May 15, 2009

 

Florida CHAIN Celebrates Three Victories Toward A Healthier Florida!

What a wild ride this legislative session turned out to be. With many dedicated partners, we saw some major gains to protect and improve health care access for vulnerable Floridians, including: a $1 increase in the cigarette user fee, improvements to the KidCare program, and blocked expansion of the Medicaid Reform experiment. (Lisa Grossman, Florida CHAIN) Read more

 

 

2009 LEGISLATURE HEALTH CARE WRAP-UP

In one of the more challenging of the Florida Legislative sessions in recent memory, another round of cuts to health and human services was among the final outcomes, though the far less severe than  originally under consideration. Fewer bills than usual passed, but a number of proposals impacting Floridians’ access to health care and the health care safety net were considered. (Greg Mellowe, Florida CHAIN) Read more in Florida CHAIN's wrapup

 

 

Best Protection Against Swine Flu? Don’t Be Poor or Uninsured

Last Friday, State health officials reported a leap in confirmed Swine Flu cases in Florida. By Monday, the total was 55; an epidemic may be in progress. While Swine Flu may not pack as much of a wallop as initially feared, a quick and effective response is critical. It’s not difficult to identify a key impediment blocking such a response: lack of access to affordable health care and/or adequate coverage. (Greg Mellowe, Florida CHAIN) Read more

 

 

$1 Per Pack Cigarette User Fee Passes in Florida!  

In a victory for Floridians' health and tireless advocates, during the waning hours of the 2009 session, the House agreed to the Senate's proposal to increase the Cigarette User Fee by $1.00. Under the legislation, most of the additional revenue will be deposited into a health care trust fund for the Medicaid program, at an estimated $900 million each year. (Leah Cook, Florida CHAIN) Read more

 

 

KidCare Bill Passes!

Child health care advocates who made hundreds of calls and sent messages to Legislators have many reasons to celebrate. This session, the KidCare bill was dramatically rescued at the last moment from another potential failure, in a giant step toward streamlining and simplifying Florida’s KidCare program to enroll more eligible children. (Linda Merrell & Karen Woodall, Florida Child Healthcare Coalition) Read more

 

 

Direct Pay Bill Would Undermine PPO’s and Drive up Health Costs

During the 2009 session, CS/SB 1122 passed, changing Florida law so that physicians who are not part of health insurance networks will be paid directly by insurance companies, not by patients as is now the case. The problem is that this bill is expected to greatly increase health costs. Florida PIRG recommends that the Governor veto this bill. (Richard Polangin, Florida PIRG)  Read more

 

 

Mixed Bag for Children with Autism and Developmental Disabilities

Facing a historical third year of budget deficits, the 2009 Legislature produced a mixed bag of legislation that would directly families of children with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities. Amid a few successes, many bills with a hint of a fiscal impact to the state budget ultimately died. (Alisa Snow, Alliance for Pediatric Therapies)  Read more

 

 

25 Years of Care and Caring: Tallahassee Pediatric Foundation Primary Care Program

Years of little or no access to primary medical care for indigent children in Leon County ended in July, 1984 with the Tallahassee Pediatric Foundation Primary Care Program. CMS was granted authority and funding by the Florida Legislature for a pilot to mainstream indigent children into the private pediatrics sector. (Carol McCormick, Tallahassee Pediatric Foundation) Read more

 

 

Degree and Years of Work in Human Services Not Enough to Navigate Health Care System

I am 56 years old and on SSDI. I don't get Medicaid, but am qualified for Medically Needy with an outlandish share of cost of over $1700 monthly. This is due to my husband's income - though he only brings home $400 biweekly. Many times I do without my medication. It is a real travesty that our government treats people in desperate need the way they do. There are times I want to throw up my hands, scream, and give up. (Marcia Yarbrough)  Read more

 

 

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CHAIN Reaction is a bi-weekly publication of Florida CHAIN (Community Health Action Information Network), a statewide consumer advocacy organization that works toward access to quality health care, empowering people to actively shape their world by participating in civic life and caring for each other’s well being. 

Florida CHAIN: 3167-B Gardens East Drive, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410 info@floridachain.org     www.floridachain.org  

 

 

 

 

Florida CHAIN Celebrates Three Victories Toward A Healthier Florida! 

What a wild ride this legislative session turned out to be. Rather than getting into all of the specifics of why, let it suffice to say that among the very ugly, there were also some glimmers of hope.

Florida CHAIN, working alongside our many dedicated individual and organizational partners, saw some major gains in our ongoing efforts to protect and improve health care access for vulnerable Floridians.  After years of relentless pursuit, we’ve helped strengthen the consumer voice so that health care policies reflect the needs of the people they’re meant to serve.  

 

Among the few but important legislative victories, three key issues advanced by Florida CHAIN include a $1 increase in the cigarette user fee, improvements to the KidCare program, and blocked expansion of the Medicaid Reform experiment. This issue of CHAIN Reaction includes detailed information about each of these as well as other issues.

  • The cigarette user fee increase (last raised in 1990) is slated to raise more than $900 million that will be allocated to improve health care for low income individuals while reducing the estimated 28,600 smoking-related deaths that occur in Florida each year.

  • The KidCare legislation removes barriers to help insure some of the 800,000 currently uninsured children in Florida and help others keep their coverage.

  • The blockage of an expansion of Medicaid Reform prevents needless suffering for those who would otherwise be subjected to a fatally flawed managed care experiment.

Thank you to all who gave their time and lent their voices to these successful initiatives. Your diligence has played a pivotal role in bringing about change. Special thanks to all of the members of the Healthy Florida Alliance and the broader coalition led by American Cancer Society, the Florida Child Health Care Coalition, and the Medicaid Advocates Coalition.

 

Florida still has far to go in ensuring the basic right of health care.  With your continued engagement and support, Florida CHAIN will continue striving to meet its mission of improving the health of all Floridians by promoting sustainable access to affordable, effective health care.

Lisa Grossman, Florida CHAIN

 

2009 LEGISLATIVE SESSION HEALTH CARE WRAP-UP

 

An ongoing recession.  A $6+ billion budget dollar deficit. No real fixes to an inadequate revenue structure. Billions in federal stimulus funding that saved us in the short term but allowed avoidance of those real fixes. The indictment and removal of a sitting House Speaker.  And lengthy House and Senate negotiations that led to overtime. These were just a few of the happenings that made the 2009 regular session of the Florida Legislature one of the most challenging in recent memory.

 

Another round of cuts to health and human services was among the final outcomes, though the reductions were far less severe than had originally been under consideration before the federal stimulus package passed (and Florida agreed to accept it).  In particular, the feds will pick up 12% more of the total cost of the Medicaid program through 2010, although the final budget approved last Friday diverts almost $2 billion in savings to uses unrelated to health care. 

 

Although fewer bills than usual passed this session, the Legislature nevertheless considered a number of proposals impacting Floridians’ access to health care and the health care safety net, including the following:

BILLS THAT PASSED

       =        Helpful or potentially helpful

       =        Harmful or potentially harmful

       =        No position

 CS/CS/SB 1840 - Increasing the Cigarette User Fee (CUF) & Preserving Health Access                 

With the Senate leading the way and holding firm, the Legislature passed the first increase in the CUF since 1990 (an additional $1 “surcharge” per pack). The CUF was also increased on all other tobacco products except cigars. Significant reductions in the number of teens who quit or never take up smoking are expected, but the increased CUF will also provide an estimated $900 million for health care next year alone.

 

Under the legislation, most of the additional money raised by the CUF increase will be deposited into a fund for the Medicaid program. Although the specific uses sought by the Healthy Florida Alliance coalition and the broader coalition led by the American Cancer Society did not materialize, the revenue generated will in fact go to health care, as advocates had hoped. For that reason, the CUF must truly be considered a fee and not a tax, because revenue generated will be used to directly offset the cost of treating smoking-related illnesses.

 

Specific health-related uses of the revenue could conceivably be revisited each year, however, under the approved legislation.  Health advocates and the Senate sponsor (Sen. Ted Deutch) had sought a dedicated source of revenue for the Medically Needy and MEDS-AD Waiver programs, but the funds were instead spread throughout the entire Medicaid budget, a least for 2009-10. 

 

The Senate did this, at least in part, to make it extremely difficult for Governor Crist to veto the CUF increase, as doing so would also require him to veto funding for most of the Medicaid program. That seems highly unlikely, and the Governor may instead opt to let the CUF become law without his signature.

 

The challenge for the future will be to ensure that the CUF revenue doesn’t become for the Medicaid program what Lottery revenue became for public education: a shell game where CUF money just replaces other State funding?and our health care safety net remains just as thin as it is now.

 CS/SB 918 - Removing Barriers to Getting and Keeping KidCare Coverage 

Despite not getting a single committee hearing in the House, the bill passed on the final day of the regularly scheduled session. Child health advocates have been working for years on KidCare fix bills, and although the legislation that passed didn’t address all the barriers by a long shot, it’s likely the best that anyone could hope for in such a tight budget year. Improvements to KidCare include:

  • Reducing the waiting period for kids who lose coverage due to unpaid premiums (from 60 to 30 days) or to voluntary cancelation of private coverage (from 6 months to 60 days).

  • Creating exceptions to the waiting periods for canceling private coverage (e.g., job loss, employer stops offering family coverage, domestic violence).

  • Switching to electronic verification of income instead of cumbersome paperwork whenever feasible.

CS/CS/CS/SB 1986 - Medical Homes Pilot Project

The concept of the “medical homes” pilot was refined and expanded since its introduction in the House mid-session, and the project is clearly envisioned an opportunity to test a potential alternative to traditional Medicaid managed care.

 

Instead of implementing the pilot next year, however, AHCA will merely plan for the pilot, which would roll out in 2 now unidentified counties. This may include applying for another federal Medicaid waiver, but the specifics on that must come back to the Legislature.

 

Also, the list of targeted provider participants was broadened and clarified. In particular, willing primary care physicians and hospitals are generally eligible to participate, though community health centers and medical schools are still clearly seen as the only expected participants. Even an HMO that agrees to abide by medical home principles could participate, however. AHCA must also create a task force to assist in development and implementation of the pilot, and Medicaid recipients must be represented. An implementation plan is due to the Legislature by next February 1.

 

 SB 2600 and SB 1658 - Health Care Budget & Related Changes   (Part 1)

  • Expansion of the Medicaid Reform Pilot was never even considered.
  • Accepting the federal stimulus money means that Medicaid eligibility cannot be tightened. As a result, the Medically Needy and MEDS-AD programs are spared until least January 2011 and will not sunset next July.
  • Proposed cuts to mental health and substance abuse treatment were averted. Many other cuts that had been discussed at various points did not pass.
  • The managed care expansion/MediPass erosion that passed in 2008 was eliminated. A new provision had required that MediPass enrollees specifically state during each open enrollment period that they wanted to remain in MediPass, or else face automatic reassignment to an HMO. Implementation had already been postponed because the necessary changes to the Medicaid system were cumbersome and costly.

  SB 2600 and SB 1658 - Health Care Budget & Related Changes   (Part 2)   

  • The House and Senate agreed to a 4th round of Medicaid cuts since October 2007. These cuts were approved despite the availability of $5 billion in additional federal Medicaid funding over 2 years from the stimulus legislation. In fact, this extra Medicaid funding was used to divert almost $2 billion in current State funding from health care to unrelated uses in next year's budget alone.
  • Cuts to providers included hospitals (-1.6%), HMO's (-1%), health departments and senior care programs. Nursing homes and hospices were also cut by 3%, though these cuts are to be offset by the new fee the feds allow nursing homes to impose on themselves, with collections distributed to the providers who serve more Medicaid patients.
  • In terms of services, Medicaid recipients are now restricted to getting eyeglasses (lenses) only once a year and new frames every 2 years. That cut reduced the State budget by about 1/10,000th of one percent.
  • Despite the desperate shortage of General Revenue, the $1.5 million to implement the "virtual marketplace" for peddling unregulated bits-and-pieces coverage through the Florida Health Choices program was carried over to next year.
  • The Medicaid Reform-related Senior Care Pilot was not taken off the books completely, but at least remains dormant.

  CS/SB 1122 - Direct Payment of Insurance Benefits to Providers 

When an insurer’s patients seek non-emergency care outside their approved provider network, the insurer will now be required to pay the out-of-network provider directly for delivering that care. Currently, the insurer instead pays the patient, who likely already paid or still owes the provider an even greater amount because of the penalty for seeking care outside the network. And providers will continue to be able to try to collect from patients any portion of their charges not paid by the insurer.

 

Insurance companies believe that this will undercut the financial advantage associated with having a provider network in the first place, and consumer groups believe that higher insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs will quickly follow. (A late amendment to the bill says that this law will go away in 2012, if research shows that it caused an increase in the cost of the State employee health plan.)

