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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2017)
NORTHWEST East Oregonian Page 2A Thursday, September 28, 2017 Cliven Bundy loses bid to represent self Activists ask Oregon to allow online signing for initiatives LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nevada cattleman and state’s rights figure Cliven Bundy lost a courtroom bid to represent himself at his upcoming trial, after refusing Wednesday to recognize federal authority over grazing land at the center of a 2014 armed standoff with federal agents, his lawyer said. U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Leen ruled after questioning the 71-year-old Bundy that he could not fire his attorney, Bret Whipple, even though Whipple filed court documents last week saying that Bundy dismissed him. “I’m still on the case. We’re set for trial,” Whipple said following the ruling. “The court would not let him represent himself because he would not accept a court ruling that the land is owned by the federal government.” Bundy remains in federal custody. A spokeswoman for Acting U.S. Attorney Steven Myhre declined to comment about Leen’s ruling. Myhre is the prosecutor in the Bundy case. Whipple said in court filings that his attorney-client relationship with Bundy stopped after Bundy demanded that Whipple withdraw from the case. The attorney said Wednesday he was bound by legal ethics and court rules to represent his client’s wishes. He said he intended to appeal Leen’s ruling to the trial judge, Chief District Judge Gloria Navarro. Bundy, two sons and four other EUGENE (AP) — Some Oregon activists are pushing for the state to implement a system that would allow voter signatures to be gathered electronically for initiative petitions. A grass-roots effort is calling for petitions to be signed online so more initiatives can bypass the Legislature and go directly before voters, The Register-Guard reported on Wednesday. Under the current initiative process, backers of proposed public policies are required to collect a set number of physical signatures with pen and paper in order to get a measure qualified for the ballot. Many successful initiatives typically involve financial backing to pay for people to gather signatures. Of the 415 initiative petitions filed since November 2006, 27 have John Locher/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP, File In this 2014 file photo, Cliven Bundy stands at the Bundy ranch near Bunkerville, Nevada. defendants are due for trial Oct. 10 — including two defendants whose retrial ended last month with acquittal on most charges but who still face assault on a federal officer and weapon counts. Bundy, sons Ryan and Ammon Bundy, and defendants Ryan Payne of Montana and Peter Santilli of Cincinnati are accused of leading a conspiracy to enlist a self-styled militia to prevent federal agents from removing Bundy cattle from what is now Gold Butte National Monument. Cliven Bundy has long refused to recognize federal authority over public land where he said his family grazed cattle since the early 1900s. The dispute echoes a nearly half-cen- tury fight over public lands involving ranchers in Nevada and the West, where the federal government controls vast expanses of land. Speed of Medicaid payments depends on many factors By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Capital Bureau SALEM — Although the state dispensed $4.9 billion in medical assistance payments to coordinated care organizations in 2016, the Oregon Health Authority doesn’t track how long it takes those CCOs to pay Medicaid service providers. Medicaid serves 1.1 million Oregonians who meet certain income eligibility requirements. Oregon paid $6.7 billion to health care providers who saw Medicaid patients in 2016. Most people on the Oregon Health Plan are enrolled in one of the state’s 16 coordinated care organizations — essentially, regional groups of providers that see OHP patients. Each CCO has a contract with the Oregon Health Authority to provide Medicaid services for a monthly per-patient fee, known as a capitated