Court questions whether Maine has money to expand Medicaid
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Maine's high court is weighing whether to allow the LePage administration to continue to block federal funding for voter-approved Medicaid expansion.
Justices on Wednesday heard the administration's arguments against a court order requiring the submission of paperwork needed for $500 million in annual federal funding. Justices questioned whether Maine can rely on existing state funds for Maine's share of expansion or whether lawmakers must specifically set aside funding.
Nearly three out of five voters last fall voted to expand Medicaid to 80,000 people by July 2. Advocates are encouraging people to sign up.
LePage vetoed legislation to fund Maine's expansion costs and suggests new hospital taxes could cover expansion.
LePage recently said he'd risk jail before expanding Medicaid and putting Maine in "red ink."
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USCIS Issues Clarifying Guidance on NAFTA TN Status Eligibility for Economists
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it is clarifying policy guidance (PDF, 71 KB) on the specific work activities its officers should consider when determining whether an individual qualifies for TN nonimmigrant status as an economist.
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) TN nonimmigrant status allows qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to temporarily enter the U.S. to engage in specific professional activities, including the occupation of economist. The agreement, however, does not define the term economist, resulting in inconsistent decisions on whether certain analysts and financial professionals qualify for TN status as economists.
TN nonimmigrant status is intended to allow a limited number of professionals and specialists to work temporarily in certain specifically identified occupations in the United States. This updated guidance provides USCIS officers with a specific definition of one such category – economists – allowing them to adjudicate applications in a way that complies with the intent of the agreement. This policy update clarifies that professional economists requesting TN status must engage primarily in activities consistent with the profession of an economist. Individuals who work primarily in other occupations related to the field of economics — such as financial analysts, marketing analysts, and market research analysts — are not eligible for classification as a TN economist.