ARCHIVED ISSUES July 16, 2008
On July 1st, an astounding 10.6% cut in Medicare physician reimbursement rates took effect nationwide, one of the scheduled cuts required under federal law. The impact in Florida alone over the next 18 months was projected to exceed $1.2 billion dollars. With physicians already strained by 2001 level reimbursements and rising demand, on July 9th, in an attempt to avert a crisis, the U.S. Senate passed the "Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008," by a veto-proof majority, as the House had already done. But yesterday, July 15th, President Bush vetoed the same bill. (by Greg Mellowe, Florida CHAIN) Read more Organizations: TAKE ACTION to Make Health Care High Priority on McCain’s and Obama’s Agendas
Your organization's help is needed in signing on to a letter to the Florida Presidential Campaign Directors urging them to tell Senator Obama and Senator McCain to make comprehensive health reform the earliest and top domestic priority in their Administration, if elected President. Read the letter and sign on by Friday, July 25th. 
Cover Wednesday, July 30th from 9 AM - 12 Noon
On July 2nd, Florida’s State Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) and AHCA issued the awaited Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) for the new Cover Florida affordable health insurance initiative. The law authorizes them to negotiate with private insurers to for pared down coverage options affordable to uninsured Floridians. (by Greg Mellowe, Florida CHAIN) Read more
Advocacy Saves Medicaid Again As of the last issue of CR, Congress was on track to pass legislation that would block Administration efforts to implement 7 new federal rules that would have eliminated funding for critical health care and directly health-related services. It’s now official. Congress has passed and the President signed a larger budget bill that includes placing moratoria on (i.e., prohibiting) the implementation of 6 of the 7 new rules until at least April 2009. (by Greg Mellowe, Florida CHAIN) Read more
The Florida Medicaid Lawsuit: What Is Happening?
For over 20 years, members of the Florida Pediatric Society have tried unsuccessfully to "fix" Florida Medicaid, meeting with governors, Medicaid directors, legislative staff, legislators, etc. In November 2005, the Society and partner groups filed a suit in Federal District Court against Florida Medicaid regarding access to care for poor children. A trial date has been set for summer 2009. (by Louis B. St. Petery, Jr., M.D, Executive Vice President, Florida Pediatric Society) Read more
Healthy Florida Alliance Welcomes FLARA as Member Florida Alliance for Retired Americans has joined the Healthy Florida Alliance. This 213,000 strong organization adds a powerful voice to the growing chorus of support for a $1 increase in the cost of a pack of cigarettes to improve health and expand access to quality health care for Floridians. (by Linda Vaughn, Florida CHAIN) Read more
Congratulations to Rep. James “Jim” Waldman (D-Coconut Creek) for receiving the Healthy Florida Alliance Legislative Appreciation Award for sponsoring HB299 - “Cigarette User Fee”. HFA thanks Rep. Waldman for his work in support of this important legislation that would boast public health by significantly decreasing smoking and generate over $1.3 billion for improving access to health care. (by Linda Vaughn, Florida CHAIN) Read more
A once heralded Medicaid Reform feature is the so-called “opt-out” component that allows consumers to use funds that would have paid for their Medicaid coverage to instead purchase private sector coverage through their employers, with consumers funding the additional costs. But, as a June report shows, virtually no one is able to utilize this supposed opportunity for increased consumer choice and empowerment. In addition, AHCA paid $3,600 a year per beneficiary to administer the opt-out program - more than it did in Medicaid premiums to actually purchase a year’s worth of coverage. (by Greg Mellowe, Florida CHAIN) Read more
CONTRACT FOR FLORIDA'S MENTAL HEALTH/ SUBSTANCE ABUSE REFORM TREATMENT WORKS!