 

   CS/CS/CS/SB 1986 (the rest of the bill) - Medicaid Fraud and Abuse  

This bill started out as an already large bill (29 sections) intended to address fraud and abuse in Medicaid, and then grew further from there. The bill that passed on the final day encompassed 160 pages regulating various providers and others involved in the Medicaid delivery system. Many of the reforms are needed, but others might go too far to discourage participation by the overwhelming majority of good providers and perpetuate the shortage. One particular example that could also directly impact recipients is a directive to AHCA to use statistical analysis and profiling to identify providers who provide whatever seems to be an excessive amount of services and launch investigations.

 

   CS/HB 285 and Related Actions – Low Income Pool (LIP) 

The bill that passed did not abolish the LIP Council that makes recommendations to the Legislature about the use of Medicaid funds hospitals get to help them provide care for Medicaid and uninsured patients. For-profit hospitals may have succeeded in “leveling the playing field” with the non-profit hospitals, but the non-profits and particularly safety nets provide the bulk of the care to unprofitable patients.

 

In related action, language placed in the budget requires an independent evaluation of the LIP process to recommend an “equitable approach” for distributing funds.

 

Finally, a scramble occurred at the end of the session when officials realized that the State would lose $300 million in LIP funds if the Medicaid Reform experiment is not expanded statewide by 2011, and so the State will seek an amendment to the federal Medicaid waiver, but no extension of the waiver past its scheduled end of June 2011 was authorized.

 

 SB 2600 and SB 1658 - Health Care Budget & Related Changes (Part 3)

  • Responsibility for overseeing Medicaid Waivers impacting seniors was transferred from AHCA to Elder Affairs.
  • Provider Service Networks (PSNs) in Medicaid Reform were given a 2-year extension from shifting to being paid a fixed amount per recipient like HMOs, which would have created yet another crisis for the Pilot.

GOOD  BILLS  THAT FAILED

HB 7131 - Medicaid Managed Care Improvements           

This bill would have set the stage for addressing a range of problems and concerns that currently exist within Medicaid managed care. In an apparent compromise tipped heavily in favor of the HMOs, only one piece of this bill (the Medical Homes pilot) was attached to the Medicaid fraud bill that ultimately passed. This bill included a number of measures intended to help get a handle on the challenges that have plagued Medicaid managed care and especially the Medicaid Reform Pilot (such as encounter data collection).

 

SB 2422/HB 1529 - Medicaid Managed Care Improvements      

This bill would have allowed Medicaid recipients to cite their mental illness as a valid reason for changing health plans as well as expanded the process of paying HMOs more for enrolling recipients with more significant health problems. 

 

SB 558/HB 263 – Protecting Access to Prescription Drugs

This bill would have largely prevented health insurers from ending or restricting access to  a medication if the insured is currently taking that medication.

 

Various Bills - Responses to the Problems in Medicaid Reform

Although Medicaid Reform expansion was off the table, bills seeking to repeal the Medicaid Reform Pilot (SB 2464/HB 1383) or lay groundwork to overhaul the waiver (HB 1261/SB 2690) did not advance.

 

SB 348/HB 529 - Medicaid Buy-In Program 

This bill would have allowed people with disabilities (SSI recipients) who want to go to work to buy into Medicaid coverage. Currently, SSI recipients who have more than trivial work income risk losing essential Medicaid.

 

HB 7151 – Allowing More Laid Off Employees to Continue Coverage

This bill would have allowed some employees of small businesses who were laid off between September 2008 and February 2009 to elect to continue health coverage – in a manner similar to the way COBRA (which applies to larger employers) works - with federal stimulus funds paying 65% of monthly premiums.

 

Notes:

  1. The dust is still settling on the action taken this Session. We may need to update or add to this summary in the future.
  2. The Governor still has the opportunity to veto bills and line-item veto budget items.
  3. A summary of the efforts of key legislators pertaining to health care will follow in a later article.

Greg Mellowe, Florida CHAIN

 

Note: click here to view or print this document in pdf format

 

Best Protection Against Swine Flu? Don’t Be Poor or Uninsured

 

Last Friday, State health officials reported a leap in the confirmed number of Swine Flu (or H1N1) cases in Florida from 5 to 23. By Monday, the official total had reached 55; a full-blown epidemic may be in progress. Although Swine Flu may not pack as much of a wallop as many initially feared, a quick and effective response is critical.

 

It’s not difficult to identify a key impediment blocking such a response, however, namely lack of access to affordable health care and/or adequate health coverage. Urgent care clinics report charging about $100 for testing, diagnose and treatment for influenza. The necessary supply of antiviral prescription drugs used to treat H1N1, such as Tamiflu, costs nearly as much.

 

Even if treatment is covered by health insurance, high copayments and deductibles can remain a serious disincentive to seeking care. For that reason, consumer advocacy groups have called on insurers to suspend copays and deductibles in the case of Swine Flu.

 

This is not at all to say that Florida’s Department of Health (DOH) isn’t committed to containing the impact of Swine Flu on all Floridians regardless of their ability to pay for care. The problem obviously extends far beyond the reach of county health departments.

 

Nevertheless, in a 12-page set of questions and answers about Florida’s response to Swine Flu prepared by DOH, the standing assumption appears to be that almost everyone who may be infected has ready and timely access to care they can afford. DOH only broached the issue once, in a brief response to the question of what to do when antiviral drugs are not affordable. The response simply instructs readers to contact their county health department for more information. DOH also stresses that a prescription is needed for an antiviral, which requires that you “contact your regular physician”. (Note: Health departments and providers obtaining Tamiflu through a health department may not charge for the medication.)

If this sort of denial represents the response of even the State's own public health agency, we ought not be surprised if a disproportionately high number of poor people experience avoidable suffering as the flu spreads. In 2 of the 6 school districts reporting flu-related school closures as of Monday, students of the affected schools were predominantly low-income.

In other words, it's a safe bet that problems with accessing treatment for Swine Flu will surface just as quickly as the flu spreads. Perhaps the silver lining, however, will be an opportunity for us to learn what we need to change to protect all Floridians before we experience a true pandemic.

Greg Mellowe, Florida CHAIN

 

 

$1 Per Pack Cigarette User Fee Passes in Florida!  

 

A Victory for Improving Health Care of Floridians!

During the waning hours of the 2009 Legislative session, members of the House of Representatives agreed to the Senate's proposal to increase the Cigarette User Fee by $1.00, the first increase since 1990.   Under the legislation, most of the additional money raised by the CUF increase will be deposited into a health care trust fund for the Medicaid program at an estimated $900 million each year. In addition, Florida can expect significant reductions in the number of teens who quit or never even take up smoking.

The bill’s passage is considered a victory for the advocates that worked tirelessly with members of the Senate to convince the Florida House to pass the fee.  Special thanks go to the Healthy Florida Alliance and the larger coalition led by American Cancer Society. Senator Deutch is to be applauded for his leadership, vision and political courage in bringing the legislation forward. 

Although the specific uses sought by health care access and tobacco control advocates did not materialize, the revenue generated will in fact go to health care. Unfortunately, health-related uses of the revenue put in the health care trust fund could conceivably be revisited each year.   

Although the sponsor and advocates had sought a dedicated source of revenue for the Medically Needy and MEDS-AD Waiver programs, the funds were instead spread throughout the entire Medicaid budget, at least for FY 2009-10.  The challenge for the future will be to ensure that the CUF revenue doesn’t become for the Medicaid program what Lottery revenue became for public education, meaning that the money generated by the fee only replaces state general revenue funding. 

Further Efforts on Tax Reform Needed

Although considered a political victory, there are still many legislators and advocates that believe the Legislature must go further in looking at our antiquated tax base to ensure Florida’s safety net programs don’t continue to take cuts each year.  This session, several law makers brought forward additional measures to increase taxes on internet sales and bottled water that did not pass.  In addition, advocates called on the law makers to review outdated and antiquated exemptions but these pleas also fell on deaf ears.  In response, Representative Rehwinkel Vasilinda was joined by a large group of advocates representing a variety of interest groups affected by the new budget to discuss Florida’s fiscal future at a press conference in Tallahassee on Monday, May 11th.

“This budget hurts.  It hurts people, education and schools, the environment, business development and our economy. It will have an impact on the quality of life for many Floridians,” said Representative Rehwinkel Vasilinda. “But, it’s time to move forward and look at where we go from here. Had it not been for an infusion of more than $5 billion in federal stimulus funds, next year’s budget would have been disastrous.” 

 

Florida CHAIN recognizes the hard work of the legislature in these incredibly difficult economic times and applauds them on raising the cigarette user fee.  Moving forward, however, we ask they to listen to the growing number of voices calling on them to take a serious and comprehensive action to modernize Florida’s tax structure, to close loopholes and to generate more revenue rather than continuing to raid trust funds and cut services to vulnerable Floridians.  Ultimately, these are only stop-gap measures and don’t take into consideration other more sensible options that address the long term needs of our citizens.

 

Leah Cook, Florida CHAIN


 

KidCare Bill Passes!

Child health care advocates who made hundreds of calls and sent messages to Legislators have many reasons to celebrate. This session, the KidCare bill (SB 918) was dramatically rescued at the last moment from another potential failure.  

 

First and foremost, this truly represents a major victory for hundreds of thousands of Florida’s eligible uninsured children who need access to health care. Second, it is a giant step forward toward streamlining and simplifying Florida’s KidCare program to enroll more eligible children.

 

This success was possible because of the strong commitment and determination of the bill’s sponsor, Senator Nan Rich, (D-Broward), the supportive leadership in the House by Representative Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton), and Representative Jimmy Patronis, (R-Panama City) sponsor of the companion bill, HB 1329.  Please take the time to thank them for their tireless efforts to improve the program after four years of trying to make the much needed administrative changes.

 

What the KidCare bill will mean for children:  

Florida’s Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Florida KidCare, is one of the most complex in the nation.  SB 918 will remove some of the administrative barriers, improve program efficiency resulting in administrative savings, make it significantly easier for families to enroll eligible children, improve renewal and retention rates, and increase access to health care and better health outcomes for more uninsured children.

  • Decreases the wait period for children with other insurance, employer based or private insurance from 6 months to 2 months, potentially increasing the number of children enrolled in KidCare.

  • Provides several good cause exceptions to the wait period for children who have access to other insurance. This provision is expected to increase the KidCare enrollment.

  • Improves retention rates for children currently covered by reducing the waiting period for late premium payments from 60 days to 30 days.

  • Allows for electronic verification of income making it easier for families to enroll eligible uninsured children.

Other favorable changes to KidCare:

  • Allows a parent to “reactivate” rather than reapply for KidCare if the child has not enrolled within the current 120 day time frame that the application is considered valid under the current law.

  • Full pay provision for MediKids component.

Not included in SB 918 due to the projected fiscal impact were:

  • Continuous eligibility for children age 5-18 in Medicaid. Elimination of the five year wait  period for legal immigrant children.

  • The seamless transition –continuity of coverage - between Medicaid Title XXI and Title XIX programs, Healthy Kids, MediKids and some Children’s Medical Service children. (coordinated administration between the state partners exists in law and must be implemented to stop losing children from the program.)

Where Florida stands with opportunities for federal funding:   

Congress set benchmarks in the Child Health Care Program Reauthorization Act for states to demonstrate how well they have streamlined their state programs and increase the enrollment for low income uninsured children.

 

Fortunately, implementing the good program changes in SB 918, combined with some existing KidCare policy, will move Florida to a more favorable position to receive performance bonus payments under CHIP and allow for generous federal child health insurance allocations in future years. This will require more in- depth study and continued consultation with national partners as the CHIP rules are evolving.

 

There are many more opportunities and wise investments for the future available to states under the Child Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act and modifications of the KidCare program.  Some examples are:

  • Allow states the explicit option to expand coverage for pregnant women between 185-200 percent of the federal poverty level with enhanced federal Title XXI funds.

  • Provide coverage to lawfully residing immigrant children and pregnant women during the first five years they are in the country, if otherwise eligible; this was previously prohibited under federal Title XXI Medicaid and CHIP.

  • Implement new tools to enroll the lowest-income uninsured children such as a practical Express Lane eligibility that allows states to enroll children already deemed eligible under other public programs.

  • Provide resources for community outreach and educational programs to improve enrollment for hard to reach eligible children; and allow Florida to receive available CHIP outreach grant funds.

Providing access to KidCare for low-income children of state employees will be another priority for the Legislature in 2010. This is a separate state funded non CHIP issue.

 

There is no doubt that this was a great year for KidCare. However, the Florida Child Healthcare Coalition and many partner organizations will continue to work with Legislators to promote good policy decisions for access to quality maternal and child health care and provide further information on state CHIPRA developments.

 

Linda Merrell and Karen Woodall, Co-conveners

Florida Child Healthcare Coalition

 

 

Direct Pay Bill Would Undermine PPO’s and Drive up Health Costs

During the 2009 state legislative session, The Florida Medical Association was successful in securing the passage of CS/SB 1122, sponsored by Senator Gaetz. The bill changes Florida law so that physicians who are not part of health insurance networks will be paid directly by insurance companies, not by patients as is now the case.

