Free Republic

Medicare Advantage provides health coverage to more than half of the nation's seniors, but a growing number of hospitals and health systems nationwide are pushing back and dropping some or all contracts with the private plans altogether. Among the most commonly cited reasons are excessive prior authorization denial rates and slow payments from insurers. Some systems have noted that most MA carriers have faced allegations of billing fraud from the federal government and are being probed by lawmakers over their high denial rates. "It's become a game of delay, deny and not pay,'' Chris Van Gorder, president and CEO of...

<p>On Saturday July 8, Sterling Miller Jr. was at his usual spot, under a tree near the intersection of West Market Street and Richland Avenue, west of York, holding a cardboard sign that asked those stopped at the traffic light to contribute to his sustenance.</p>

York officials on Friday said police officer Clayton Swartz will receive an $82,000 settlement after agreeing not to return to work for the city. In 2020, Swartz was accused of reenacting the death of George Floyd during a party. A police department trial board found him not guilty and he was never charged with a crime. However, the city planned to take the case to Commonwealth Court before recently concluding the trial, scheduled to start next week, would cost the city more than $250,000, according to a news release. In the news release, Mayor Michael Helfrich said, “I stood my...

For nine years, Shawn Stanford has called Dean’s Diner her second home. On a recent grey Tuesday afternoon, the petite 30-year-old in a crisp white uniform offered an infectious smile and warm greeting to anyone who walked in the door. At the heart of the reason she loves her job is a sense of community — “outside of the money,” Ms. Stanford said, laughing. “There is a great mix of regulars who I know what their order will be as soon as they walk in the door as well as travelers passing through on the highway looking for some good...

For the second year in a row, the city of York’s annual Saint Patrick’s Day parade has been canceled for 2022 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of volunteers. Organizers said in a press release that “while COVID-19 is the main reason we have decided to cancel the upcoming parade, the underlying problem of not having enough people to assist with putting it on was a major factor.” “For years, a small group of devoted residents have brought the parade, and numerous corresponding events, to fruition on a shoestring budget,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, a small group...

Property owners and businesses in York are being encouraged to display new signs to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Dr. Matthew Howie, with the city health bureau, said the signs are a way to remind people of the importance of masks and social distancing. The new graphics can be downloaded from a city website and printed. "Historically, businesses have been very open to this sort of messaging," he said. There are five messages, including one that says, "Masks still help." Another says, "Spread kindness, not COVID-19. " "This is one of the challenging messages to get out there because...

SINKING SPRING, Pa. — A York County teacher is charged after police say he made threats in connection with COVID-19. Police say Chad Gerrick, 50, a teacher at Sinking Springs Elementary School in the Central York School District, put up a plastic barrier in his classroom. Police say it was taken down by maintenance, which angered Gerrick. Investigators say on Friday, Gerrick made threats to school officials, including saying if he got COVID-19, he would shoot them and spread COVID-19 to everyone he could. The district says Gerrick is on leave.

York County commissioners cited a few factors contributing to ballot shortages at several of the county’s polling places in Tuesday’s primary election. They pointed to high voter turnout, especially among Republicans. Some voters surrendered their mail-in ballot to vote in-person on Tuesday. County officials said Wednesday they intend to take a deep dive to find what led to the shortage that left voters standing in lines waiting for more ballots to arrive. But as York County President Commissioner Julie Wheeler said, “What happened yesterday was unacceptable and we need to put measures in place to fix it.” York County wasn’t...

An internal report signed by York City’s police commissioner indicates he is in favor of recommending that the York City Council fire an officer accused of reenacting the police-custody death of George Floyd. The undated document, titled “Review of Confidential Report” and initialed in two places by Commissioner Osborne Robinson III, accuses Officer Clayton Swartz of failing to truthfully answer questions during the internal-affairs investigation into his alleged actions at a May 30 graduation party. It also states Swartz, 26, is guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer for allegedly adversely affecting “the morals or efficiency” of the city police department,...

York County officials confirmed 190 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus since testing began at the prison last spring. According to county spokesman Mark Walters, 173 inmates or detainees are in isolation as of Saturday. A majority of their positive test results were discovered this week during mass testing, Walters said. He said they are still awaiting the results of 60 tests. “As stated [Friday] the increase in positive results experienced earlier this week, is not unexpected considering the congregate living situation present in the Prison facility and with the increase in communicative spread that we are seeing in...