A coalition of advocacy groups, labor unions, medical professionals and healthcare consumers kicked off the HealthCare for America Now (HCAN) campaign on July 8th with six events across Florida and over 50 nationwide. The HCAN coalition announced a campaign to win comprehensive health care reform by demanding that our next president and Congress address America’s health care crisis in 2009. (by Laura Goodhue, Florida CHAIN) Read more Taking the family on a trip to Disney World is something that warrantselation. However, for the Bradley family, that same kind of elation came when they found out they might actually be able to take their children to a doctor. The Bradley's pay $1,000 each month for “health insurance” through the father's employer. This would be adequate if the family was healthy. But they’re not. They’ve been averaging about $20,000 each year on out of pocket medical expenses. (by Lisa Margulis, Florida CHAIN) Read more
Rescinding of Medicare Cuts Vetoed and Saved on the Same Day On July 1st, an astounding 10.6% cut in Medicare physician reimbursement rates took effect nationwide. The reduction is one in an ongoing series of scheduled cuts currently required under federal law. The impact of the cuts in Florida alone over the next 18 months was projected to exceed $1.2 billion dollars. Meanwhile, Medicare physicians, who are reimbursed at approximately the same rate in 2008 as they were in 2001, are already strained. They are also bracing for the first wave of baby-boomers to become Medicare-eligible; the number of enrollees will increase by 6 million between 2011 and 2016. An American Medical Association survey conducted last year found that 54 percent of physicians would be forced to reduce staff and 67 percent would defer purchasing information technology, if payments were cut 10 percent this year as scheduled. On July 9th, in an attempt to avert a crisis, the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 6331, the "Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008," by a veto-proof majority of 69-30. The House had already passed the same bill last month by an overwhelming, bi-partisan majority of 355-59. But yesterday, July 15th, President Bush vetoed the same bill. In a relatively rare use of his veto power, the President noted that his primary concern was the legislation's scaling back of Medicare Advantage plans, which many health advocacy groups have criticized as wasteful. The U.S. General Accounting Office had issued a report critical of Medicare Advantage plans, which will collectively receive an additional $54 billion (12%) more than would have been spent under traditional Medicare between 2009 and 2012 yet still do away with the limits on out-of-pocket spending found in traditional Medicare. With the passage of H.R. 6331, however, enrollment in Advantage plans will decrease by about 2.3 million in 2013. The Administration described the legislation as "fiscally irresponsible," alleging that the Advantage cuts would take choices away from seniors. "I support the primary objective of this legislation, to forestall reductions in physician payments. Yet taking choices away from seniors to pay physicians is wrong," President Bush said in a statement. Nevertheless, with almost no delay, later that same evening, the Senate voted 70-26 to override the President's veto. That vote came soon after the House voted 383-41 to override, and so H.R. 6331 will become law. Both Florida Senators voted in favor of the override, with Senator Martinez changing his position in recent weeks. Representatives John Mica and Dave Weldon were the only members of Florida's Congressional delegation opposing the override. The passage of H.R. 6331 rescinds the cut already in effect as well as eliminates the looming threat of another 5.4% cut that had been scheduled for January 1, 2009. H.R. 6331 instead increases rates above current levels slightly (by ½-percent in 2008). Its passage also provides Congress with additional time (18 months) to develop a long-term solution to a payment system that almost all stakeholders agree is fatally flawed. Sources of information used in this article include: the American Medical Association, AARP, Modern Healthcare Online, GAO and the Congressional Record. (Submitted by Greg Mellowe, Organizations: TAKE ACTION to Make Health Care High Priority on McCain’s and Obama’s Agendas Your organization's help is needed in signing on to a letter to the Florida Presidential Campaign Directors urging them to tell Senator Obama/McCain to make comprehensive health reform the earliest and top domestic priority in his Administration, if elected President. Please sign your organization on by emailing lisam@floridachain.org by Friday, July 25th. Letter to be sent to State Campaign Directors for Senators Obama and McCain: Dear [Florida Campaign Director]: Families across Florida are increasingly anxious about their access to high-quality, affordable health care, as you no doubt heard directly from voters during the primary season. Health care premiums are rising much faster than wages, and everyone is feeling the effects: Businesses that offer health insurance see it in their bottom lines, and family budgets are strained by rising out-of-pocket costs. For the small businesses and individuals who do not have coverage, the possibilities of obtaining coverage grow ever dimmer. The recent downturn in the economy has compounded these problems. Chief among the worries that people express about their family’s economic security is the fear of not being able to take their child to the doctor or get the medications they need to stay healthy and take care of their loved ones. We, therefore, urge you to tell Senator [Obama/McCain] to make comprehensive health reform the earliest and top domestic priority in his Administration, if elected President. We ask you this on behalf of Florida’s children, seniors, people with disabilities, and families. And we ask that Senator [Obama/McCain] make this commitment clear to Florida voters during the general election season. We are sending an identical letter to the state campaign director(s) for Senator(s) Obama/McCain. Sincerely, (Your organization will be listed)