 

Being paid promptly by an insurance company is an advantage to physicians and is an incentive to join a network. Network members also provide care at a negotiated discount, thus reducing health care costs to insurance companies and to patients. Patients pay less because network members cannot “balance bill” patients --- this means they cannot charge patients for more than what the insurance company pays.

 

The problem is that this bill is expected to increase health costs. Blue Cross estimates that the fiscal impact of this bill to the State of Florida to be between $9.9 million and $25.7 million because some health care providers who are now members of the network would leave the network once they could receive payment directly from Blue Cross rather than from patients.  Some patients are also expected to leave the less expensive network program for the more expensive HMO program. Two actuaries have found the Blue Cross estimates to be reasonable.

 

The cost to persons enrolled in the network who receive care by out-of-network providers is estimated by Blue Cross to be roughly 5 times the cost to the state. The actuary hired by the Department of Management Services estimates an $11 million fiscal impact to the state. If the $11 million fiscal impact provided by this actuary is accurate, this means that enrollees would pay roughly $55 million more for health care.

 

A provision was added to the bill in the final days of the session which requires that legislative staff study the implementation of this bill to determine if it raises costs between July 1, 2009 and March, 2012.  If such a finding is made, the bill would be automatically repealed. This provision is likely unconstitutional because it delegates the authority to make law to legislative staff. Only members of the legislature may make law.

 

Florida PIRG recommends that the Governor veto this bill because of its potential to raise costs to taxpayers and to state employees and retirees. Furthermore, the PPO network is a cost savings service delivery model because network members provide care at a discount. It is not in the public interest for this service delivery system to be weakened. Finally, the costs to the state and to patients far outweigh any benefit that health care providers would receive in receiving payment directly.

 

Richard Polangin, Health Policy Coordinator

Florida PIRG (The Public Interest Research Group)

 

 
Legislature Leaves Mixed Bag for Children with Autism and Developmental Disabilities

Facing a historical third year of budget deficits, the 2009 Legislature produced a mixed bag of legislation that would directly affect families of children with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities.

Lawmakers passed legislation that creates the Prepaid Services for Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities Study Group. Members appointed to the group would explore a “prepaid service plan” for children with disabilities, similar to the state’s prepaid college program.

The prepaid service plan would allow funds to be paid into a plan on behalf of a child to provide vouchers for purchasing additional services from qualified providers when the child leaves an exceptional student program and transitions into the workplace. The legislation was filed by Sen. Thad Altman and Rep. Clay Ford.

 Another successful piece of legislation creates a new license that states “Support Autism Programs.” The bills were sponsored by Rep. Rich Glorioso and Sen. Thad Altman.

The week of Sept. 28 through Oct. 3 has been designated “Behavior Analysis Week” under a resolution filed by Sen. Mike Fasano and Rep. John Legg and passed by the Legislature.

Because of the Legislature’s focus on budget issues, many bills with a hint of a fiscal impact to the state budget ultimately died:  Those bills would have:

  • Required pediatricians to refer children to specialists if children are suspected of having autism spectrum or developmental disabilities.
  • Forced group health plans to cover diagnosis and treatment of developmental disabilities (specifically, cerebral palsy and Down Syndrome).
  • Provided children direct access to specialists, without prior approval from health plans, for autism and developmental disabilities screenings and evaluations.
  • Created voluntary pre-kindergarten programs by 2011 for children with developmental disabilities.
  • Deleted the requirement that student must have spent prior school year in attendance at Florida public school or Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind to be eligible for McKay scholarships.

Controversy over bills dealing with childhood vaccinations raged throughout the legislative session and ultimately died. They would have:

  • banned certain mercury compounds (thimerosol) from childhood vaccines.
  • required physicians and other health care professionals to provide certain vaccine information statements to parents/guardians and obtain signed statements indicating that vaccine information was provided.
  • allowed parents to deviate from the vaccination schedule recommended by the CDC.

 

 There was, however, some good news in the 2009-10 budget passed by the Legislature.

 

Due in part to federal stimulus funding, there were no cuts Early Steps, the state’s early intervention program for children ages birth to three.

 

The state budget includes $9.2 million to restore behavior assistance services and behavior therapy assessments. And waiver services offered through the Agency for Persons with Disabilities were reduced by less than 1 percent, according to the House Majority office.

 

House Democrats, however, point out that the state budget is propped up by federal stimulus money, more taxes and higher fees while trimming essential health and human service programs for the elderly and minorities. The budget doesn’t restore funding that was cut to service providers in a special session in January.

 

 

Alisa Snow, Executive Director

Alliance for Pediatric Therapies

alisa@AllianceForPediatricTherapies.com

 

25 Years of Care and Caring: Tallahassee Pediatric Foundation Primary Care Program

 

Years of little or no access to primary medical care for indigent children in the Leon County area came to an end in July, 1984 with the inception of the Tallahassee Pediatric Foundation (TPF) Primary Care Program.  That year, the State Children’s Medical Services (CMS) Program was granted authority and funding by the Florida Legislature for a pilot program to mainstream indigent children into the private sector of pediatrics.

 

By offering the doctors a mechanism whereby the children would be seen in their offices, along with a system of case management and care coordination to insure that parents appropriately utilized the services, every private-practice pediatrician in Leon County agreed to give the plan a try. 

 

The Program began with physicians who had a long history of caring for indigent children in leadership roles, including Louis St. Petery as Executive Director of the Foundation, and Julia St. Petery as the Primary Care Medical Director, positions they still hold today (featured at left). 

 

Parents have always been given freedom of choice in selecting their children’s doctor and medical home.  They also have a Nurse Case Manager who is available for support, advice, teaching, and coordination of care.  After a couple of years, to maximize Medicaid reimbursement, the Program changed from capitation to a fee-for-service payment system.  Even though payment is, only at the Medicaid rate, the incentive of not having to deal with Medicaid billing made the plan more attractive for the doctors.

 

Today, the Program cares for over 7300 children, many of whom have special healthcare needs.  Under the TPF MediPass Group, 25 pediatricians and six family physicians see the children and provide 24/7 care, while 12 Registered Nurses handle the enrollment, teaching, and care coordination duties.  The membership of the Foundation also includes pediatric sub-specialists and hospitalists who provide care, as needed, by referral.  The Program retains a small administrative staff to perform billing, record-keeping, and contact management duties.  

 

Because of the success in Tallahassee, CMS was able to replicate the Program, throughout much of the state.  Tallahassee, however, still has the distinction of having the largest program and the most private physicians treating children without regard to their parents’ ability to pay, or payment source. 

 

Congratulations, Tallahassee Pediatric Foundation, on 25 years of care and caring for kids.

Carol McCormick, RN, MSN
Tallahassee Pediatric Foundation

REAL STORIES FROM FLORIDA HEALTH CARE CONSUMERS

College Degree and Human Services Experiences Not Enough to Navigate Health Care System on SSDI

 

I am 56 years old and currently on SSDI. 

 

I worked all my life including as a mental health case manager from 1993 until 2005, when I had to stop working due to health problems.  I got my disability approved in 2007.  I also worked part time for Project Hope after Hurricanes Ivan, Dennis, and Katrina.  I worked part time also as a Baker Act Screener. 

 

I have a college degree and years of experience, yet cannot seem to understand how to find needed help for medications, etc. 

 

I don't get Medicaid, but am qualified for Medically Needy with an outlandish share of cost of over $1700 monthly.  I receive $1150 monthly in Disability, but my share of cost is the high amount due to my husband's income - though he only brings home around $400 biweekly. 

 

We are struggling to pay bills and have money for food and medication.  Many times I do without my medication.  I have Medicare, and am also on my husband’s insurance at his job, so I can get medication.  But the co-pays are still often very much, and his monthly premium is unbelievably high.  I have tried over and over to understand the Medicare supplements and find the one best for me, but I get overwhelmed and frustrated and usually just give up. 

 

My husband is 61 and has had a massive heart attack when he was 44 and then another heart attack two years ago.  He will need to quit his job at age 65 and then we will be in a bad way for my medication.  Fortunately he gets most of his medicine through the VA. 

 

I have degenerative disk disease in my spine, severe arthritis, had had both knees replaced, and have been diagnosed with Depressive Disorder, Recurrent, severe, Anxiety Disorder, Panic Attacks, PTSD, Eating Disorder, and past trauma.  So, I am a consumer. 

 

If I am having difficulty navigating the "system" with all those years of experience and a college degree, how can other consumers with mental health problems, or elderly people, possibly understand how to "fight" for their rights and needs!  It is a real travesty that our government treats people in desperate need the way they do.  There are times I want to throw up my hands, scream, and give up.  I often have suicidal ideation due to hopelessness and frustration. 

 

If I can help you in any way, I would really love to do that.  I feel so useless since I no longer contribute to those in need. Thanks for reading my story.

 

Sincerely,

Marcia Yarbrough

Florida CHAIN Seeks Stories

 

Florida CHAIN welcomes contributions from health care consumers who are interested in sharing their experiences with readers of CHAIN Reaction. If you have a story to share, please contact  lisam@floridachain.org

 

 

 

State Events 
     North Florida

     Central Florida     

     East Central Florida    

     West Central Florida
     Southwest Florida
     Southeast Florida
     Florida Audio and Web Events
     Statewide Notices

 

National Events 
     Conferences 
     National Audio and Web Events

     National Notices

     National Campaigns


STATE EVENTS & NOTICES

NORTH FLORIDA   

  

Women and Girls Day of Pampering & Health Education in Gadsden County

May 16   8:00 am–3:00 pm   Kelly Campbell Recreation Center, Quincy
Speaker: Kamaria Gammon, Youth Director of PositivelyU in Central Florida; and Luncheon Emcee WXTL News Anchor Lenita Wesson. Event for females 13 years of age and older. A Women’s Health Month event. Contact WomensHealth@doh.state.fl.us

 

“It’s Your Time” Employee Wellness Health Fair

May 19  9:30 am–1:30 pm   DOH Building 4052, Room 301, Tallahassee
Health Screenings and Massages in Conference Room in Eatz; Health Mobile Unit and Bloodmobile outside of Eatz.  A Women’s Health Month event. Contact WomensHealth@doh.state.fl.us

 

“It’s a Girl Thing!” Adolescent Health Fair
May 27  9:00–11:30 am  PACE School for Girls, Tallahassee

A Women’s Health Month event. Contact WomensHealth@doh.state.fl.us

Notices

CENTRAL FLORIDA

 

Los Amigos Buddies Diabetes Clase de Diabetes

May 23   8:00 am-2:30 pm  Wayne G. Sanborn Center, 751 S. Alabama Ave,Deland

Imagínese un mundo donde usted, un miembro de su familia o amigo, NO tiene que preocuparse por la dura realidad de vivir con Diabetes Tipo 2. Únase a las clases “Los Amigos/ Buddiessm ”, dejen que nuestros expertos le enseñen como pueden controlar y prevenir esta terrible enfermedad con una dieta sana y ejercicios. Hispanic Health Initiatives. 407-339-2001 ó 1-866-377-2583

  

Festival de la Familia Annual Hispanic Health Initiative Health Fair

June 27  8:00 am–3:00 pm  Central Florida Fairgrounds , 4603 W Colonial Dr,

Orlando

During the past nine years, HHI and its community partners, have provided thousands of FREE health screens such as: diabetes, cholesterol, B/P, PAP, pregnancy, hepatitis, BMI, HIV/AIDS, vision, complete kidney screening, and many more. This year, in addition to the health information and services normally offered, HHI is bringing to Orlando, for the first time, the Prevent Cancer Foundation Super Colon™ display. This is an inflatable, 20-foot long, 8-foot high replica of a human colon, an interactive educational tool to teach that colorectal cancer is Preventable, Treatable and Beatable. Career fair, music, prizes, more for the whole family. More than last year’s 1500 attendees are expected by HHI and its 60+ community partners. Additional sponsors are sought. For more information call: 407-339-2001 or 1-866-377-2583

 

NACCHO Annual Conference 2009
July 29-31  Orlando
The theme of the conference is, “The New Public Health - Working Across Sectors to Leverage Investment in Communities.” Conference tracks include Quality Improvement & Performance Standards; Successful Multisector Investments in the Community’s Health; The Value of Public Health Interventions; and the Power of Public Health. MAPP users are encouraged to submit abstracts that showcase how their process has helped them work across sectors to leverage investments.

EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA

WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA 

Events

 

AHCA Pharmaceuticals and Therapeutics Committee

June 24  Airport Marriot Hotel, Tampa

Florida Coalition for Open Access Steering Committee Meeting, the state wide collaborative effort to preserve proper medications for medicaid recipients is centered on the activities of this P & T Committee.  The agenda for June review includes ADHD drugs and anti depressants.  Contact execdirector@mhagreatertampabay.org if you have any interest in assisting advocacy at that and other meetings.