payment. OHA makes those payments on the first of the month. The CCO in turn pays its providers, and those arrangements Didn’t receive your paper? Call 1-800-522-0255 before noon Tuesday through Friday or before 10 a.m. Saturday for same-day redelivery 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211 333 E. Main St., Hermiston 541-567-6211 Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed major holidays SUBSCRIPTION RATES Local home delivery Savings off cover price EZPay $14.50 41 percent 52 weeks $173.67 41 percent 26 weeks $91.86 38 percent 13 weeks $47.77 36 percent *EZ Pay = one-year rate with a monthly credit or debit card/check charge www.eastoregonian.com To subscribe, call 1-800-522-0255 or go online to www.eastoregonian.com and click on ‘Subscribe’ East Oregonian (USPS 164-980) is published daily except Sunday, Monday and Dec. 25, by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, OR. Postmaster: send address changes to East Oregonian, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Oregon SOS Dennis Richardson plans trade visit to China PORTLAND (AP) — Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson says he’s visiting China on a 12-day trade mission in November. Richardson made 11 trips to China during his years as a state lawmaker, but this will be his first since getting elected to the statewide office last year. Richardson said Wednesday that his flight is being paid for with money from his official travel budget, but he’s using his own money to upgrade his seat on the 12-hour flight. Local Chinese governments will pay his expenses while in the country. He says the mission will give Oregon businesses traveling with the delegation a chance to network with consumers, distributors, and Chinese officials. Corrections The East Oregonian works hard to be accurate and sincerely regrets any errors. If you notice a mistake in the paper, please call 541-966-0818. Classified & Legal Advertising 1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678 classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com ADVERTISING Advertising Director: Marissa Williams 541-278-2669 • addirector@eastoregonian.com Advertising Services: Laura Jensen 541-966-0806 • ljensen@eastoregonian.com Multimedia Consultants: • Kimberly Macias 541-278-2683 • kmacias@eastoregonian.com • Jeanne Jewett 541-564-4531 • jjewett@eastoregonian.com • Dayle Stinson 541-278-2670 • dstinson@eastoregonian.com • Angela Treadwell 541-966-0827 • atreadwell@eastoregonian.com • Audra Workman 541-564-4538 • aworkman@eastoregonian.com Subscriber services: For home delivery, vacation stops or delivery concerns: 1-800-522-0255 — Founded Oct. 16, 1875 — BRIEFLY pre-authorization, whereas urgent pre-approvals are conducted within 72 hours, and emergent pre-approvals within 24 hours. In some cases, the payments are processed manually, such as when there are issues with the claim like a duplication. Some providers submit claims by mail or fax, and the agency doesn’t track response times to those claims, Cowie said. The Oregon Health Authority also does not collect data on how long it takes CCOs to pay providers. Recent issues with the state’s system for verifying Medicaid eligibility have thrust the Oregon Health Authority’s data systems into the legislative spotlight. To manage payments, the agency uses a system called the Medicaid Management Information System, or MMIS. The secretary of state’s audit found in May that the MMIS successfully enrolled patients in CCOs and made payments. The state auditor’s review focused mainly on capitated payments to CCOs. negotiates a contract requiring payment within 30 days, and can enforce interest on payments that don’t meet that deadline. It typically receives payments for services for Oregon Health Plan patients in 20 to 25 days, spokesman Nick Bejarano said in an email Tuesday. Good Shepherd has separate contracts with its coordinated care organization and with the state directly for fee-for-service clients. Both contracts stipulate the payments be made in 45 days, Bejarano said, although they typically get payments in