Cover Health reform is important to all of us. How will Governor Crist’s Cover Should health reform be at the local, state, or federal level? Join health advocates, medical professionals and health policy experts in a discussion on this new health legislation. Wednesday, July 30th from 9 AM - 12 Noon Peace Education Foundation, 2nd Floor Conference Room (Please do not park in the Peace Education lot directly behind the building. Instead, use the lot on Panelists: Bill Newton, Exec. Dir., Janet Perkins, Exec. Dir., Office of Countywide Healthcare Planning Judy Rosenbaum, Retired Medicaid Program Administrator, Agency for Health Care Administration RSVP/Details: Roxannep@hscdade.org or This forum is sponsored by Florida CHAIN (www.floridachain.org) and the Human Services Coalition (www.hscdade.org). Sign language interpreters provided free of charge upon request. Auxiliary aides and services provided upon request, including printed material in alternative formats. Address requests to Roxanne Paisible at roxannep@hscdade.org or
On July 2nd, Florida’s State Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) and Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) issued the awaited Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) for the Cover Florida affordable health insurance coverage initiative, as required by legislation enacted this past session. The new law authorizes the OIR and AHCA to negotiate with private insurers to design pared down health coverage options that are affordable to uninsured Floridians. But that same law allows those same insurers to also strip away numerous consumer protections that they are normally bound to provide, while failing to explain how the need for safeguards would be balanced with the mandate for affordability. Although the ITN sheds a little more light on those matters, it primarily offers only the reassurance that the State will be the final judge of whether insurance companies’ Cover Florida proposals are acceptable. In fact, the phrase “in the Agency’s sole discretion” (or a variation thereof) appears 10 times in the body of the ITN. Consumers must essentially trust that the State will hold its ground when determining what to throw away and what to keep when negotiating with insurance companies behind closed doors. Admittedly, a significant amount of information must be submitted and certifications made by insurers responding to the ITN, but it is generally unclear what minimum bar respondents must reach with respect to any of the selection criteria. Submitted proposals will receive a numerical score in each of 9 general areas, and then be ranked based on total score. Nevertheless, even after that entire process is completed, OIR and AHCA reserve the right to negotiate with “any and all” ITN respondents. There is not even a minimum threshold score that plans must earn, either for any individual criterion or in the aggregate. Significant information about how the program will be operated is also required of ITN respondents, such as a proposed marketing plan, procedures for referrals and prior authorizations, hours of operation, bilingual customer service, retention efforts, etc., etc. There are no concrete standards or expectations articulated in most of these areas, however. (Specific marketing and outreach materials are not requested at this stage of the process, but the tentatively selected plans will provide those later.) More fundamentally, but in the same vein, with respect to each of the dozen major plan elements, particularly the various categories of required benefits, ITN respondents must simply provide “detailed descriptions” of the services that they intend to make available. A few important consumer protections are specified, however. For example, plans must allow enrollees a 30-day grace period for late premium payments prior to cancellation. Also, as was clear from the law coverage must be “guaranteed issue” (i.e., no eligible person may be denied coverage due to health status), with the only added impediment being the expected caveat that coverage for pre-existing conditions may be excluded for up to 12 months. Open enrollment in Cover Florida plans will be permitted throughout all of 2009, but in 2010 and beyond, plans may reduce their open enrollment periods to 90 days. Cover Florida plans must additionally pledge to comply with federal HIPAA requirements. Furthermore, a few well-intentioned standards of nevertheless uncertain efficacy governing access to care are incorporated into the ITN as required by the law (and the required quality standards are notably absent). For example, a plan’s network must include at least one participating primary care doctor, one specialist and one hospital within 30, 60 and 60 minutes of any enrollee’s residence, respectively. Emergency care must be provided immediately, urgent care within 24 hours, routine care within 7 days and routine physical exams within 4 weeks. Enrollees must also be provided with a member handbook and ID card within 5 days of acceptance into the plan, and that handbook must be written in plain language and on an 11th-grade reading level or lower. ITN respondents may propose multi-county or statewide premium rates, although they are not precluded from proposing an individual set of rates for each county in which they wish to offer a plan. This flexibility anticipates the reality that regional differences in health care costs will necessitate the setting of different premium rates for different parts of the state. As feared, the ITN includes no mention of any limitation on increases in premiums in subsequent years, or any limits of on cost-containment efforts such as reducing services or increasing copayments. As expected, there is also no mention whatsoever of any specific target or limit for monthly premiums, although Governor Crist had consistently cited a presumably statewide target of $150 per month. Even if a $150 monthly premium is possible in a few areas, it is almost certainly out of reach in high-cost areas like South Florida.. At least the law stipulates that changes in Cover Florida plan benefits, premiums, and policy forms are subject to regulatory oversight, but the ITN is also silent on that issue. Hopefully, the negotiated contracts into which insurers will enter with the State will require express State approval before changes can be made. All in all, the Cover Florida ITN takes a little of the mystery out of the nature of insurers and the Cover Florida plans they might be approved to offer, but plenty of mystery remains. It is not even clear that insurers can and will be able to reach even the low bar set by the law and the ITN, or that Floridians without health coverage can and will purchase the coverage offered. By and large, uninsured consumers will likely need to rely on the State’s implicit but emphatic claim that it knows potentially harmful insurers and plan offerings when they see them, even outside the context of laws and regulations, and that it will take aggressive steps to fix them or weed them out altogether.