 

2009 Florida Conference on Aging

Aug 24-26  St. Pete Beach, TradeWinds Island Resort.

For more information: 850-222-8877 or www.fcoa.org. For reservations, call 800-808-9833. 

Notices

Pinellas residents can get free discount drug cards, which may not be used in conjunction with any health insurance plan, including Medicare and Medicaid, but will help those seeking discounts on drugs. 

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

  

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA

  

Events

 

South Florida Cancer Control Collaborative

May 21   Area Agency on Aging Palm Beach/Treasure Coast, WPB 

Additional information available soon.

 

Focus on Wellness

March 27   9:00 am-noon   AAA of Palm Beach/Treasure Coast,  4400 N Congress, West Palm Beach

Area Agency on Aging hosts free health screenings; credit report assistance; Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamp information; SHINE-Serving Health Insurance Needs of Seniors; Recovering Your Family $. Bring expired prescriptions. More information: 561-684-5885.

Is Washington Overlooking South Florida's Health Care Needs?
June 1  7:00-9:00 pm American Legion Hall, 6445 NE 7th Ave, Miami
This forum sponsored by the Health Care Reform Committee of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party will focus on: Defining, from expert viewpoints, the unique needs of South Florida that may not be adequately addressed in health-care reform legislation likely to be before Congress. Areas of need include services for undocumented individuals, services for the mentally ill (now often carried out in jail), and the resources to sustain and strengthen safety-net institutions such as Jackson Memorial Hospital and community health centers.

2nd Annual Back to School Community Health Fair

Aug 8   10:00 am -2:00 pm   Deicke Auditorium, Plantation

FREE Health Screenings and Education presented by Woman2Woman Breast Cancer Foundation and Florida Medical Center. Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, Cholesterol Testing, Body Mass Index, Posture Evaluation and Screening, and Wellness Information and Health Education/Counseling on Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart Disease, Asthma, Sickle Cell Disease, Colorectal Cancer, Women’s Health Issues, Osteoporosis, Prostate Cancer, Breast Cancer, and other forms of cancers, Support Groups/Programs, Nutrition, Exercise, Information on Medicaid benefits, Family Counseling Services, Education, Prevention, Care/ Treatment. In addition, there will be a Children’s Corner to educate children on hand washing, hygiene, safety, and nutrition as well.  The focus of the health fair will be on health promotion, prevention, and wellness for the community. June 5 cutoff to sign as a vendor. For more information: 954-703-1529 or Keandra.gray@w2wbcf.org. Appt needed for Bone Density Test; call 1-866-442-2362

Notices

 

“The Earlier, the Better” Breast Cancer Detection Program Seeks Haitian Women

The Haitian American Association Against Cancer (HAAAC) and the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center are asking for your help in finding women for one of their projects, “The Earlier, the Better.” The project’s goal is to improve early detection of breast cancer among Haitian women in South Florida. They are interested in learning about Haitian American women’s experiences with breast cancer and in hearing their opinions about how to educate Haitian women about the disease. Women will receive a gift certificate for their participation.  For more information including flyers in English or Haitian Creole, please contact Pascale Auguste from HAAAC at 305-572-1825, padenize@aol.com, or Jenny Blanco from Sylvester at 305-243-1360, jblanco3@med.miami.edu.

 

Community Foundation Developing Palm Beach County's Digital Public Square

Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties is forging unique partnerships among non-profit and community organizations as the charity prepares to launch Palm Beach County's first-ever "digital public square.” From video footage of community events and an interactive historical timeline of Palm Beach County's history, to nonprofit news and comprehensive databases of community information, the Foundation's content partners are creating a wide array of resources and online training tools for the innovative project. Funds from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation are being used to develop the project and ensure its long-term sustainability. This includes training for content partners, the provision of grants to area non-profits, public outreach, development of development of grassroots civic journalism among community organizations and citizens, recruiting content contributions from across the region and staff support and technical training. For more information please visit www.yourcommunityfoundation.org or call 561-659-6800.

FLORIDA AUDIO CONFERENCES AND WEBCAST

STATEWIDE NOTICES  

Health Information Security and Privacy Toolkit for Physicians to Encourage Health Information Exchange
Florida is one of 8 pilot states for this initiative launched January 2009, called the Health Information Security and Privacy Toolkit that will provide physicians with the information they need to participate in electronic health information exchange. The Web-based toolkit focuses on safe, private and secure health information exchange for providers. It offers tools and resources to help physicians get connected electronically. Physicians can also earn continuing medical education credits while learning more about electronic health information exchange and electronic health record systems.

Recruiting Ovarian Cancer Survivors
The Comprehensive Cancer Control Program is recruiting ovarian cancer survivors in the Gainesville, Jacksonville and Miami/Ft Lauderdale areas for its Survivors Teaching Students: Saving Women’s Lives Program. For more information, please contact 850- 245-4444 extension 3854.

NATIONAL EVENTS & NOTICES

 

CONFERENCES AND EVENTS 

  

Strategies for Navigating the New Medicaid
May 31-June 2   Washington, DC
The Fourth National Medicaid Congress has announced a Call for Presentation Proposals. For further registration information, go to the website, call 800-684-4549 or email registration@hcconferences.com.

 

Disparities in Health in America:  Working Towards Social Justice
June 20–26  University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
The goal of the 7th Annual Summer Workshop is to provide a comprehensive approach to the issue of health disparities, and to provide attendees with a broad base of knowledge so that they may address health disparities with a bio-psychosocial approach.

 

Race and Class Inequalities in Health 
Conference: June 23-26  Anaheim, CA

Conceptual and data-based papers are invited for presentation at the annual Society for Epidemiologic Research meeting. There will be a contributed paper session on Race and Class Inequalities in Health. Accepted abstracts will be distributed at the June meeting and will also be published in a Supplement issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.  Submit online  For inquiries about this specific session on Race and Class Inequalities in Health, contact Irene Yen: irene.yen@ucsf.edu or Pat O'Campo: pat.ocampo@utoronto.ca

 

Community Benefit:  Moving  forward with Evidence-Based Policy and Practice
June 27  Chicago
This is a pre-conference to the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, hosted by the Saint Louis University School of Public Health Department of Health Management & Policy, and will be held from 9 am to 4 pm at the Chicago Hilton. Sixty to seventy-five participants are expected to convene to identify priority issues in each of ten select topic areas pertinent to community benefit.  Participants will be both invited and self-selected; all will be asked to do a modest amount of preparatory work prior to attending the conference. 

 

Presentation Opportunities for Child Health Services Researchers

June 27  Chicago

Proposals for research panels and posters are being accepted for the 2009 Child Health Services Research Meeting to be held on June 27 in Chicago. This meeting, now in its 11th year, features the latest in child health services research and policy.

 

Diversity Matters: An Ongoing Conversation
Nov 2-3     Vancouver, BC

Proposals are currently being accepted for this conference , which is open to professionals, educators, managers, executives, ethicists and researchers in health care, social services, and community service and development; government leaders and policy-makers; as well as consumers and all those interested,. It focuses on cultural competencies in healthcare, education, research and community services.  Among keynote speakers, Dr. Roberto Lewis-Fernandez will present on Reduction of Healthcare Disparities Through Cultural Competence: Barriers and Solutions to Consumer Engagement  and The Role of Cultural Idioms of Distress in Psychiatric Diagnosis.

AUDIO AND WEB EVENTS      

Webinar on Ohio’s Mitigation of Mental Health Rx Preauthorization Requirement

May 15   3:00-4:00 pm (ET)

In Ohio, a change in the Administration resulted in the demise of a long-standing handshake agreement between NAMI Ohio and the previous Governor to protect a class of medications used to treat serious mental illness.  As a result, Medicaid and Medicaid Managed Care began requiring prior authorization for certain atypical antipsychotic medications. NAMI Ohio's Betsy Johnson explains the multi-faceted strategy used in advocates' fight to mitigate the impact of this action.  Learn what tactics worked and "lessons learned" to apply in working to preserve access to mental health medications. 

 

Families USA Conference Call on Health Reform

May 19  3:00 pm (ET)
The Senate Finance Committee recently released a description of options to expand coverage that they are considering for inclusion in comprehensive health reform legislation. This paper represents another important step forward to achieve meaningful coverage for everyone in this country and it gives us insight into the alternatives under consideration to do that.To discuss some of the key issues in the paper, and what the paper means for health care reform, Ron Pollack, Executive Director, Families USA and Kathleen Stoll, Deputy Executive Director, Families USA

Conference Call for State and National Health Reform Leaders:
National Health Reform Is On The Move: What Advocates Can Do
May 21  2:00 PM (ET)  
Participants on the call will hear from members of the Community Catalyst National Health Reform Team about: the latest developments on the Hill and beyond; analysis on the "hot topics" of the day; political implications; actions that states can collectively take at home and in DC in the coming months. As usual, there will be ample for questions and discussion. RSVP for the call here by May 15 to ensure enough phone lines.  You will receive call-in information and materials prior to the call.

 

ACHI Webinar - Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to Advance Community and Public Health
May 21  2:00 – 3:00 pm (ET)
This presentation will demonstrate the uses and value of GIS with visual demonstrations using sample health data. It will also share information on how HIPAA compliance can be maintained when working with sensitive patient data in the GIS environment. GIS is advanced technology that is growing every day in its application to community and public health. This session will equip participants with up-to-date knowledge and greater clarity on the ways GIS can strengthen their initiatives.

 

Webinar on Indiana’s Model Legislation Requiring Open Access to Mental Health Medications

May 29   3:00-4:00 pm (ET)

During the 2005 Indiana General Assembly, the legislature created House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1325 and the Governor subsequently signed it into law. This model legislation essentially requires appropriate open access to mental health medications provided by both fee for service and the managed care organizations (MCOs) operating in the Indiana Medicaid program. The legislation also created the Indiana Mental Health Quality Advisory Committee (MHQAC). Hear from Steve McCaffrey, President and CEO of Mental Health America of Indiana and member of the MHQAC. Steve will discuss MHAI's role in the formation of this committee, its charge and its major outcomes and accomplishments to date.  For more information, contact 703-837-4798 or hmoran@mentalhealthamerica.net

ACHI Webinar - Priority Setting for Community Benefit: A Primer on Matching Community Need and Organizational Effort
June 18   2:00 (ET)
This session will establish the community needs assessment as the starting point linking the community benefit plan and program priorities. Biel will discuss the importance of adopting a formal priority setting process, and share techniques and tools for making it happen. This will include discussion of explicit priority setting criteria, tools and discussion questions to help guide the process, and real case examples from a variety of hospitals. Register for the session online.

NOTICES

 

Premier Cares Award
Deadline: July 31
The Premier Cares Award was established to recognize exemplary, innovative efforts that have made health services more accessible to the medically underserved, particularly as demonstrated in superior health outcomes. Programs exhibiting these characteristics are requested to submit an entry.

CAMPAIGNS & INITIATIVES

 

Visit the National Health Information Center for a complete list of the 2009 National Health Observances and contact information for resources

 

 

 

New listings, in order of submission deadlines 

 

American Academy of Pediatrics: Community Access to Child Health Program Planning Funds
Deadline: July 31

The Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) Program, a national program of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), is designed to improve access to health care by supporting pediatricians and communities that are involved in community-based efforts for children. The CATCH Planning Funds program provides grants from $2,500 to $12,000 for pediatricians in the U.S. and its territories to develop community-based initiatives that increase children's access to medical homes or to specific health services not otherwise available. Planning project activities must lead to sustainable, community-based child health initiatives that increase access to care, especially for underserved children, and address health disparities among children. (Grants are also available for pediatric residents, but limited to a maximum of $3,000.)  

Exploratory/Developmental Grants Program for Basic Cancer Research in Cancer Health Disparities
Deadline: Nov 23, 2011
Through this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) and the Division of Cancer Biology (DCB), at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), invite grant applications from investigators interested in conducting basic research studies into the causes and mechanisms of cancer health disparities.

Translational Research for the Prevention and Control of Diabetes and Obesity
Deadline: March 1, 2012
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) encourage NIH Research Demonstration and Dissemination Project grant (R18) applications from institutions/ organizations to test the effectiveness of interventions for the prevention and control of diabetes and obesity that have a high potential to be adopted, and sustained in applied health care settings.

Continuing listings, in order of submission deadlines     

Information Interchange and Technical Assistance for HIV Prevention
Deadline: May 28
The purpose of the program is to provide technical assistance on CDC HIV related policies and programs by promoting active communication and information exchange between mayors and other local and state government health officials.

