health conditions have become very popular,” Randall pointed out. “We’ve seen the utilization of those increase. You’re also looking for a plan that has not only virtual health options, but a connection to in-person care as well.”

Randall emphasized adding dental, vision or hearing coverage is another consideration, as well as double-checking whether the plan covers the prescriptions you need. In short, she recommends people do their homework, as enrollment dates are fast approaching.

In this Oct. 13, 2020, photo, an envelope of a Pennsylvania official mail-in ballot for the 2020 general election in Marple Township, Pa. The Supreme Court will allow Pennsylvania to count ballots received up to three days after the election, rejecting a Republican plea. The justices divided 4-4 on Oct. 19, an outcome that upholds a state Supreme Court ruling that allowed election officials to receive and count ballots until Nov. 6, even if they don’t have a clear postmark. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Senior Pennsylvania elections officials are arguing in a new court filing that handwritten dates on the envelopes that many state voters use to mail in their ballots shouldn’t be mandatory. The brief filed with the state Supreme Court on Tuesday says that’s partially because the Legislature in 1968 acted to deemphasize the importance of dates on envelopes. Some county officials who run the nuts and bolts of vote counting are poised to throw out ballots without the proper dates in next month’s election, while others are expected to count them. The Republican plaintiffs say if those ballots aren’t thrown out they should at least be segregated during counting.

(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

The Beaver Falls Police Department had a historic night at the October 25 City Council Meeting.

The evening started off with the introduction of a new K-9 officer to the BFPD staff, a young 17-month-old Czechoslovakian German Shepherd named Figo (pronounced fee-go). “He was imported over to the United States in July,” said Officer Wetter, who will be Figo’s partner and caretaker. “We took possession of him at the end of July, where we started to build some type of rapport amongst each other before going into school together.”

Officer Wetter trained with Figo at a training facility in Central Pennsylvania for six weeks, and were certified through the North American Police Work Dog Association to work as a K-9 team. Figo did a demonstration where he sniffed out and found a band-aid “with the odor of meth” on it, placed before the meeting by Officer Wetter. The K-9 unit was given several rounds of applause by the council and citizens in attendance.

Police Chief David Johnson also formally requested the approval to hire Christina Good to its staff. “I have been an officer for six years going on seven, I worked in the schools, I have my graduate degree,” Good spoke as she introduced herself to the council. She had previously served with Washington Township and the Southwest Regional Department of Fayette County. “I’m excited to get to know the community and especially our youth,” she added.

“I am confident in saying that she’d be very qualified to be an officer for the city of Beaver Falls,” spoke Chief Johnson, “and I would appreciate if you would approve that.” The Council did approve the hire, exuberantly and unanimously, and–once sworn in–Good would become the first woman of color to be on the police force (and only the second woman following the swearing in of Sierra Higby earlier in the year).

The city also approved General Fund Expenditures of $320,431.26, and learned from DPW director Patrick Burdine that street sweeping in the city will conclude on Friday, October 28.

FILE – Twenty dollar bills are counted on June 15, 2018, in North Andover, Mass. The number of Americans who do not have a bank account fell to a record low last year, as the proliferation of online-only banks and an improving economy is bringing more Americans into the traditional financial system, according to a report Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — The number of Americans who do not have a bank account fell to a record low last year, as the proliferation of online-only banks and an improving economy is bringing more Americans into the traditional financial system. A new report from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. issued Tuesday found that 4.5% of Americans _ representing approximately 5.9 million households _ were without a bank account in 2021. That’s the lowest level since the FDIC started tracking the data in 2009 and down from 5.4% of Americans in the 2019 survey data.

(File Photo)

Story by Beaver County Radio Staff
(Wampum, Pa.) Pa State Police in New Castle are reporting that they were called  to the scene of an ATV Rollover at the Mines and Meadows ATV Park in Wampum on Saturday, October 22, 2o22 at 5:25 PM.

Upon arriving and investigating it was learned that an unnamed 34-year-old male had been involved in a single vehicle accident and sustained severe injuries.  The man was transported to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio for further evaluation.

There is no word on his condition as Troopers continue to investigate.

(Photo provided by candidate’s campaign)

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Tune into 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, 95.7 FM, 99.3 FM, and beavercountyradio.com Wednesday October 26, 2022 at 11:10 a.m. for the second in a series of interviews highlighting the candidates running for office in the November 8, 2022 General Election.

The second interview in the series is with Jeremy Shaffer who is a Republican Candidate for United States Congress in the 17th District. Jeremy is trying to defeat Chris Deluzio who is a Democrat. The winner will replace current Rep. Conor Lamb who did not seek re-election and instead ran for US Senate and lost in the primary to John Fetterman.  Jeremy will be interviewed during Teleforum with Eddy Crow at 11:10 a.m.. The interview will be broadcast on all platforms of Beaver County Radio as well as being streamed Live on our Facebook Page:

Click the link below to be directed to our Facebook Page:

If you can’t tune into the game you can click the link below to listen on-line via beavercountyradio.com:

You can also down load our free apps:

(Photo provided by candidate’s campaign)

(Beaver Falls, Pa.) Tune into 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, 95.7 FM, 99.3 FM, and beavercountyradio.com Wednesday October 26, 2022 at 10:10 a.m. for the first in a series of interviews highlighting the candidates running for office in the November 8, 2022 General Election.

The first interview in the series is with Rico Elmore who is a Republican Candidate for Pa. State Representative in the 16th District. Rico is trying to defeat incumbent Rob Matzie who is a Democrat. Rico will be interviewed during Teleforum with Eddy Crow at 10:10 a.m.. The interview will be broadcast on all platforms of Beaver County Radio as well as being streamed Live on our Facebook Page:

Click the link below to be directed to our Facebook Page:

If you can’t tune into the game you can click the link below to listen on-line via beavercountyradio.com:

You can also down load our free apps:

(File Photo)

Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News
(Hopewell Twp., Beaver County, Pa.)  Hopewell Township Commissioners approved a zoning change on Valleyview Avenue from R-1 agricultural district to r-2 low density residential. The change was advertised in the Beaver County Times  approved  by the zoning hearing board   Solicitor Mike Jones told the commissioners  the map will be changed on the back of the zoning  ordinance.

(File Photo)

Story by Sandy Giordano, Beaver County Radio News
(Hopewell Twp., Beaver County, Pa.) Hopewell Township Police announced on Monday that they are hosting ‘COFFEE WITH A COP ON Wednesday, October 26, 2022 from 9-10:30 a.m. at George’s Restaurant. Any resident interested in attending is welcome to do so, according to  Sgt. Jill Banovski.

(File Photo)

(Center Twp., Beaver County, Pa.) An unidentified female driver was not  injured in a one vehicle accident that occurred in the 3300 block of Brodhead Road in Center Township Monday afternoon. at 4:06 PM