Submitted by Greg Mellowe, Policy Director, Florida CHAIN
As of the last issue of CR, Congress was on track to pass legislation that would block efforts by the Administration to implement 7 new federal rules that would have eliminated funding for critical health care and directly health-related services. It’s now official. Congress has passed and the President signed a larger budget bill that includes placing moratoria on (i.e., prohibiting) the implementation of 6 of the 7 new rules until at least April 2009. First and foremost, special thanks are due to everyone who called or emailed their Congressional representatives to voice their concerns about these new rules in recent months. Your voice, combined with the voices of advocates representing a massive coalition of organizations nationwide, certainly altered the final outcome, even after many others had written the rule implementation off as over and done. More specifically, some of the rules were drafted, but had not yet gone into effect. For now, they won’t go into effect at all. In the case of another rule, it was already in effect until a federal judge ruled that the Administration had overstepped its authority and went beyond what Congress had authorized and in effect made up its own law, so that rule would need to be rewritten. One of the rules of greatest concern was one that would have greatly reined in Medicaid funding for targeted case management, which is an essential service for Medicaid consumers with severe disabilities or other special needs. The new rule does not recognize the invaluable role that case managers play in coordinating and facilitating access to medical, social and educational services, and that some level of case management is essential over a long period, to a certain extent.
The fact is, this rule had already taken effect. The legislation clarifies that the rule remains in effect, but with respect to the crux of the matter: who can receive targeted case management services in what form, for how long and who pays. The new law clarifies that the restrictions can be no more stringent than those clarified in 2001 guidance provided to state Medicaid administrators. This directive was more than sufficient to curb the practices of the few providers or states of greatest concern, such as using case management funds to directly pay for one or more of the services being coordinated. The one rule upon which no moratorium was placed remains in effect. According to figures reported by the State to the House Congressional Oversight Committee, that rule has no fiscal impact on Florida. So, as with the reauthorization of SCHIP (KidCare, in Florida) and several other federal-level issues pertaining to publicly financed health coverage issues, the Bush Administration’s efforts to limit or erode coverage were met with resistance by Congress. In the case of SCHIP, the President twice vetoed proposed expansion, and so the issue was deferred until after the November elections, with the status quo in effect until then. In the case of these regulations, it was Congress that blocked the President’s initiative, but with largely the same result, particularly the deferral until a new administration is in place. If these issues resurface as the moratoria expire, Florida CHAIN will provide more specific and detailed information about the impact on specific services on specific Floridians. Information used in this report was provided by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Submitted by Greg Mellowe, Policy Director,
The Florida Medicaid Lawsuit: What is Happening? Why a Lawsuit? For over 20 years, members of the Florida Pediatric Society have tried unsuccessfully to "fix" Florida Medicaid. We have met with governors, Medicaid directors, legislative staff, legislators, and bureaucrats. Medicaid pays physicians about a third of what it costs to provide the care. This year almost half of all Florida births are on Medicaid, making it increasingly difficult for physicians to continue to provide this inadequately compensated care. And, Florida Medicaid is replete with an ever-increasing number of administrative roadblocks, further impeding our ability to provide care to Medicaid patients. The Timeline In January of 2003, the Florida Pediatric Society Executive Committee voted to pursue filing a lawsuit against Florida Medicaid regarding access to care for poor children. In November of 2005, the suit was filed in Federal District Court, Miami, FL. The case has been assigned to Judge Adalberto Jordan. The Issues Under Federal Medicaid law (Title XIX of the Social Security Act), states that have a Medicaid program are required to ensure that children sponsored by Medicaid have the same access to care as do children covered by commercial insurance. We are not suing for damages?.. we just want the State to do the right thing and provide kids with appropriate access to medical and dental care. The potential remedies include paying providers at least what it costs to provide care and removing the administrative barriers so that children on Medicaid receive the care to which they are entitled under federal law. The Players The plaintiffs are the Florida Pediatric Society / the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and several parents of patients. We and the dentists are suing in large part on behalf of our patients. We are represented by the Ft. Lauderdale office of the law firm Boies, Schiller and Flexner, LLC. In addition, we have the invaluable services of the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia (PILCOP). The attorneys are providing their services pro bono, although they have the right to seek reasonable attorney’s fees from the defendants if we prevail