about half that time. Patients on Medicaid are subject to pre-authorization, where a service, such as an ultrasound, has to get approved before a patient can receive it. That requirement can cause delays. But payments for “clean” claims for fee-for-service patients that have been pre-authorized are made “in real time,” said OHA spokesman Robb Cowie. For OHA, routine procedures typically take 16 days to get — including the length of time in which payments are made for medical services — vary from CCO to CCO. For FamilyCare, a Portland- area CCO, more than 98 percent of its claims are paid within 30 days, according to spokesman Jack Coleman. Ninety percent are made within 14 days. Capitated payments to CCOs accounted for about $4.9 billion of total payments to OHP providers in 2016, according to an audit released by the Oregon Secretary of State in May. The rest — about $1.8 billion — went to services for patients in a “fee-for-service” pool. Those people aren’t members of a CCO. For those patients, providers bill OHA directly for individual medical services. The length of time it takes money for a specific medical service to get to a Medicaid provider depends on several factors, including the patient, the service and the provider. With most commercial insurers, Hermiston’s Good Shepherd Health System Single copy price: $1 Tuesday through Friday, $1.50 Saturday NEWS • To submit news tips and press releases: • call 541-966-0818 • fax 541-276-8314 • email news@eastoregonian.com • To submit community events, calendar items and Your EO News: email community@eastoregonian.com or call Tammy Malgesini at 541-564-4539 or Renee Struthers at 541-966-0818. • To submit engagements, weddings and anniversaries: email rstruthers@eastoregonian.com or visit www.eastoregonian. com/community/announcements • To submit a Letter to the Editor: mail to Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com. • To submit sports or outdoors information or tips: 541-966-0838 • sports@eastoregonian.com COMMERCIAL PRINTING Production Manager: Mike Jensen 541-215-0824 • mjensen@eastoregonian.com Copyright © 2017, EO Media Group REGIONAL CITIES Forecast TODAY FRIDAY Sunny and beautiful Times of clouds and sun 82° 52° 76° 49° SATURDAY SUNDAY Cooler; a shower in the p.m. Chance of a shower PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 65° 47° 62° 42° 61° 45° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 79° 52° 84° 47° PENDLETON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH LOW 80° 73° 91° (1967) 47° 46° 27° (1911) PRECIPITATION 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date 0.00" 0.91" 0.48" 12.28" 8.02" 8.86" HERMISTON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH Yesterday Normals Records LOW 80° 74° 89° (1952) 44° 44° 30° (1945) PRECIPITATION 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date 0.00" 0.36" 0.39" 7.01" 5.44" 6.51" SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today Full Last Oct 5 Oct 12 New Oct 19 68° 44° 65° 46° Seattle 84/58 ALMANAC Yesterday Normals Records 69° 48° 6:50 a.m. 6:41 p.m. 2:50 p.m. none First Oct 27 Today MONDAY A passing afternoon shower Spokane Wenatchee 78/50 79/53 Tacoma Moses 83/54 Lake Pullman Aberdeen Olympia Yakima 81/46 79/50 77/58 83/55 82/48 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 83/55 82/58 Lewiston 83/49 Astoria 82/52 73/55 Portland Enterprise Hermiston 84/57 Pendleton 76/41 The Dalles 84/47 82/52 84/53 La Grande Salem 78/44 85/55 Albany Corvallis 83/53 84/52 John Day 77/51 Ontario Eugene Bend 78/45 84/52 79/48 Caldwell Burns 76/44 74/35 Astoria Baker City Bend Brookings Burns Enterprise Eugene Heppner Hermiston John Day Klamath Falls La Grande Meacham Medford Newport North Bend Ontario Pasco Pendleton Portland Redmond Salem Spokane Ukiah Vancouver Walla Walla Yakima Hi 73 78 79 68 74 76 84 79 84 77 78 78 76 88 68 68 78 83 82 84 81 85 78 77 83 82 82 Lo 55 35 48 54 35 41 52 52 47 51 41 44 43 53 55 57 45 49 52 57 43 55 50 41 57 58 48 W s s s pc s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Fri. Hi 63 77 66 63 73 76 66 73 79 78 69 77 75 72 61 65 79 78 76 66 69 67 