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Eric Galatas

  • Between January 2025 and January 2026, the Social Security Administration lost 7,500 employees, 13% of its workforce, including 3,000 customer service positions. One area of SSA operations affected by staffing losses is the backlog of hearings for people appealing SSA's denial of their disability benefit application.
    Regional News
    Wyomingites face increased barriers to Social Security benefits
    Eric Galatas
    Wyomingites with disabilities and others trying to access Social Security benefits are facing nearly insurmountable barriers after the Trump administration dispatched Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to root out fraud and waste, according to a new Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund report. It suggests the department's actions have resulted in an increased incidence of bureaucratic errors and delays. Comments from Katie Savin, report co-author and assistant professor of social work, California State University, Sacramento.
  • Since 2010, 152 rural hospitals in the U.S. have undergone complete or converted closure. A converted closure occurs when a rural hospital no longer provides inpatient care, but maintains services like primary care, skilled nursing care, or long-term care.
    Wyoming’s plan to fund rural hospitals after $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts
    Eric Galatas
    Wyoming wants to make its five-year federal rural health funding last ‘forever’ by creating a Rural Health Transformation Perpetuity fund. But it’s unclear whether the maneuver will pass muster with the federal government. Comments from Patrick Hardigan, dean of the College of Health Sciences, University of Wyoming.
  • Snow shovel stands in a pile of snow in Bozeman January 2025
    Expert: Use caution when eating snow
    Eric Galatas
    Experts say use caution when eating snow