in this litigation. The defendants are the heads of the three agencies who administer Medicaid: The Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). They are defended by the Florida Attorney General's office, and have recently hired a well known Miami litigation boutique, Kenny Nachwalter, to assist in the defense, and allegedly set aside a whopping $1.5 million of our tax dollars to pay this firm! Have There Been Similar Cases? Similar suits in Oklahoma and Illinois resulted in substantial increases in payments to physicians for most services. In Oklahoma, the state appealed the outcome and the appellate court overturned the Federal Court's decision, but the State of Oklahoma decided not to roll back the fee increases. What Are Our Chances? Good, we hope. When the State filed their Motion to Dismiss early in the case, they cited the fact that the appellate court in Oklahoma had overturned the decision, on the basis that the federal statutes are not enforceable, and that the FPS does not have standing to bring this action. Judge Jordan denied the motion to dismiss for three of the four legal counts set forth in the suit. Where Does the Suit Stand at the Moment? We are in the discovery phase and hiring expert witnesses and arranging depositions. The judge has set a trial date for the summer of 2009, although there is a good chance that date will be pushed back to the fall. If the State were to decide to settle and avoid trial, the issue could be resolved much sooner, and with greatly reduced litigation expenses to the State (i.e., the public, you and me, the taxpayer). In a day when everyone, especially elected officials, is crying about budget shortages, it is unbelievable that, rather than seriously discussing settling this suit and fixing Medicaid's problems, the State has spent big bucks to hire a boutique law firm, and is dedicating so much time and resources to try to crush the pediatricians and pediatric dentists. You would be amazed at the amount of time that our attorneys are spending on this project, pro-bono. They have approximately 8 attorneys devoting significant time to this case. Even I spend at least 10 hours a week outside of my full-time practice on suit-related matters. Why Are We Seeking Contributions? Although the Boies firm and PILCOP are providing their services pro-bono, we must raise money to retain several expert witnesses, to cover the costs of court reports at dozens of depositions, and the like. Thus far, we have collected just over $140,000, and have spent just over half of that. We need substantial additional funds to continue to vigorously prosecute this case. We have asked the FPS members to each contribute $200. Many have done so. The Florida Medical Association, the Florida Dental Association, the Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the Florida Academy of Family Physicians, the Miami Children's Hospital Medical Staff, other physician groups, individual non-pediatricians, and non-physicians have also contributed significantly. We have formed a separate fund to deposit this money. If we prevail in this suit, the judge may award attorney fees and costs. If we are awarded costs, we plan to reimburse contributors on a pro rata basis. (If the judge awards 100% of costs, we will reimburse contributors 100%.) How Can I Get More Information? Listen to a Public Radio newscast on the lawsuit Louis B. St. Petery, Jr., M.D. Executive Vice President Florida Pediatric Society Office:
We are pleased to announce that the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans has joined the Healthy Florida Alliance. This 213,000 strong organization adds a powerful voice to the growing chorus of support for a $1 increase in the cost of a pack of cigarettes to improve health and expand access to quality health care for Floridians. Upon joining HFA, FLARA’s President Tony Fransetta said, “As Florida’s largest elected membership based organization we will continue to support those issues that are intergenerational such as health care and funding for our children, citizens and senior citizens.” FLARA was formed in 1963 and is dedicated to creating opportunities for effectively confronting the new challenges that come as the baby boomer generation retires and the labor movement faces this wave of retirements over the coming decade. They organize and implement programs that will support the revitalization of the senior movement while addressing the needs of older and retired workers in the next century. Expressing support for the “Cigarette User Fee,” Barbara DeVane, Recording Secretary for FLARA stated, “It is the mission of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans to work diligently for health care for all in this country and we are excited to join with others in this quest. Our retirees truly care about the well being of our children and grandchildren and working together on this bill will bring us closer to our goal." You can find more information about this exceptional organization at www.flara.org. (For more information about HFA and their health care priorities for allocating the revenue from the $1 increase, please visit www.healthyfloridaalliance.org).
Submitted by Linda Vaughn, Florida CHAIN Florida Representative Waldman Receives"Legislative Appreciation Award" from Healthy Florida Alliance Congratulations to Representative James “Jim” Waldman (D-Coconut Creek) for receiving the Healthy Florida Alliance Legislative Appreciation Award for sponsoring HB299 - “Cigarette User Fee”. HFA thanks Rep. Waldman for his work in support of this important legislation that would boast public health by significantly decreasing smoking and generate over $1.3 billion for improving access to health care.