 

Recognizing Innovation in Multicultural Health Care Award Program

Deadline: June 1

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is now accepting applications for its 2009 Recognizing Innovation in Multicultural Health Care Award program. This program highlights and recognizes health plans for their exemplary efforts and demonstrated effectiveness in promoting cultural competence and addressing the health care needs of diverse members. Download the Innovative Practices Reports from 2006, 2007, and 2008 here. Email CLASAwards@ncqa.org with questions.

 

Seed Grants for Dementia Day Programs
Deadline: July 1

The Brookdale Foundation works to advance the fields of geriatrics and gerontology and to improve the lives of senior citizens. The Brookdale National Group Respite Program supports community-based efforts throughout the U.S. to develop social model respite programs for elders with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia, and their families. The initiative awards seed grants to service providers that are planning to implement new, dementia-specific Group Respite or Early Memory Loss programs. Up to 40 programs will receive grants for $7,500 in the first year. Grants are renewable at $3,000 in the second year, based upon evaluation of the first year's activities and potential for future continuity of the program.

 

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Investigator Awards

Deadline: July 7 (Stage 1 Brief Proposals)

The RWJF Investigator Awards in Health Policy Research funds highly-qualified individuals to undertake broad studies of the most challenging health policy issues facing America. RWJF will award approximately 10 grants of up to $335,000 each to investigators from a variety of disciplines to support projects that combine creative and conceptual thinking with innovative, policy-relevant solutions. The RWJF welcomes applications from investigators in the health, social, and behavioral sciences, as well as other fields. They seek a diverse group of applicants, including minorities, early-career investigators, and individuals who work in nonacademic settings such as research firms and policy organizations. Fourteen matching grants of up to $500,000 will be awarded to independent, private, community, and corporate grantmakers working to improve the health of residents in their communities.

 

RWJF: Local Health Collaboration Partnerships
Brief Proposal Deadline: July 7
Local Funding Partnerships a collaborative program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and local grantmakers, supports innovative, community-based projects throughout the United States. Through LFP, a local grantmaker proposes a funding partnership with RWJF to provide seed money for a new project that addresses the health or health care problems of people who are not reached by traditional health and social services or for whom existing services are insufficient. Projects are expected to create meaningful change by addressing health in the context of complex social factors that impede good health for society's most vulnerable people. Programs that address access to medical care – such as the start-up of community health centers, mobile vans, dental services, or school-based health centers – also are not likely to be competitive. LFP provides grants of $200,000 to $500,000 per project, which must be matched dollar for dollar by local grantmakers such as community foundations, family foundations, corporate funders, etc.

 

Active Living Research and Healthy Eating Research
Letters of Intent Deadline: July 17
The Active Living Research and Healthy Eating Research joint call for proposals for 2009 Rapid-Response Round 2 Grants. This CFP supports time-sensitive, opportunistic studies to evaluate changes in policies or environments with the potential to reach children who are at highest risk for obesity, including African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian American, and Pacific Islander children (ages 3 to 18) who live in low-income communities or communities with limited access to affordable healthy foods and/or safe opportunities for physical activity. Research studies may focus on one or both sides of the energy balance equation - on physical activity (including sedentary behavior), healthy eating, or both. 

 

Public Welfare Foundation
Letters of inquiry due: 6-8 weeks before deadlines

Deadlines: July 27  

The Public Welfare Foundation supports efforts to ensure fundamental rights and opportunities for people in need. The Foundation looks for carefully defined points where funds can make a difference in bringing about systemic changes that can improve the lives of countless people. 2009 funding priorities include a Health Reform program that fosters the development of strong systems of advocacy with expertise in health policy, organizing community and interfaith groups, and building coalitions 

 

Premier Cares Award
Deadline: July 31
The Premier Cares Award was established to recognize exemplary, innovative efforts that have made health services more accessible to the medically underserved, particularly as demonstrated in superior health outcomes. Programs exhibiting these characteristics are requested to submit an entry.

 

Wal-Mart Foundation State Giving Program
Online Application Deadlines: Sept 18

The Wal-Mart Foundation State Giving Program awards grants at the state and regional level to programs that have a strong impact within the communities the company serves. The program provides grants of $25,000 and up in categories including Health and Wellness; these grants strive to improve access to healthcare, reduce healthcare disparities, and promote healthy lifestyles. The Foundation has a particular interest in supporting veterans and military families, traditionally underserved groups, individuals with disabilities, and people impacted by natural disasters.

 

Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Research Consortium
Deadline: Oct 6
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development solicit cooperative agreement grant applications from institutions to conduct randomized controlled trials to test innovative interventions that address issues immediately germane to the childhood obesity epidemic and runs parallel with a separate Funding Opportunity Announcement.

 

The Humana Foundation
Proposals accepted: Nov 1-June 15

The Humana Foundation supports nonprofit organizations in communities where the company has facilities in states including Florida. The Foundation is committed to serving the needs of children, families, and seniors in their quest to build healthier lives and communities. Special consideration is given to proposals that focus on the following areas: health and fitness efforts that lead to better lifestyles; literacy activities that lead to improved health experiences; and the development of technology, tools, and resources that lead to healthy communities. 

 

Frueauff Foundation
Deadline: Dec 15
The Frueauff Foundation supports mental health services, organizations serving at-risk youth and other community programs. Since its founding, hospitals and health agencies have been recipients of Foundation awards. Equipment, outreach programs, staff positions, screening and education materials are just a few examples of grants given. Health education programs for at-risk children and their parents, support for the critically ill, AIDS/HIV education programs, and nursing scholarships have all received awards in the past decade. Specific institutions and specific programs, rather than national organizations, are usually given.

    

Department of Health and Human Services Understanding and Promoting Health Literacy (R21)
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): December 24, 2009
Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): 25, 2010

  

NIOSH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings
Application Deadline: May 8, 2011
The purpose of the program is to support high quality conferences/scientific meetings that are relevant to its scientific mission and to the public health.

 

Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation
Requests are accepted from Jan 1 through Aug 31
The Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations throughout the United States that are dedicated to providing direct care or services for children with special needs, acute illnesses, or chronic disabilities. Preference is given to small organizations that might not otherwise be helped. Grants support new ideas and approaches to providing services as well as equipment purchases.

 

Advancing technology to improve healthcare sevices: Verizon Foundation

Applications accepted: Jan 1 through Nov 30
The mission of the Verizon Foundation is to improve education, literacy, family safety, and healthcare by addressing Verizon's commitment to deliver technology that touches life. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that benefit communities in the locations the company serves within the United States. One of the Foundation’s priority categories is Education and Literacy, with emphasis on innovative, technology-based approaches to literacy and K-12 education. In addition, through the Safety and Health category, the Foundation supports initiatives that contribute to the safety and well-being of families, with emphasis on domestic violence prevention and technology for healthcare and healthcare accessibility. 

 

Chronic Illness Self-Management in Children and Adolescents
Multiple Closing Dates, Jan 10, 2010
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement is to solicit research to improve self-management and quality of life in children and adolescents with chronic illnesses. Biobehavioral studies of children in the context of family and family-community dynamics are encouraged. Children diagnosed with a chronic illness and their families have a long-term responsibility for self-management. The child with the chronic illness will have a life-long responsibility to maintain and promote health and prevent complications. Research related to biological/ technological factors, as well as, sociocultural, environmental, and behavioral mechanisms that contribute to successful and ongoing self-management of chronic illnesses in children is also encouraged.

 

Occupational Safety and Health Research
Application Deadline: March 6, 2010
The purpose of this grants program is to develop an understanding of the risks and conditions that are associated with occupational diseases and injuries, to explore methods for reducing risks and for preventing or minimizing exposure to hazardous conditions in the workplace, and to translate significant scientific findings into prevention practices and products that will effectively reduce work-related illnesses and injuries.

 

Planning Grant for Oral Health Promotion across the Life Span (R21)
Closing date for applications: May 7, 2010, Multiple deadlines
This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is intended to encourage and support meritorious oral health promotion research directed at improving oral health and preventing diseases and/or their sequelae across the lifespan.

 

Community Participation Research Targeting the Medically Underserved (R01)
Expiration Date: May 15, 2010
The ultimate goal of this  Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) with a special review issued by the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), National Institutes of Health (NIH) is to solicit Research Project Grant (R01) applications that propose research on health promotion, disease prevention, and health disparities that is jointly conducted by communities and researchers and targets medically underserved areas (MUAs) and medically underserved populations (MUPs) as defined by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

 

Community Participation Research Targeting the Medically Underserved (R21)
Expiration Date: May 15, 2010
The ultimate goal of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), National Institutes of Health (NIH) is to solicit Exploratory/Developmental (R21) grant applications that propose research on health promotion, disease prevention, and health disparities that is jointly conducted by communities and researchers and targets medically underserved areas (MUAs) and medically underserved populations (MUPs) as defined by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). 

 

NIOSH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings
Deadline: May 8, 2011
The purpose of the program is to support high quality conferences/scientific meetings that are relevant to its scientific mission and to the public health. 

 

Community Participation in Research (R01)
Expiration Date: May 8, 2011
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) issued by the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), National Institutes of Health (NIH) solicits R01 grant applications that propose intervention research on health promotion, disease prevention, and health disparities that communities and researchers jointly conduct.

 

The Effect of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination/Bias on Health Care Delivery (R01)

The Effect of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination/Bias on Health Care Delivery (R21)

The Effect of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination/Bias on Health Care Delivery (R03)

Expiration Date: May 8, 2011

Grant applications are encouraged from institutions/ organizations that propose to: (1) improve the measurement of racial /ethnic discrimination in health care delivery systems through improved instrumentation, data collection, and statistical/analytical techniques; (2) to enhance understanding of the influence of racial/ethnic discrimination in health care delivery and its association with disparities in disease incidence, treatment, and outcomes among disadvantaged racial/ethnic minority groups; and (3) to reduce the prevalence of racial/ethnic health disparities through the development of interventions to reduce the influence of racial/ethnic discrimination on health care delivery systems in the United States.

 

Research on Clinical Decision-Making in People with or at-Risk for Life-Threatening Illnesses
Application Deadline: May 7, 2012
This funding opportunity seeks to stimulate research on the decision-making processes made by persons at risk for and those faced with life-threatening illness. These illnesses are ones that almost always lead to death in a fairly short period of time if left untreated, but may be chronic or even cured if dealt with early in the disease process. Decision-making can occur from the point of adopting preventive behaviors through the end of life.

 

Community-Based Partnerships for Childhood Obesity Prevention and Control: Research to Inform Policy
Deadline: May 7, 2012
The purpose of this FOA, issued by the NICHD, is to enhance childhood obesity research by fostering the formation of local, state, or regional teams consisting of researchers, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders (e.g., community representatives, public health practitioners or officials, educators) in order to identify research questions and hypotheses, design and implement the relevant research, and translate the research into evidence relevant to potential policy efforts in this area.

 

Cancer Surveillance Using Health Claims-based Data System
Deadline: May 7, 2012
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), issued by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), encourages grant applications for research entailing the use of health claims data for cancer surveillance. Cancer surveillance may include assessment of patterns of care, quality, and outcomes of care, and health disparities across the continuum of treatment.

 

2009 Aetna Foundation Regional Community Investment Programs
Various Deadlines
Information regarding the Regional Community Grants Program and Healthy Community Outreach Program including funding categories, schedule, target markets, and the online application process is now available on the Aetna Foundation website.

 

Ben & Jerry’s Foundation
Ongoing deadline for Letters of Interest
The Ben & Jerry's Foundation offers competitive grants to not-for-profit, grassroots organizations throughout the United States which facilitate progressive social change by addressing the underlying conditions of societal and environmental problems. Grant applicants need to demonstrate that their projects will lead to societal, institutional and/or environmental change; address the root causes of social or environmental problems; and lead to new ways of thinking and acting. Awards are granted ranging from $1,001 - $15,000.

 

Nathan Cummings Foundation
Letters of inquiry may be submitted at any time

The Nathan Cummings Foundation is rooted in the Jewish tradition and committed to democratic values and social justice, including fairness, diversity, and community. The Foundation seeks to build a socially and economically just society that values nature and protects the ecological balance for future generations, promotes humane health care, and fosters arts and culture that enrich communities. An additional goal is to strengthen the capacity of the Jewish community to work for social and economic justice, both in the United States and Israel. Funding priority is given to projects that have an impact at the state, multi-state, or national level.

 

Kresge Foundation Grantmaking Programs in Health and Environment

Deadline: Open

Both the Health and Environment Programs address health and environment-related social issues, particularly those affecting minority, low-income, and other underserved communities.

 

United Health Foundation - Health Services Programs Supported Nationwide
Deadline: Open

United Health Foundation works to improve health outcomes for all Americans. Support is provided to nonprofit organizations that serve the health needs of people and communities throughout the US. The Foundation's priorities are: to enhance the quality of health and medical care services by providing reliable, scientifically-based information to support decisions made by health professionals, communities, and individuals; and to expand access to medical care and health-related services for individuals and families who live in challenging circumstances. Grants generally range from $1,000 to $50,000.

