Overcharged: About 1,500 people in Louisiana’s health insurance program for state workers, public school employees and retirees have been overcharged for their coverage and are due refunds, The Associated Press reports. This is the word from Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration, which has released the preliminary findings of an audit of the Office of Group Benefits. The administration says some retirees who are enrolled in both Medicare and in Group Benefits coverage were charged a higher premium rate than they should have been. Those people will see lower premium charges on Aug. 1 and will get back any money that was overpaid. Gregory Dupuis, a Group Benefits spokesman, says the office doesn’t yet know how much the refunds will cost. They will be paid out of the agency’s reserve fund.
A night out: The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge has revived Scene Rouge—a membership program the council says is ideal for young professionals, 35 and under, and newcomers to the Capital City. Members of Scene Rouge, in its second year, pay a nominal fee to receive discounted tickets to different events offered by the arts council’s partner organizations. Jessica Ottaviano, director of development and grants management at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, says the goal of the program is to support Baton Rouge arts organizations and to offer cultural and social opportunities to young professionals and newcomers. Participating organizations also are encouraged to add a social component to their events. 2017 Scene Rouge events kick off at 5 p.m. on Aug. 28 at Tin Roof Brewing Co. Membership costs $35.
Free fall: U.S. benchmark oil prices plunged below $40 per barrel in intraday trading today, touching levels not seen in more than three months and underscoring fears that the commodity’s midyear rebound was not sustainable, USA Today reports. With global oil inventories remaining at elevated levels, West Texas Intermediate crude briefly fell below $40 before 1 p.m. and again later in the afternoon amid signs of increasing U.S. production and reduced geopolitical disruption. The commodity hasn’t closed below $40 since April 18, when it settled at $39.78. The latest declines reflect a few key factors such as high U.S. oil inventories; signs of an uptick in Libya and Nigeria, where geopolitical disruptions had throttled production; and increased output in Canada following the devastating fire that slashed oil-sands production earlier this year. Read the full story.