HFA partners participating in Award Ceremony, L-R: Leonardo Scarpati, AARP; Carol Smith, AARP; Patricia Kodish, March of Dimes; Gladys Segredo, AARP; Rep. Jim Waldman; Lisa Margulis, Florida CHAIN; Bill Rettinger, Medicaid Advocates.com
In thanking HFA Rep. Waldman said. “Yes, a $1 cigarette tax will bring over $1 billion in revenue to the state. But, more important to me, it will reduce the number of young people who smoke and, as a result, will reduce future medical costs caused by tobacco related illnesses. It is my intent to continue fighting for this bill until I can convince a majority of my colleagues that passage of this bill is in the best interest of our citizens and our state.” Patty Kodish, Associate Director for Program Services, S. FL. Division for the March of Dimes explained that MOD is focused on prevention, education and expanded health care, “One HFA priority is to increase health coverage for pregnant women. And, one of the March of Dimes priorities is to increase smoking cessation education among pregnant women to reduce the number of babies being born too early in our state.” Carol Smith, an AARP volunteer leader in South Florida added, “We appreciate Rep. Waldman's courage and leadership on behalf of AARP's 3 million members during the 2008 legislative session. His willingness to fight on behalf of all Floridians was encouraging to see during a tough legislative session." Also participating in the presentation were Leonardo Scarpati and Gladys Segredo representing AARP; Florida CHAIN/HFA representative, Lisa Margulis; and from Medicaid Advocates.com, Bill Rettinger. Please join us in congratulating Rep. Waldman!
(For more information about HFA and their health care priorities for allocating the revenue from the $1 increase, please visit www.healthyfloridaalliance.org).
Submitted by Linda Vaughn, Florida CHAIN
Reform Participants “Opt” Not to Opt Out; AHCA's administrative costs alone more than double cost of coverage One of the once heralded features of Medicaid Reform is the so-called “opt-out” component. Opt-out allows consumers to use funds that would have paid for their Medicaid coverage to instead purchase private sector coverage through their employers. Consumers would be responsible to fund the difference between what would have been paid for Medicaid coverage and what they must pay to purchase coverage. According to Florida’s approved federal waiver of Medicaid rules, opt-out would “help bridge the gap to independence by providing individuals with a subsidy to move to private [coverage].” Allowing consumers to opt-out is consistent with the general principle of Reform that the private sector would do what Medicaid has failed to do. Very little is said publicly about opt-out today because, as a June report released by OPPAGA (the research and evaluation arm of the Legislature) shows, virtually no one is able to avail themselves of this supposed opportunity for increased consumer choice and empowerment. In fact, through 19 months of Reform enrollment, a total of only 30 consumers in 16 households had actually opted-out. To put this into context, although OPPAGA notes that less than 1% of all consumers participating in Reform thus far have opted out, the participation rate is actually much closer than 1/100th of a percent. To make matters worse, AHCA contracted with a private company to administer the opt-out program at a cost of more than $3,600 per consumer. In other words, the State paid more than twice as much to administer the program than it did to provide a year’s worth of coverage. AHCA is now in the process of trying to change its opt-out administrative contract. OPPAGA also notes that AHCA lacks information about why participation in opt-out has been low, although more than a third of Reform consumers report some earned income. Understanding the poor response does not require much of a reach, however. First, in general, employer-sponsored coverage, especially for these low-wage jobs (most Medicaid recipients are well below the poverty level, and all are very low-income) is often completely unaffordable and/or not very good coverage anyway. Competition won’t solve that problem. In addition, only one of the opt-out participants was an SSI recipient (persons with disabilities), which is no surprise since SSI recipients cannot attempt to work without risking their Medicaid coverage. This is the case in Florida despite the fact that Congress provided states with the flexibility to do something about this problem as far back as 1999, when the Ticket to Work Act passed. Florida has in fact, from the very beginning precluded one of the two groups mandated to participate in Reform from “bridging to independence”. Even then, people with serious disabilities desperately need the services provided by Medicaid, and private coverage rarely provides them, especially since they are obviously pre-existing conditions. The solution is to allow Medicaid consumers who work to “buy in” to Medicaid by paying a portion of the cost instead of insisting that they opt out. A bill that would have authorized Medicaid buy-in for SSI recipients failed to gain much momentum last legislative Session. It will clearly be necessary, at least for the foreseeable future, for all but a tiny proportion of Reform participants to continue to opt-out of opting out of Medicaid. Submitted by Greg Mellowe,
"CONTRACT FOR FLORIDA'S MENTAL HEALTH/SUBSTANCE ABUSE REFORM" TREATMENT WORKS! WHAT WORKS COSTS LESS!
TO: FRIENDS OF MENTAL HEALTH/ SUBSTANCE ABUSE REFORM RE: "CONTRACT FOR FLORIDA's MENTAL HEALTH/SUBSTANCE ABUSE REFORM" Your help is needed to complete the first phase of the campaign for the "CONTRACT FOR FLORIDA's MENTAL HEALTH/SUBSTANCE ABUSE REFORM".
The documents linked have been prepared with input from the whole Florida Mental Health/Substance Abuse Community. HERE IS THE HELP WE NEED FROM YOU NOW:
We are mobilized to present the CONTRACT to candidates and ask for their committment to its terms. It will go by Return Receipt U.S. Mail to be certain we reach all 75 candidates in our region. That mailing is scheduled for Monday of next week. This TAMPA BAY REGION MENTAL HEALTH TOWN SQUARE WEB Site is ready to display the candidates' reactions and positions.