 

Educational Foundation of America

Rolling Acceptance
The mission of the Educational Foundation of America is to improve individual lives and surroundings through education and awareness, in hopes of bettering humanity and the world we inhabit. The Foundation provides grants to progressive nonprofit organizations throughout the United States that offer specific programs with broad impact. The Foundation’s areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the environment, reproductive freedom, theatre, education, medicine, drug policy reform, democracy, peace and national security issues, and human services. Online letters of inquiry are accepted at any time through the website listed above.

 

Johnson Foundation: Wingspread Conferences
Letters of inquiry accepted at any time.
The mission of the Johnson Foundation is to cultivate ideas that sustain community – people living in harmony with one another and their environment. The Foundation pursues this mission through Wingspread Conferences, small meetings of thoughtful inquiry convened in an atmosphere of candor and purpose. The Foundation co-sponsors conferences with nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, or government agencies that work in the following areas: education, media, family, democracy and community, and sustainable development and the environment. The conferences are held at Wingspread, the Foundation's headquarters and educational conference center located near Racine, WI.

Fulbright Scholar Award

Multiple deadlines
Applications continue to be accepted for some Fulbright Scholar awards for lecturing, research or combined lecturing/research awards in public health during the 2008-2009 academic year.  Faculty and professionals in public health may apply for awards specifically in their field, as well as one of the many "All Discipline" awards open to any field. 

 

Ladder to Leadership: Developing the Next Generation of Community Health Leaders
Application deadline: Varies
Ladder to Leadership: Developing the Next Generation of Community Health Leaders is a collaborative initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Center for Creative Leadership. The initiative aims to enhance the leadership capacity of community-based nonprofit health organizations serving vulnerable populations. It will develop critical leadership competencies for 270 early- to mid-career professionals through an innovative, sixteen-month leadership development curriculum 

Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation Community Improvement Programs
Applications accepted throughout the year.

Provides support to nonprofit organizations that improve communities and positively impact lives. The grantmaking emphasis is on programs that help children and families, animals, or the environment. Average grant $2,500.

 

Donors Forum of South Florida on-line database
The new online searchable Donors Forum of South Florida database has up-to-date information about funders in South Florida. This resource— which is also available in hard copy — presents continuously updated information about the giving interests and procedures of funders with a track record of investing in the South Florida area and working collaboratively with others. To order, email leot@donorsforumsf.org or call 305/371-7944.

 

Directory Of Health Policy Fellowships

This Kaiser directory contains new listings for undergraduates, graduate students and professionals searching for summer, school-year, or post-doctoral positions.

 

 

Florida CHAIN Website Resources

 

Organizations and Services

     New: Florida

     New: National

     Continued Listings: Florida


Manuals, Guides and Toolkits

     New: Florida

     New: National

     Continued Listings: Florida


Technology and Audio Visual Materials

     Media Programming

     Web Sites, Web Features

          New: Florida

          New: National    

          Continued Listings: Florida


Webinars, Audio, Videos and Films: Web, Rent/Purchase. Theater 

 

Periodicals and Books

 

Reports and Studies

        New: Florida Reports

        New: National

        Continued Listings: Florida Reports

FLORIDA CHAIN WEBSITE RESOURCE UPDATE

Florida CHAIN Website Updated

www.floridachain.org continues to be updated with current resources. Find comprehensive information about Medicaid Reform including background information, evaluations, media coverage, consumer experiences, correspondence with AHCA, and more. Apply for Florida KidCare, access the KidCare renewal flyer, or view the KidCare Coordinating Council’s annual report. Discover resources for people who are uninsured. Find the contact information of Florida’s health committee members. Use our town hall meeting template to create your own town hall. Access health care resources in Spanish. Learn more about Florida CHAIN’s activities, board of directors, and partners. View Florida CHAIN’s publications. Just visit www.floridachain.org and mark it as one of your favorites.  For feedback or suggestions, contact Lisa Grossman at lisag@floridachain.org or 954-986-6535. 

ORGANIZATIONS AND SERVICES

New: Florida Organizations and Services

 

Health Insurance Resource Center has been providing consumers with health insurance information and navigation advice since 1984. They include special resources for Florida at http://www.healthinsurance.org/florida 

 

New: National

Continued Listings: Florida

Insurance claim denied? Here's where to get help
Florida Office of Insurance Regulation: Investigates complaints against insurers, including denials of claims. Online: floir.com  Phone: 1-877-693-5236
Subscriber Assistance Program: Reviews disputes between individuals and their managed-care plans. Online: fdhc.state.fl.us/MCHQ/Consumer/SPSAP/  Phone: 1-888-419-3456
Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders, SHINE: Helps consumers navigate the Medicare appeals process. Online: floridashine.org  Phone: 1-800-963-5337 
Medicare Rights Center: National group helps Medicare clients understand their rights and benefits. Online: medicarerights.org  Phone: 1-800-333-4114
Florida Legal Services: Free help for low-income adults denied prescription-drug coverage from Medicaid or Medicare Part D. Online: floridalegal.org  Phone: 1-800-436-6001

Medicare Access Network of Florida
Do you know of any Medicare Part D beneficiaries who have questions about their plan? If so, feel free to direct them to one of the SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) free counseling sites for help that are located throughout Broward and Miami-Dade. To make an appointment, or for questions, call the Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1- 800-963-5337).

South Florida Smoking Cessation Programs
South Florida Cancer Control Collaborative has also started a list of smoking cessation links. Click here to view the list.

 

(Florida) Hispanic Health Initiatives
In Florida, almost half of the 3 million uninsured adults are Hispanic. Central Florida has continued to see the rates of the uninsured increase and the availability of culturally competent services decrease. One agency, Hispanic Health Initiatives, Inc (HHI), is the only health services facility in Central Florida created to specifically address the needs of the Hispanic community.  Since its inception in June of 2000, this volunteer-driven, community-based organization has worked to connect medically underserved families with free or low-cost health care services. Read more.

 

The Florida Discount Drug Card
is designed to lower the cost of prescriptions for Florida residents who are 60 and older and without prescription drug coverage or who fall into the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage gap; OR under age 60, without prescription drug coverage, and with an annual family income of less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. Qualifying incomes include those below: $30,636 (individual); $41,076 (family of two); $61,956 (family of four). It can give eligible participants a discount on virtually all drugs and be used at all participating pharmacies.

 

Florida Relay Service 711

The Florida Relay Service is the communications link for people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf/Blind, or Speech Impaired. Through the Florida Relay Service, people who use specialized telephone equipment can communicate with people who use standard telephone equipment. To call Florida Relay, dial 7-1-1, or use the appropriate toll free numbers: 800-955-8771 (TTY); 800-955-8770 (Voice); 800-955-1339 (ASCII); 877-955-8260 (VCO-Direct); 877-955-5334 (STS); 877-955-8773 (Spanish); 877-955-8707 (French Creole)  In emergencies, Relay users should call 9-1-1 directly or the emergency services center in their community. Note: 711 can't be accessed from many buildings with a switchboard system because the PBX system won't recognize it, and consumers need to dial 1-800-955-8771 from them. Florida Relay customer service is available 24 hours a day 365 days a year: 1-800-676-3777 (English); 1-800-676-4290 (Spanish)

 

Southeast Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (SFCCC) 

SFCCC works to reduce the cancer burden and cancer disparities in Southeast Florida, including Broward, Indian River, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties. The SFCCC includes representatives from more than 60 public and private organizations, agencies and health care providers, as well as cancer survivor and advocacy groups. SFCCC aims to increase awareness about cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment among populations at high risk. The Collaborative meets quarterly at various locations in the region.

 

MANUALS, GUIDES, TOOLKITS

 

New: Florida 

 

New: National

 

Continued Listings: Florida

TECHNOLOGY AND AUDIO/VIDEO RESOURCES 

Media Programming

Web Sites, Web Features & Databases 

New: Florida Listings

Florida Census Data
Here is a very helpful link to a map of Florida that has each county hyperlinked to its US Census data, including: racial/ethnic populations, education level, income, federal dollars they receive, etc.

New: National

Public Health Advocacy Web Site
ASPH hosts a public health advocacy section on its web site, which provides an opportunity to share information on advocacy efforts with all ASPH members. The site also highlights information on policy priorities, including several policy papers exploring the nation’s public health priorities, and provides links to sources of legislative information and resources and tips on how to contact Members of Congress. ASPH will also use the web site to post alerts on activities on the Hill that are critical to public health

 

Continued Listings: Florida

 

Updates to www.FloridaHealthFinder.gov Website

AHCA has announced a major redesign of this site and the addition of a new hospice comparison tool. The site contains interactive tools that give Floridians the opportunity to compare pricing and performance for hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, emergency rooms, health plans, nursing homes, and pricing on prescription drugs.  The easy to use website provides health outcome information for over 150 conditions and procedures in Florida’s health care facilities and is linked to an extensive health care encyclopedia.

 

statehealthfacts.org

This web site recently added new data on Medicaid, CHIP and Medicare. New data from the Congressional Research Service on CHIP enrollment and projected federal allocations have been added for all states and the nation. In addition, data on the distribution of enrollment in CHIP by family income level for fiscal year 2008 and the projected federal CHIP allotments under the CHIP Reauthorization Act for FY 2009 are available for all states and the nation. Statehealthfacts.org also added new data from HHS and the Government Accountability Office about temporary federal Medicaid relief provided by the federal economic stimulus plan to states from October 2008 through March 2009, along with the total estimated federal stimulus allocations to each state through December 2010. The Web site also added new data from an analysis by the Urban Institute and the Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured of 2005 CMS data on dual eligibles. The new data include Medicaid spending for dual eligibles by service, Medicaid spending per dual eligible, dual eligibles as a percent of total Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and the distribution of dual eligible enrollment.

SHADAC Launches Redesigned State Health Access Assistance Web Site
The new RWJF Web site gives users easy access to research and resources related to issues of health insurance coverage, data collection methods and state health policy.

Florida Medicaid Reform Evaluation Project 

The website provides information on the evaluation and access to key publications, talks, and presentations produced by the MRE team. The University of Florida (is conducting a five-year evaluation of the state’s Medicaid Reform Demonstration Project under a contract with AHCA, Florida’s  state agency for  health policy and planning. The evaluation will be conducted over the period of Florida’s Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver (July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2010), as approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by the Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy at UF. The overall objective is to assess whether Florida's Medicaid Reform accomplishes its stated objectives of delivering quality healthcare services while achieving better health outcomes and enrollee satisfaction at a more predictable lower cost. For further information, contact (352) 273-6073 or mre@phhp.ufl.edu  

 

Florida's Community and Migrant Health Centers Brochure UPDATED 9/07

A low literacy brochure describing services offered at Florida's CHCs with a map of all CHC locations and phone numbers. English Brochure  Spanish Brochure  Haitian Creole Brochure

 

Annie E. Casey Foundation: 18th KIDS COUNT Data Book

This is the recently released new edition of this national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States. By providing policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, the Foundation seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children. Information is also available in an online database that enables users to generate custom graphs, maps, ranked lists, and state-by-state profiles. Both the book and the online database can be accessed on the website listed above.

First Steps: A Guide for Parents of Young Children with Developmental Disabilities

Florida Developmental Disabilities Council’s most popular publication ever has been revised and updated with critical info for any parent or family member of a young child with a developmental disability. The publication is a reliable source of info for parents at the beginning of a new journey. They will learn a new vocabulary, discover advocacy skills they never knew they had, and meet new people who will become important in their life as friends, teachers, doctors, therapists and caregivers. This is a valuable tool to help guide parents in the initial steps of their journey as well as a resource they can visit again and again as they, their child and their families grow through the coming years together. The publication is available in both English and Spanish, as well as in a full color version and a black and white version – both are in Acrobat Reader format (PDF) and available in two sections – Chapters 1 to 5 and Chapters 6 to 10 – for your convenience downloading the publications.

 

Florida Health News, free online non-profit news service
The Florida Health Policy Center has announced the launch of an independent, free, non-profit news service:  Florida Health News Inc. FHN will post health-related stories reported around the state, highlight the Florida impact of national stories, and track state health legislation.  The news service also will feature original coverage of major health policy developments and a free Monday-through-Friday news service.  You can visit the site and subscribe to the e-mail news service by clicking on the link: www.FloridaHealthNews.org. To send your comments, story tips and news of conferences and other events, or get more information, contact pat.curtis@floridahealthnews.org or 850/556-1668.

 

Florida Health Insurance Coverage of Children 0-18 (2004-2005)
Kaiser Family Foundation has released information about this on-line resource.

 

Florida Association of Community Health Centers (FACHC)

The following resources have recently been added to the FACHC web site:

Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Spanish-speaking Adults (SAHLSA-50) A new health literacy test than can be used to screen for low health literacy among Spanish speakers. 

