RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new study says primary care doctors seeing low-income patients face a steep cut in Medicaid fees next year when a temporary program in President Barack Obama’s health care law expires.

That could reduce access for patients just when millions of new people are gaining Medicaid coverage under that same law.

Wednesday’s study from the nonpartisan Urban Institute estimates the cuts will average about 40 percent nationwide. But they’ll be 50 percent or more for primary care doctors in California, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois — big states that expanded Medicaid under the health law.

To improve access for the poor, the health law increased Medicaid fees for primary care doctors from 2013 to 2014. But that boost expires Jan. 1, and an extension got bogged down in Congress.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says sign-ups picked up last week under the president’s health care law.

More than 618,000 people selected a plan for 2015 from Nov. 29 through Dec. 5, the Health and Human Services department reported Wednesday.

It was the highest weekly number since open enrollment began Nov. 15.

Sign-ups were about evenly split between new customers and consumers making changes to existing coverage.

Cumulatively, nearly 1.4 million people have enrolled through HealthCare.gov, the online market that offers subsidized private insurance in 37 states. Statistics for states running their own websites will be reported later.

The administration set a target of 9.1 million people enrolled across the country for 2015. That includes 6.7 million current customers, most of whom will be automatically re-enrolled.

Sign-up season runs through Feb. 15.

MIAMI COUNTY- Three people were injured in an accident just before 9:30 a.m. in Miami County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Honda Accord driven by Alan D. Stambaugh, 66, Wichita, was traveling northbound on Interstate 35 in the number one lane. The driver lost control as the vehicle traveled across a bridge.

The Honda left the roadway, traveled through a grass median and entered the southbound lanes.

A southbound 1996 Lexus driven by Dana M. McCullough, 43, Ottawa, struck the Honda in the passenger’s side front axle and doors.

The Honda left the roadway again.

Passengers in the Honda Amy M. McCleary, 20, Wichita, and a one-year old were transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center.
The KHP reported Stambaugh was possibly injured but not where he was treated.

McCullough was transported to the Ottawa Hospital.
All were properly restrained at the time of the accident the KHP said.

STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A government investigator says the IRS paid at least $6 billion in child tax credits in 2013 to people who weren’t eligible to receive them.

Payments went to families that mistakenly claimed the tax credit or claimed the wrong amount, as well as taxpayers who committed fraud. Those were the findings of an audit released Tuesday by the Treasury inspector general for tax administration.

More than 36 million families will claim the $1,000 per-child tax credit this year. Millions of low-income families qualify for the credit even though they don’t make enough money to pay federal income tax.

These families receive the credit in the form of a tax refund. The audit focused on payments to these families.

The IRS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Supreme Court of Missouri on Tuesday published a ruling that a co-defendant has a legal right to watch as his partner-in crime is executed.

The ruling allowed Willie Kelly Owens to watch as his co-defendant, and half-brother Leon Taylor was put to death November 19. The high court’s writ was issued a day before the lethal injection, but the ruling was not published until this week.

The statute governing witnesses to an execution excludes only incarcerated offenders or those younger than 21 years. The high court held that the statute contains no exception or prohibition for co-defendants but does authorize the warden to invite peace officers to watch the execution to maintain security.

According to the ruling, (available here) Taylor and Owens demonstrated they had a clear, unequivocal, and specific right to have Owens witness Taylor’s execution. The court held that that statute should prevail over a more general one that outlines a warden’s discretion to make rules for prison management and safety.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Topeka police say a woman has been shot and wounded by her neighbor who was cleaning his rifle.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the woman was shot in the forearm in her apartment Tuesday evening as she returned from grocery shopping. Sgt. Steve Roth says the man had removed the magazine from his gun but didn’t realize a bullet was in the chamber. Roth says the weapon fired when the man set it down.

Police say the bullet traveled through the man’s television and wall. The woman was taken to an area hospital and Roth says her injury didn’t appear to be life-threatening.

Roth says the man likely won’t be charged because there wasn’t any criminal intent. He says the man was shaken up and remorseful.

Their identities haven’t been released.