CLICK HERE for the Guide to Candidates' Positions. Select the county that interests you. Then click on the name of a Candidate. On the linked page is their page on the WEB Site of the Secretary of State. We will give Candidates an option to have that link go to their campaign WEB page instead. Also, each Candidate will be given a choice to have a "blog" on the site to facilitate direct communications with our stakeholders.
We will NOT ENDORSE any specific candidates. This project is to educate candidates and the voting public about what are critical issues for everyone in Florida.
Like any effort of this type, financial support is also needed. CLICK HERE if you can also make a financial gift to help us run this campaign. [BACKGROUND: Remember that every seat in the Florida House of Representatives and half the seats in the Florida Senate are up for election in November. This is a unique and important opportunity to educate the interested voting public about the benefits of Mental Health/Substance Abuse Reform. At the same time, we can ask candidates to publicly make their committment to mental health/substance abuse reform before they are elected.
That is because TREATMENT WORKS! and WHAT WORKS COSTS LESS! The voting public and many candidates do not know that. We must step up and lead the rest of Florida how our campaign is not just for those who need treatment and care; but, also, for the benefit of the rest of society.] Please also send a message to everyone you know that believes in Mental Health/Substance Abuse Reform with a link to this page so they can also participate. If anyone wants to become a part of our online TAMPA BAY REGION MENTAL HEALTH TOWN SQUARE they can CLICK HERE to join our community. Thank you to everyone who supports this important campaign. This is going to be an exciting period for all who care about Mental Health/Substance Abuse Reform.
Mental Health Matters! Too many Americans and their families can't access vital - and often life-saving - mental health services. This November, cast your vote for the candidates who will make mental health a priority. For more information contact: Mental Health America of Greater Tampa Bay 
Florida Groups Announce Campaign to Win National Health Care Reform: HealthCare for America Now A coalition of advocacy groups, labor unions, medical professionals and healthcare consumers kicked off the HealthCare for America Now (HCAN) campaign on July 8th with six events across Florida and over 50 nationwide. The HCAN coalition announced a campaign to win comprehensive healthcare reform by demanding that our next president and Congress address America’s health care crisis in 2009.
Consumers and advocates gather in Broward county to kick off the Health Care for American Now (HCAN) campaign. While an overhaul of America’s fragmented healthcare system that leaves 3.8 million Floridians uninsured is a herculean task, it’s one that is way overdue, according to coalition members. They are organizing to create a system that will provide affordable, quality healthcare for all Americans. The campaign has the backing of large membership organizations across the country such as SEIU (Service Employees International Union), Planned Parenthood Federation of America, ACORN, the AFL-CIO and almost 100 organizations who want to ensure that all working families have a choice of medical plans that meet their needs and budget. Florida CHAIN helped to coordinate the Health Care for America Now events in Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Tallahassee to include the participation of consumers who spoke about their struggles accessing healthcare. In front of the West Palm Beach federal courthouse, student Nick Tilsner spoke about wrestling with insurance companies that repeatedly denied claims for medically necessary services related to his cerebral palsy. He described how his working mother would spend all of her lunch hours on the phone or in person trying to get through bureaucratic hurdles to ensure that her son received medical care and how his insurer would only pay $500 of a $7,000 surgery to straighten his legs. Nick is joining the HCAN campaign because he thinks that families who cope with chronic medical conditions or face a catastrophic health crisis shouldn’t have to worry about whether their medical bills will be paid. "This debate should always be about making sure a twelve year old with cerebral palsy always gets the needed coverage to manage the condition, and expanding coverage to those who don’t have it." "We cannot rest until we accomplish these goals," said Nick. While the HCAN campaign is a national movement, the Florida campaign may very well lead other states in terms of grassroots momentum. Events held in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa and Tallahassee garnered considerable public attention and hundreds of supporters participated to echo the call for a fix to out of control healthcare costs. Florida has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country and while Governor Crist recently spearheaded legislation aimed to offer low cost insurance to Florida’s uninsured, campaign organizers claim that more is needed. Palm Beach Post- National health reform campaign arrives at West Palm courthouse
Submitted by Laura Goodhue,
This Florida Family's Health Insurance Would Be Adequate Only if They Were All Healthy Taking the family on a trip to Disney World is something that warrants elation. However, for the Bradley's, that same kind of elation came when they found out they might actually be able to start taking their children to a doctor. The Bradley's pay $1,000 each month for, what some might call, “health insurance” through the father’s employer which pays him an annual salary of $52,000. This health insurance would be adequate if the Brady family was healthy. But they’re not. They’ve been averaging about $20,000 each year on out of pocket medical expenses. The health insurance they pay through the father’s employer would be adequate if they weren’t required to pay co-payments for the average 20 medications that Mrs. Bradley and two of her children take each month. It would also be adequate if two of the Bradley children didn’t have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and didn’t need to see a rheumatologist. The health insurance would have been adequate if the Bradley's son, 12, didn’t have Asperger’s disease as well as obsessive compulsive disorder or if her daughter, 11 years old, didn’t suffer from migraines and need to have any MRI’s or need hospitalization, which is only covered after the first $500/day for the first five days. The situation couldn’t go on any longer as it was. The Bradley’s were getting deeper and deeper into the whole and the family wasn’t getting the care they needed. When they learned that they could get into the full pay in the KidCare, the state’s children’s health insurance program, they decided to apply. However, things weren't as easy as that. To be eligible for KidCare’s full pay program, the children have to be uninsured. The Bradley’s weren’t uninsured so they weren’t eligible. They wanted to cancel the children’s coverage so they’d be eligible, but the company wouldn’t let them do that unless they proved they had another insurance to which they were transferring. It was a Catch 22 situation.