Health Coverage and Access to Care for Hispanics in "New Growth Communities" and "Major Hispanic Centers" A 2006 Report from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured 

Spanish Language Mental Health Manual for Health Promoters Developed by the California- Mexico Bi-National Health Initiative. 

 

Florida Health Care Website for Consumers
A new Web site for Florida health-care consumers officially launches today, courtesy of the Florida Hospital Association. The site offers links to information on doctors, hospitals and health-care plans as well as checklists to help consumers ask the right questions. It is intended largely as a portal to other, established sites. There are links to sites for Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, among others.

  

State of Florida Health Care Consumer Websites
The recently expanded FloridaCompareCare.gov aims to improve care and reduce costs by giving citizens the tools to compare outcomes and prices between health care providers and medical services.  Through this website one can see data on certain conditions and procedures related to quality of care, pricing and performance at the state’s hospitals and ambulatory (outpatient) surgery centers. In 2005, Florida became the first state to publicly report infection and mortality rates in each hospital.  In July 2006, Florida became the first state to publicly report separate pediatric quality of care data. In addition, adult data can now be broken out specific to ages 65 and over. Additional new breakdowns include types of facilities.


FloridaHealthStat.com provides health care information to assist consumers, health care professionals, and researchers in making well-informed health care decisions and in researching the status of health care in Florida. MyFloridaRx.com provides consumers with the retail prices of the most commonly used prescribed drugs by pharmacy across Florida. For questions or comments regarding any of Florida’s consumer websites, contact 850/922-7036.

 

Medicaid Applications Online 24/7 and in Neighborhoods
Local partners can direct families to their area sites or online to apply for Medicaid and other benefits. The Web Application is generally preferable as the data makes it into the Florida system more quickly and there is a reduced chance of data entry errors.

 

Florida KidCare Applications can be completed online

 

Website Offers Free 24 Hour Health Information to Floridians to address concerns and inquiries 

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) Secretary encourages health care consumers to visit www.FLHealthSource.com whenever they need information about a licensed health care professional. DOH’s Division of Medical Quality Assurance (MQA) maintains FLHealthSource.com. The site provides health care consumers with a host of information, including license status, office address, and disciplinary information for all health care professionals licensed in Florida. The site also provides additional information for the five profiled professions –medical doctors, osteopathic physicians, chiropractic physicians, podiatric physicians and advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs).

 

Florida Progressive Information Network (FLPIN)

offers a nonpartisan communication system designed to link progressive organizers with progressive activists.  Individuals may sign up free of charge to receive alerts on a variety of progressive issues from other organizations participating in the Network. In order to make FLPIN work, it must be used on a regular basis. The more information put in, the more valuable it is as a tool. Link FLPIN to organization websites. A training manual is at www.flpin.net/alert.pdf.  For more information or assistance, contact jen@floridahumanist.org

 

Webinars, Audio, Videos and Films: Web, Rent/Purchase, Theater

PERIODICALS AND BOOKS

 

RWJF Daily News Digest on Health Reform!

Having the right information at the right time is an essential step in changing health care policy and practice for the better. To further this goal, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has launched its first ever Daily News Digest. This new service, focused on health reform, is a comprehensive daily look at what’s happening in the mainstream media, policy press and the blogosphere. Sign up to have this useful resource delivered to your inbox.

 

Covering Health Issues

presents a step-by-step explanation of the congressional budget process, a practical guide to covering health issues for TV and radio, and a list of sources for public opinion polls on health issues. It is written with reporters in mind, but it is also a useful resource for anyone looking for concise information on health policy issues. (April 2009, Alliance for Health)

 

Florida Dept of Health Women’s Health Newsletter

The FL Dept of Health website has a Women’s Health page with a new quarterly Women’s Health Newsletter. The April-June 2008 will be online.

REPORTS AND STUDIES

New Listings

 

New: Florida Reports

 

Floridians 50-to-65 Losing Coverage

In Florida, the ratio of workers ages 50 to 65 who lacked health coverage in a study two years ago had tripled in this decade to 18 percent, an AARP study found. A spokesman said the numbers have doubtless grown since then because of the recession in a trend AARP views as alarming. (5/8/09, AARP in Tampa Tribune)

 

Medicare Fraud Prevalent In South Florida

Just 2% of Medicare beneficiaries in the U.S. live in South Florida, but the area accounted for 17% of Medicare's total spending on inhalation drugs in 2007 because of potential fraud, according to a new fraud report. (April 2009, HHS Office of Inspector General)

New Listings: Medicaid

Medicaid as a Platform for Broader Health Reform: Supporting High-Need and Low-Income Populations
This paper summarizes the problems that low-income individuals face in today's health care system and explores policy opportunities to expand Medicaid to cover more of this population as a foundation for broader health reform efforts. (May 2009, KFF)

 

The Coverage and Cost Impacts of Expanding Medicaid
This paper quantifies the impacts on coverage and cost of expanding Medicaid to cover more of the low-income uninsured, including adults, at various income levels and with improved participation rates. (May 2009, KFF)

 

Medicaid Performance Bonuses

The recently enacted CHIP reauthorization law (known as CHIPRA) includes a number of important program and financing changes that affect both Medicaid and CHIP. One of these is the Performance Bonus, which provides extra financial support to states that succeed in enrolling Medicaid-eligible children above target levels. (April 2009, KFF)

 

New Kaiser Resources Examine Expanding Medicaid As A Platform For Health Reform
The Kaiser Family Foundation released a package of new research today that examines the policy opportunities for expanding Medicaid to cover more low-income and high-need people in ways that would enable the program to serve as a platform for larger national health reform. (5/12/09, KFF)

 

Medicaid Physician Fees Rose More Than 15 Percent From 2003 to 2008
Medicaid has historically reimbursed physicians under fee-for-service at levels below what Medicare and private health insurers would pay for the same services. The study finds that Medicaid fees grew by more than 15 percent from 2003 to 2008, but fell in real terms because the gains did not keep pace with inflation. Medicaid fees did grow faster than Medicare fees during that period, however, rising from 69 percent of Medicare in 2003 to 72 percent by 2008.  Increases were greatest in Medicaid fees for primary care and obstetrical services. (4/28/09, KFF)

 

Medicaid Prescription Drug Policies and Medication Access and Continuity: Findings From Ten States

A new study on psychiatric medication access problems under Medicaid in 10 states, including NY, TX, CA, OH, FL, MA, PA, TN, GA, and MI found that utilization management practices can have significant negative outcomes in patients. The study examines the impact of commonly used prescription drug utilization management policies such as prior authorization, preferred drug lists, step therapy, and limits on the number and dosing of medications. Medicaid programs use these procedures to contain costs, and with increasing budget deficits we’re concerned states might expand them to lower program costs associated with prescription drugs. Antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, and antidepressants are three of the top five therapeutic classes for total Medicaid pharmacy payments. (May 2009, American Psychiatric Association)

New Listings: Children's Health Care

CHIP TIPS: Citizenship Documentation Changes

This brief, the third in a series, examines changes to citizenship documentation requirements under the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. (May 2009, KFF)

 

Changes in Children’s Health Legislation Can Reduce Harmful Impact of Documentation Requirement: Rapid State Implementation is Essential 

The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) enacted in February contains several provisions to reduce the harmful impact of Medicaid’s citizenship documentation requirement, which has caused many eligible citizen children to lose or be denied coverage since its 2006 enactment. By implementing these changes immediately, states can lighten the burden that the requirement imposes on otherwise eligible families. (4/23/09, CBPP)

 

Express Lane Eligibility and Beyond: How Automated Enrollment Can Help Eligible Children Receive Medicaid and SCHIP

After describing relevant provisions in CHIPRA, this Catalog of State Policy Options explores the potential use of automated strategies to achieve four goals: Identifying uninsured children; Determining their eligibility for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP (formerly called “the State Children’s Health Insurance Program,” or SCHIP); Enrolling eligible children into coverage; and Retaining eligible children.  (April 2009, National Academy for State Health Policy)

 

Automated Enrollment Can Help States Insure More Children, Cut Costs
As states work to insure more children in challenging economic times, a new report funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) explores how states can identify and enroll eligible but uninsured children by borrowing automated strategies that have proven effective in helping eligible people receive other public and private benefits.  (4/22/09, RWJF)

Covering More Children, Rewarding Success: State Performance Bonuses

discusses the new system of performance bonuses created by the new CHIP law. These bonuses are designed to reward states for enrolling more uninsured low-income children in Medicaid. (April 2009, Families USA) 

New Listings: Medicare  

Lowering Medicare Age Requirements Could Help Reduce Racial, Ethnic Disparities

Lowering the age at which people are eligible for Medicare might help reduce health disparities that minorities face -- including high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. (4/21/09, Annals of Internal Medicine)

 

Where Does the Burden Lie? Medicaid and Medicare Spending for Dual Eligible Beneficiaries

This issue brief analyzes the demographic and health characteristics of people who are simultaneously eligible for Medicaid and Medicare, as well as their patterns of service utilization and spending under both programs. (April 2009, KFF)

 

Costs and Benefits of Eliminating the Medicare Waiting Period for SSDI Beneficiaries

concludes that even though the costs of eliminating the waiting period would be substantial, there would also be substantial benefits, including fewer beneficiaries delaying needed health care, reduced financial hardships for those who must pay high out-of-pocket costs, and reduced state Medicaid expenditures. (March 2009, Mathematica)

 

Survey Reveals Eight In 10 Seniors Satisfied With Medicare Drug Benefit

Healthcare leaders announced the latest results of a national survey of seniors showing that the vast majority of Medicare beneficiaries remain satisfied with the Medicare Part D drug benefit. Medicare Today has been tracking senior satisfaction with the drug benefit since 2006. (April 2009, Medicare Today)

New Listings: Federal/State Budgets

Tax Measures Help Balance State Budgets A Common and Reasonable Response to Shortfalls

In response to the current recession, 16 states this year including Florida have enacted tax increases. (5/13/09, CBPP)

 

Press Release: More States Are Raising Revenues to Help Close Budget Gaps
New Reports Update State Deficits, Tax Increases, Program Cuts

As tax revenues continue to fall dramatically, making a prolonged budget crisis likely, more states are raising revenues, or considering doing so, to help maintain important services.  (5/13/09, CBPP)

 

State Budget Troubles Worsen

At least 47 states faced or are facing shortfalls in their budgets for this and/or next year, and severe fiscal problems are highly likely to continue into the following year as well. Combined budget gaps for the remainder of this fiscal year and state fiscal years 2010 and 2011 are estimated to total more than $350 billion." (5/13/09, CBPP)

 

Policy Points: Overview of States and the Weak Economy

This snapshot of state budget problems has been updated to reflect the new data on state budget cuts and shortfalls included in the above analyses. (5/13/09, CBPP)

New Listings: Health Insurance, Health Care Costs   

Will Americans Support the Individual Mandate?

presents national public opinion data and found that, on its own, an individual mandate does not have broad support across a politically diverse group of participants. The study did find, however, that policy makers who choose to pursue an individual mandate may expand their base of supporters by incorporating it into a "shared-responsibility" plan that includes requirements for employers, government, and insurers. (April 2009, Health Affairs)

 

Expanding Health Coverage for Low-Income Adults: Filling the Gaps in Medicaid Eligibility
This brief reviews the health coverage of non-elderly low-income adults, who account for just over half of the non-elderly uninsured in the United States, and discusses the implications for national health reform efforts of broadening coverage for this population by filling gaps in Medicaid eligibility. (May 2009, KFF)

 

Most Uninsured Are Not Willing to Pay the True Cost of Health Coverage
According to a new poll, two-thirds of America’s uninsured would only be willing to pay $100 per month for health care coverage, but the actual average cost for an individual plan is $400 per month while a family plan costs more than $1,000, reports NPR’s "Morning Edition." (4/24/09, NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health)

 

Description of Policy Options-Expanding Health Care Coverage: Proposals to Provide Affordable Coverage to All Americans

Proposals included in this document are intended to ensure that the insurance market functions effectively. Reforms proposed for the individual and small group markets would ensure a competitive insurance market in which plans compete on price and quality rather than on their ability to segment risk and discriminate against individuals with pre-existing health conditions. Proposals contemplated in this document would also make purchasing health insurance coverage easier and more understandable by establishing a gateway or marketplace where American consumers could easily compare and purchase the coverage that best fits their needs. (April 2009, Senate Finance Committee)

 

Reform Of Long-Term Care System Could Save Billions

According to a new study, Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Reform/Estimating the Federal Budgetary Effects of the AHCA/NCAL/Alliance Proposal, the federal government could save upwards of $35 billion over ten years if it enacted a policy proposal to reform financing of long-term and post-acute care. (April 2009, Avalere)

 

The Economic Crisis: The Toll on the Patients and Communities Hospitals Serve

Six out of ten hospitals nationally are seeing a greater proportion of patients without insurance coming through their emergency departments, according to a new survey. At the same time, nearly half of hospitals reported they have cut staff. Recent employment information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms that hospital employment is no longer growing and that the number of mass layoffs for hospitals reported in February was more than double what it was a year ago.(4/27/09, AHA)