77 73 65 77 74 Lo 50 41 37 52 37 43 46 48 52 46 36 44 42 47 51 51 54 52 49 52 35 49 48 40 52 53 44 Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. W sh pc c sh pc pc sh pc pc pc s pc pc pc sh sh pc pc pc sh c sh pc pc sh pc pc WORLD CITIES Today Beijing Hong Kong Jerusalem London Mexico City Moscow Paris Rome Seoul Sydney Tokyo Hi 74 93 77 68 71 51 69 76 76 76 79 Lo 48 80 60 55 57 39 58 56 50 56 66 W s s s pc t c pc pc s c r Fri. Hi 79 91 76 66 72 49 75 75 71 76 76 Lo 52 82 62 51 57 43 55 55 58 59 65 W s t s sh t c t pc s s pc WINDS Medford 88/53 Klamath Falls 78/41 (in mph) Today Friday Boardman Pendleton NE 4-8 N 4-8 WSW 7-14 W 6-12 UV INDEX TODAY Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. REGIONAL FORECAST Coastal Oregon: Sunny today; pleasant in the south with clouds and sun. Pleasant across the north. Eastern and Central Oregon: Beautiful today with plenty of sunshine. Clear tonight. Eastern Washington: Brilliant sunshine today. Clear tonight. Western Washington: Plenty of sunshine today. Occasional rain and drizzle at the coast tonight. Northern California: Sunshine today; pleas- ant at the coast. Partly cloudy tonight. Cascades: Sunny and nice today. 1 qualified to go before voters. David Carlson, the chief petitioner for the proposal, said a system that allows online signing would enable more initiatives without major financial backing to qualify. It would also make the process more convenient for voters, he said. “We live in 2017. The internet is available and accessible to almost all Oregonians,” Carlson said. “People do everything online.” Under the proposal, voters would sign petitions on a state website administered by the secretary of state. Voters’ identities would be verified though a Social Security number or an Oregon driver’s license number. Our Oregon filed a challenge to the Oregon Supreme Court. 2 4 4 2 1 8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 0-2, Low 3-5, Moderate 6-7, High; 8-10, Very High; 11+, Extreme The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num- ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2017 -10s -0s showers t-storms 0s 10s rain 20s flurries 30s 40s snow ice 50s 60s cold front 70s 80s 90s 100s warm front stationary front 110s high low National Summary: Cool air will sweep from the Midwest to the Northeast today. Storms will drench areas from Texas to Colorado. Downpours will soak South Florida as showers dip into the northern Great Lakes. Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 97° in Thermal, Calif. Low 16° in Bodie State Park, Calif. NATIONAL CITIES Today Albuquerque Atlanta Atlantic City Baltimore Billings Birmingham Boise Boston Charleston, SC Charleston, WV Chicago Cleveland Dallas Denver Detroit El Paso Fairbanks Fargo Honolulu Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville Kansas City Las Vegas Little Rock Los Angeles Hi 68 89 79 78 70 88 76 75 93 76 73 70 82 56 68 78 41 67 87 86 74 93 74 86 82 90 Lo 54 68 54 52 45 63 51 51 72 50 55 51 67 42 52 63 34 39 75 73 51 71 53 67 60 65 W r s pc s pc s s pc pc pc s pc c r s pc r pc pc pc s s s s pc s Fri. Hi 65 86 71 73 72 84 78 64 87 74 71 72 81 66 69 75 40 63 89 88 76 91 75 89 81 88 Lo 53 68 57 52 51 62 52 51 69 50 52 53 64 46 50 61 26 48 74 68 48 73 54 67 60 63 Today W pc s s s s s pc s pc s s sh c c sh c c pc sh pc s s s s s s Louisville Memphis Miami Milwaukee Minneapolis Nashville New Orleans New York City Oklahoma City Omaha Philadelphia Phoenix Portland, ME Providence Raleigh Rapid City Reno Sacramento St. Louis Salt Lake City San Diego San Francisco Seattle Tucson Washington, DC Wichita Hi 76 81 88 73 71 80 91 78 70 75 78 95 73 80 90 70 79 91 76 70 82 81 84 93 80 75 Lo 55 61 77 54 48 56 75 55 57 51 56 74 46 50 60 45 49 57 55 48 64 58 58 68 57 53 W s s t s pc s s pc c s pc s pc pc s s s s s s pc s s s s pc Fri. Hi 78 81 85 67 65 79 89 70 72 74 73 98 66 69 77 66 78 84 80 73 80 72 65 95 75 75 Lo 53 61 77 51 46 55 72 55 55 54 57 77 44 49 55 48 47 55 52 55 64 59 52 69 58 56 Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice. W pc s t pc pc s s s c pc s s s s s pc s s s pc s s r s s s
