Learn about living in the United States of America. American Holidays Federal Holidays Many government offices close on federal holidays and some private businesses may close as well. If the holiday falls during the weekend, the government may observe it on a different day. Federal employees receive pay and many receive time off for federal holidays. Federal Holidays New Year's Day (January 1) Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Third Monday in January) Washington's Birthday (Third Monday in February) Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)* Independence Day (July 4) Labor Day (First Monday in September) Columbus Day (Second Monday in October) Veterans Day (November 11)* Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November) Christmas Day (December 25) *Some people get Memorial Day and Veterans Day confused. On Memorial Day, America honors those who died while serving in the military. On Veterans Day, the country celebrates everyone who has served in the military. Commonly Celebrated Holidays and Observances Some holidays honor specific groups and events, such as Valentine's Day, Earth Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Flag Day, and Halloween.
Drugmakers, which have formidable lobbying power in Washington, D. C., and the states, fiercely oppose these efforts. "The outcomes of these policies would only make it harder for people to get the medicines they need and would threaten the crucial innovation necessary to get us out of a global pandemic, " the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the industry's trade group, said in a written statement. Colorado, Florida and several New England states previously passed laws allowing importation of cheaper drugs from Canada, an effort strongly promoted by former President Donald Trump. But those programs are still being developed and each would need a federal green light. Bipartisan bills in Congress that would have penalized drugmakers for raising prices above inflation rates and capped out-of-pocket drug costs for enrollees in Medicare Part D drug plans died last year. "If we waited for Congress, we'd have moss on our backs, " said Washington state Sen. Karen Keiser, a Democrat who sponsored the state's bill to tax drug price hikes.
Many patients with rheumatoid and other forms of arthritis are forced to switch from Enbrel or Humira, which they can inject at home themselves, to different drugs that are infused in a doctor's office when they go on Medicare. Infusion drugs are covered almost entirely by the Medicare Part B program for outpatient care. But switching can complicate a patient's care. "Very few Part D patients can afford the [injectable drugs] because the copay can be so steep, " said Dr. Marcus Snow, an Omaha, Nebraska, rheumatologist and spokesperson for the American College of Rheumatology. "The math gets very ugly very quickly. " To continue taking Humira, Pepper racked up large credit card bills, burning through most of her savings. In 2019, she and her husband, who's retired and on Medicare, sold their house and moved into a rental apartment. She skimps on her diabetes medications to save money, which has taken a toll on her health, causing skin and vision problems, she said. She's also cut back on food spending, with her and her husband often eating only one meal a day.
Katherine Pepper feels the bite of Humira's list price ― which has increased 470% since it was introduced in 2003. Pepper pays 5% of Humira's list price after reaching Medicare's cost threshold ― spending roughly $15, 000 for the drug in 2020. (Katherine Pepper) Manufacturers say the list price of a drug is irrelevant because insurers and patients pay a significantly lower net price, after getting rebates and other discounts. But many people, especially those who are uninsured, are on Medicare or have high-deductible plans, pay some or all the cost based on the list price. Katherine Pepper of Bellingham, Washington, has felt the bite of Humira's list price. Several years ago, she retired from her job as a management analyst to go on Social Security disability and Medicare because of her psoriatic arthritis, diabetes and gastrointestinal issues. When she enrolled in a Medicare Part D drug plan, she was shocked by her share of the cost. Since Pepper pays 5% of the Humira list price after reaching Medicare's catastrophic cost threshold, she spent roughly $15, 000 for the drug last year.
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Some individual states list English as their official language. If you would like the United States or your state to adopt an official language, you should contact your elected officials. The federal government is required to provide access to federal programs and federally assisted programs for people with limited English proficiency. States and State Capitals The Library of Congress provides historical information and fun facts about each state in the United States, including when it became a state, its nickname, and its capital. If you need information on state programs and services, browse your state government website. Last Updated: January 4, 2021 Top
I think they're feeling free to roam given the general lack of traffic. " Also on Tuesday, Vice producer Gianna Toboni tweeted that her family saw three of the animals by their house in San Francisco. Unexpected things happening, maybe as a result of shelter in place. My brother just spotted three coyotes in front of my parents' house in San Francisco. — Gianna Toboni (@GiannaToboni) March 24, 2020 And CNBC reporter Christina Farr spotted a pack of sleeping coyotes in the city last week. I went for a walk for fresh air and a group of women called out to me. And omg, they had spotted a pack of sleeping coyotes in the middle of (usually busy) San Francisco. — Christina Farr (@chrissyfarr) March 20, 2020 While anxious residents are eager to see the end of the stay-at-home order, after waiting in the wings, our wild canine friends are apparently making the most of their opportunity to claim back the city. Andrew Chamings is a digital editor at SFGATE. Email: | Twitter: @AndrewChamings
That's why Airbnb is unveiling a new pilot data portal that will give regulators and tourism officials in a select group of cities access to information about its rental listings in their communities. The City Portal will give authorities in Seattle and San Francisco access to a compliance tool that will show them the addresses of Airbnb listings in those cities, with the ability to ask Airbnb to block listings for reasons such as noise code violations, fire safety issues, or expired registrations. A wider range of about 15 cities and tourism marketing organizations, including officials in Buffalo, Calgary, New Orleans, Palm Springs, and Sacramento, will get access through the portal to aggregate information about Airbnb use in their communities. That can include data such as statistics on where Airbnb guests are coming from and the demographics of hosts, but not currently the individual locations of rentals. The news was announced soon after Airbnb filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an IPO, though it hasn't announced a date for the offering.