A group of 75 community members peacefully protested at York Catholic High School on Saturday after a student was told he couldn’t wear a Black Lives Matter mask to graduation, the York Daily Record reported. Protestors marched from the Veterans Memorial Gold Star Healing and Peace Garden to the York Catholic High School, where speakers told stories about the administration’s alleged discrimination against Black students and members of the LGBTQ community. The senior, Dean Holmes, told the Daily Record that he wore the mask to graduation practice and was never told to take it off. On the day of graduation,...

A day after the “physical attack” on York City Hall, officials say the facility will need to remain closed through Friday to assess and repair the damage. Kevin Isaiah Waller, 24, of Philadelphia was charged with breaking into the building and destroying everything from doors, to computers, to random property on Wednesday night. On Thursday evening, officials released an update saying that that the property damage to the city’s Information Technology department is forcing the extended closure. “We are actively working to assess and repair the damaged caused with the goal of restoring operations as soon as possible,” official said....

Earlier this month, a Twitter account called We See What You're Doing posted a screenshot of a Northeastern School District principal's personal Facebook page, which shared a video saying that Black Lives Matter is a "leftist lie." The post asked Shallow Brook Intermediate School Principal Scott D'Orazio why he didn't tweet it from his school. It tagged the intermediate school's Twitter account. Now his job is on the line. The district administration, which includes Supt. Stacey Sidle, recommended his firing during a school board meeting on Monday night. District officials allege D'Orazio acted outside of his authority by deleting the...

A York City police officer was taken out of the field after officials received a complaint that he’d reenacted the police-custody death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd at a party. Mayor Michael Helfrich responded to the allegations against the officer on Facebook, urging residents to record everything so it is easier to prove fact from fiction. The officer in question is on desk duty while the incident is investigated, he said. “The police officer has been removed from public service and has been assigned to desk service until that we can complete the collection of evidence and testimonies, a process...

A man who called police on a group of black women golfers accused of playing too slowly at a Pennsylvania golf club denied to dispatchers that he was acting out of racism. In one of two recordings of 911 calls to police, the caller says the group was "holding everybody up" and one of the women accused the golf club of racism. The caller told a dispatcher, "We have a tough situation here with a group of golfers that decides they don't want to abide by the rules." Asked if the gofers had any weapons, Chronister said: "It's even worse...

The story of five black women who were asked to leave a York County golf course for reportedly playing too slowly is making headlines and causing outrage across the country. The group of regular golfers said they were confronted at the second hole by Steve Chronister, one of the owners of the Grandview Golf Course and a former county commissioner, who accused them of lagging and offered to refund their money if they would leave. They were the only African Americans or all-female groups on the course in Dover Township, according to Sandra Thompson, who posted a detailed account of...

<p>If the tax reform proposal passed by the House of Representatives last week becomes law, 95% of current donors to nonprofit organizations, churches, and colleges will no longer be able to claim a tax deduction for their contribution. The bill passed by the House increases the standard deduction for individuals and families and will drastically reduce the number of tax filers who itemize.</p>

YORK, Pa. -- In York's mayoral race last week, a convicted felon-turned-environmental activist who's registered as a Democrat but running as a Republican defeated the black female Democratic incumbent. And he did it with a local coalition of Bernie Sanders and Republican supporters, as well as a breakdown of trust in the leadership of the incumbent mayor. This was perhaps the Keystone State's most eye-catching result. But more broadly, Pennsylvania's off-year election results are worth examining in order to take the voters' temperature, as we're one year out from President Donald Trump's historic win here that few predicted, and...

YORK, Pa.—Are you OK? Where are you? Barbara Estep kept texting her daughter, Nylaya Way, who was not responding. Donald Trump had stunned the nation by winning the presidency the night before, and now frightening things were happening at Nylaya’s vocational high school, York County School of Technology. Racial tensions had been building in the school’s corridors, cafeteria, and parking lot throughout the historically divisive campaign. Then, hours after Trump claimed victory in the election, they boiled over as a group of white students held aloft Trump campaign signs and chanted in a hallway, “White power!’’ A brief video clip...

On 28 October, 2017, for two hours, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., there was a gun turn in event in York, Pennsylvania. It did not attract many people. It has been reported that 36 guns were turned in.From ydr.com:“I have no use for it and I just wanted to get rid of it,” he said of the Ruger. Plus, he said, he has two grandchildren and figured turning in the gun was the best way to eliminate any chance they could access the pistol. That handgun was one of 36 guns York City Police collected over a two-hour...