Thursday Morning Read: PCI may cut two insurers’ ties, Blum letter strikes national chord, ‘alarming’ spikes in I-380 speeds

TODAY'S WEATHER — Partly cloudy. High of 66, low of 56.

PCI MAY CUT TWO INSURERS' TIES — Payment disputes have pushed Physicians' Clinic of Iowa to threaten to terminate contracts with two of the state's three private Medicaid insurers if the concerns are not soon corrected. In letters sent to Amerigroup Iowa and AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa, PCI — one of the state's largest private physician groups — told the insurers that failure to consistently pay provider claims properly or in a timely manner have led the medical provider to send a notice of breach of contract. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/health-care-medicine/pci-could-cut-ties-with-two-of-iowas-private-medicaid-insurers/

BLUM LETTER STRIKES NATIONAL CHORD — Barbara Rank, a retired special education teacher, did not get up from her seat at a rcent Rod Blum town hall like many of her neighbors did. 'I did not have a question to ask,' she told the Washington Post. But the next day, on her morning walk past a boulevard of government-maintained flowers, Rank realized she had a response to Blum. She wrote it down in 96 words and sent it to her local newspaper — and since then, more than 100,000 people have offered a fair critique. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/government-politics/in-96-words-letter-to-blum-strikes-chord-gains-national-attention/

'ALARMING' SPIKES IN I-380 SPEEDS — Speeding on the windy 'S-curve' of Interstate 380 through downtown Cedar Rapids has spiked since speed cameras stopped issuing tickets last month, according to data released Wednesday. Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman, a strong proponent of the cameras as a safety tool, called the sharp increase in such a short period 'alarming' but not surprising. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/chief-alarming-spike-in-speeding-on-i-380-without-camera-tickets/

IOWA'S PEMSL HAS SPORTS HERNIA SURGERY — Cordell Pemsl is no stranger to surgery. He added another one to his list on Tuesday, as the Iowa sophomore-to-be underwent surgery for a sports hernia. Pemsl is expected to miss approximately eight weeks of summer basketball activities, according to a release Wednesday from Iowa. The eight-week window means Pemsl is 'not expected' to compete in the annual Prime Time League. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/sports/iowas-cordell-pemsl-has-sports-hernia-surgery/

QUOTABLE — 'The problem is the close calls because the next time might not be a close call. ... No one knows when their last days are, but it shouldn't be because someone was inattentive — texting and driving — or just decided to come close. It could happen to anyone.' Northrup Davidson of Cedar Rapids, referring to bike safety issues during a Ride of Silence in downtown Marion