 

Healthy Competition: How to Structure Public Health Insurance Plan Choice to Ensure Risk- Sharing, Cost Control and Quality Improvement

examines the debate over the effectiveness of the public plan option in health reform. It also suggests the most effective ways to implement a successful public plan model. (April 2009, Campaign for America’s Future)

 

Rules of the Road: How an Insurance Exchange Can Pool Risk and Protect Enrollees

finds that a strong exchange can greatly reduce the problems many people currently face when they must obtain coverage on their own without the help of an employer. It then lays out four key components of an efficient insurance exchange, including minimum standards for the benefits packages offered and a limit on the number of different benefit packages. (April 2009, CBPP)

 

Mental Health Prescriptions Increased By 73% Among Adults, 50% Among Children From 1996-2006; with Mental Health Per Capita Spending Up 30%

From 1996 to 2006, prescriptions for mental health medications increased by 73% among U.S. adults and by 50% among children, according to a newly published study. A separate study found that per-capita spending for mental health care increased by more than 30% over the same 10-year period, with nearly all of the increase caused by psychiatric drug costs. (May 2009, Health Affairs)

 

Comparative-Effectiveness Research Must Be Implemented To Be Useful

With the federal government putting $1.1 billion into comparative-effectiveness research, two Baylor College of Medicine researchers advocate investing in finding ways to put that science into practice in doctors' offices and clinics across the nation. (May 2009, New England Journal of Medicine)

 

Health Care Costs: A Primer

examines recent trends in health care costs and the factors that contribute to the rapid rise in these costs. This updated primer includes information on the types and sources of health care spending, the demographic factors associated with higher or lower levels of spending, and the impact of higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs on families and employers. (March 2009, KFF)

 

New Listings: Health Disparities 

New State-by-State Report Shows Gaps in Health Strongly Linked to Education Levels

Across the country and in every state, adults with less education are more likely to be in less than very good health than college graduates, and adults in every state fall far short of the level of good health that should be achievable for all Americans (5/6/09, RWJF)

 

Hospital Care Quality Rising, but Disparities Continue
The quality of hospital care is improving at an annual rate of almost 3%, according to the National Healthcare Quality Report 2008. Hospitals continue to have the highest rate of quality improvement among the major health care delivery settings, with the four fastest improving measures all composites of Hospital Quality Alliance measures. According to an associated report on health care disparities, at least 60% of quality measures have not improved for minorities compared to whites in the past six years. However, the death rate among African-American patients whose hospitalizations are complicated by pneumonia or other medical conditions has decreased to where it is now slightly better than whites; more Asian Americans are receiving mammograms to screen for breast cancer after age 40; and American Indian and Alaska Native surgery patients are now as likely as whites to receive the appropriate timing of antibiotics. (5/6/09, AHRQ)

 

Women at Risk: Why Many Women Are Forgoing Needed Health Care

Rising health care costs coupled with eroding health care benefits are having a substantial effect on Americans' ability to get needed health care, with women particularly affected. Women experience cost-related access problems and medical bill problems more often than men. In 2007, more than half (52%) of women reported problems accessing needed care because of cost and 45 percent of women accrued medical debt or reported problems with medical bills. Since women use more health care services than men, they are more exposed to the fragmentation and failings of the current health care system—underscoring the need for affordable and high-quality health insurance coverage that is available to all. (5/11/09, Commonwealth Fund)

 

How Language Barriers Affect Quality Of Care For Immigrants

Language and cultural barriers can discourage immigrants from seeking care and might lead to "calamitous errors" in diagnoses and treatments. Some hospitals have adapted to communication challenges by installing phones to connect patients and staff to interpreters, hiring interpreters or training employees to learn languages, and recruiting bilingual staff. (4/21/09, Kaiser Health News/ Washington Post)

 

Improving Access to Language Services in Health Care: A Look at National and State Efforts

profiles work in process and implications for future policy. The report examines the activities in states that are designed to promote successful practices as a guide for dealing with patients with limited English proficiency. (April 2009, Mathematica)

 

Do Health Problems Reduce Consumption at Older Ages?

suggests that holes in the health care safety net for those under age 65 (before they are eligible for Medicare) force some low-income people to lower their living standards to cover medical expenses. For example, older adults with health problems may have to deplete their savings, forgo necessary care, or reduce their use of other essential services to pay their medical bills. (March 2009, Urban Institute)

 

Blacks Will Likely Be Negatively Affected By Proposed Medicare Reimbursement Change For Dialysis Treatment

Because blacks required higher doses of costly drugs,researchers concluded that if CMS implements its proposed reimbursement scheme, facilities may have a financial disincentive to treat African Americans, potentially resulting in reduced access to outpatient dialysis therapy. (4/23/09, Journal of the American Society of Nephrology)

 

Breast Cancer in Blacks Earlier and More Deadly

Black women get breast cancer younger than other women, and when they get it their mortality rate is higher, according to a new study. A huge University of Miami study of breast cancer shows black women get it less often but younger and in a more virulent form. Authors recommend changing screening guidelines. (5/8/09, U of Miami in Miami Herald)

 

New Listings: Other Health Issues   

 

Voluntary And Regulatory Measures Needed To Reduce Conflicts Of Interest In Medical Research, Education, And Practice

New voluntary and regulatory measures can strengthen protections against financial conflicts of interest in medicine without hindering patient care or the advancement of medical knowledge, (April 2009, IOM, NIH)

Continued Listings: Florida Reports

Reports Criticize Health Care At U.S., Florida Immigration Detention Centers
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency routinely delays, denies or provides low-quality medical care for detained immigrants in ill-equipped facilities nationwide, according to two new reports (March 2009,  Human Rights Watch and the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center)

 

A Closer Look at Tobacco Taxes: “Florida’s Fiscal Crisis: The Prescription”
This report recommends: Raise the cigarette tax by $1.00 per pack and increase the tax on "other tobacco products" to 100% of the wholesale price.  It is estimated that this change in tax rate will add an additional $1,000.8 million to the state's recurring general revenues. (March 2009, Florida Center for Fiscal & Economic Reform) 

 

ASTHO 2008 Florida Snapshot: Activities to Promote Health Equity
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) has published online snapshots highlighting state activities that promote health equity. Nearly every state is represented. This online tool features an overview of each state’s health priorities, a flowchart outlining the organization and infrastructure of state departments of health, each state’s activities and/or organizations that address the social determinants of health.

 

Florida among 10 worst states for adult diabetes
In just one decade, Florida has gone from having one of lowest rates of adult diabetes in the country to cracking the top 10 worst, federal health officials reported Thursday. Diabetes more than tripled in Florida in the past decade while it was doubling at the national level, according to CDC. (10/31/08, South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

 

Florida CHAIN Issue Brief: Health Plans' Persistently Consumer-Unfriendly and Divergent "Preferred Drug List" Posting Practices Exemplify Unresolved Challenges in Medicaid Reform

As with other benefits made available under the Medicaid Reform Pilot Program, the prescription drugs covered by health plans (called Preferred Drug Lists, or PDLs) are permitted to deviate significantly from standard Medicaid. Although this flexibility has been touted as increasing consumer choice, meaningfully informed choice is still not possible given the lack of simple and direct access to usable information about those options. In particular, longstanding problems in Reform with respect to accessing plans' PDLs on-line have still not been resolved. These problems may stem from AHCA's reluctance to impose requirements ensuring clarity, accessibility and uniformity of consumer information, as well as from its apparent unwillingness to enforce even the weak requirements it has already imposed.

 

Dying for Coverage in Florida 

More than six people die each day in Florida because they do not have health insurance. A new Families USA report is the first-ever state-specific report of its type, based on a ground-breaking national study by the Institute of Medicine, which in 2002 forged the direct link between a lack of health coverage and deaths from health-related causes. The report also finds that:Between 2000 and 2006, the estimated number of adults between the ages of 25 and 64 in Florida who died because they did not have health insurance was more than 13,600. Across the United States, in 2006, twice as many people in that same age category died from a lack of health insurance as died from homicide. (March 2008, Families USA)

 

HHS Failed To Show Budget Neutrality Before Approving Florida, Vermont Medicaid Waivers
HHS did not ensure that two Medicaid pilot projects in Florida and Vermont would be budget neutral before approving them. Under federal law, states can obtain a federal waiver for pilot programs to test new ways of delivering care under Medicaid if they can show that spending would not rise faster than it normally would. However, in approving the Florida and Vermont programs, "HHS approved spending limits that were higher than the limits that would have been granted if HHS had held the states to limits based on benchmark growth rates," the report found. In addition, "HHS' basis for approving the higher spending limits was not fully supported by documentation," according to GAO. (March 2008, GAO) 

 

State of Breast Cancer Report Names Florida as One of the "Most Restrictive" for State Assisted Breast Cancer Treatment
Florida is part of a minority of states that still determines a woman ineligible for Medicaid-funded treatment unless she was screened through the state program, restricting access to care for those diagnosed elsewhere. The Florida Suncoast Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is on a mission to lobby the state legislature to change laws affecting women seeking Medicaid-funded treatment for breast cancer. The affiliate also encourages survivors, their families and the Tampa Bay community to contact their local and state representatives, urging them to revisit the laws governing breast cancer treatment. The Report provides information on advancements in diagnosis, treatment and research that have made breast cancer a survivable disease for more than 2 million people in the United States. The report also explores cultural, social, educational and financial barriers – or disparities – that prevent many people from getting screening and receiving life-saving breast cancer care. (11/26/07, Susan Komen Fdn)

 

Florida Funding For Safety-Net Hospitals Could Be Affected By Proposed Property Tax Cuts 

Proposed cuts to Florida property taxes could reduce funding for safety-net hospitals in fiscal year 2009. The "low-income pool" of local and state tax dollars, which receives federal matching funds to reimburse hospitals that provide care to low-income and uninsured residents not covered by Medicaid, is mostly funded by ad valorem property tax revenue. Gov. Charlie Crist (R) and state lawmakers have proposed cutting those taxes this year. (1/3/08, Tampa Tribune) 

 

Too Great a Burden: Florida Families at Risk A Report on the Impact of Healthcare Costs on Florida Families

Over the past eight years, relentless growth in health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs has made spending on health care an increasing burden. For many Floridians, this means that health care is consuming an ever-growing share of their budgets, forcing them to make difficult sacrifices in other areas so they can make ends meet. And for many hard-working families, the burden of these health care costs has become too great to bear. (Dec 2007, Families USA)

 

Miami-Dade Health Profiles 2007

The Health Council of South Florida released the South Miami-Dade 2007 Health Profile in fall 2007. The South-Miami Dade Health Profile is the second in a series of area Health Profiles prepared for Miami-Dade County's Office of Countywide Healthcare Planning as part of the Building Better Communities General Obligations Bond Program which seeks to improve access to primary care throughout Miami-Dade County. A Health Profile of the Miami Beach Service Area was released in July, and one focusing on the North Miami-Dade Service Area will be released in December. Comparative data is included for Miami-Dade as a whole. The profiles provide a general overview of the population, health needs and resources available in the Service Areas.

 

(Florida) AHCA's Annual Report on Medicaid Reform

(delivered 10/1/07)

 

Annie E. Casey Foundation: 18th KIDS COUNT Data Book

This is the recently released new edition of this national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States. By providing policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, the Foundation seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children. Information is also available in an online database that enables users to generate custom graphs, maps, ranked lists, and state-by-state profiles. Both the book and the online database can be accessed on the website listed above.

 

2007 Miami-Dade County Community Health Report Card: Health improvement through benchmarking, priority setting and leadership engagement

Intended as a “call to action” for area health care advocates and policy makers, the report assesses how well systems and institutions are meeting residents’ needs. It analyzes and synthesizes 93 health indicators, examines pervasive continuing racial and ethnic disparities, and sets targets for ten priority need areas including access to health care and coverage.  

  

Florida Children’s Action Agenda 2007/2008 Available Online
Florida state Senators Nan Rich and Durell Peaden and Representatives Loranne Ausley and J.C. Planas have released the final recommendations of the 2006 Florida Children’s Summit.  The Summit participants learned a lot, and the next Summit in Fall 2008 will reflect that.  In 2008 they will spend substantially more time in workshops hashing out recommendations and will secure experienced workshop facilitators who are knowledgeable about the topics they are facilitating.  Also, they will institute a process to ensure that when leaving the 2008 Summit - or very shortly thereafter - all will know the Summit recommendations. 

 

Report looks at uninsured in Florida
This report from the Research Institute on Social and Economic Policy at FIU documents and breaks down Florida's uninsured figures, finding 18.5% of the total Florida population uninsured. The report looks at employment and industry data related to lack of coverage, and proposes a partial solution.
 
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