As of the publishing of this article, the Bradley's are still trying to figure out how to get the care that they need.
Submitted by Lisa Margulis, Communications Director, Florida CHAIN
West Central Florida
National Events
Notices
2008 Florida Conference on Aging Aug 11 -14 Orlando Resort at SeaWorld Call
Events One Goal: Building the Future Together “Putting Families and Children First” July 16-18 Hyatt Regency at Tampa City Center This conference brings together early education and care providers and leaders from around the state to share innovative programs, practices and techniques for improving services and outcomes for all Florida’s children. Includes general sessions, concurrent presentations, and exhibits of appropriate materials. Presenter Proposal Form is on the website. The previous conference “Providing Childcare For Children With Disabilities And Special Health Care Needs” coordinated by the Florida Inclusion Advisory Council is now fully integrated with the One Goal Summer Conference. Registration fee of $45 waived for primary presenter only. Contact: 2008 Minority Health Disparities Summit Event: Aug 13-15 Grand Hyatt, Tampa Bay The Florida Department of Health (DOH), Office of Minority Health (OMH) announces the Summit. This year’s theme is “Bridging the Gap: Embracing Solutions to Eliminate Health Barriers.” It will examine health barriers that contribute to health disparities. The goal is to present solutions and/or interventions to these barriers to help bridge the health gap in Florida. Individuals can register for the conference in June for $100, or $110 after July 18. CEUs for select sessions. Rooms may now be reserved at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay for $117 per night by calling
Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Medicaid Reform in Florida - Year 2 Oct 15 9:00 am-4:00 pm Marriott Tampa Airport Researchers at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute, with support from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, the Florida Health Policy Center, and the Florida Philanthropic Network, will host this event to examine Florida's experience with Medicaid reform. Contact jwt24@georgetown.edu or
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.
Events
Town Hall Meeting on BLACK INFANT MORTALITY July 16 7:00 pm-9:00 pm African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, 6161 NW 22nd Ave, Miami Asking all community stakeholders - legislators, business executives, and local decision makers to be present to learn to impact this critical issue TOGETHER. To RSVP or for more info, call
Black Community Health Forum: A Call to Action July 21 5 pm Reception, 6-8 pm program Lou Rawls Center, 15800 NW 42nd St, Miami Gardens Sponsored by Miami-Dade County Health Dept. To RSVP or for more info: 305-592-1452
Cause & Affect Advocacy Training 2008 Summer Advocacy Corps Training (ACT) Summit July 26 10 am - 4 pm Where: TBD HSC’s ACT (Advocacy Corps Training) Summit will help you find your voice, tell your story and get your cause noticed. Acquire the basic tools to be an influential advocate (We won't duplicate what we've covered in our ACT training series). Meet other people eager to speak up and get involved. Find a group(s) and volunteer. Sign up now for this free training! Sign language interpreters will be provided free of charge upon request. Auxiliary aides and services will also be provided upon request, including printed material in alternative formats. Contact georgen@hscdade.org or
Cover Florida: The Unregulated Health Insurance Market: A Blueprint for National Health Reform? July 30 9 am- 12 Noon Peace Education Foundation, 1900 Biscayne Blvd., Miami Health reform is important to all of us. How will Governor Crist’s Cover Florida and Florida Healthy Choices impact the health of the uninsured and underinsured? Should health reform be at the local, state, or federal level? Join health advocates, medical professionals and health policy experts in a discussion on this new health legislation. Sponsored by Florida CHAIN and HSC. Sign language interpreters provided free of charge upon request. Auxiliary aides and services provided upon request, including printed material in alternative formats. RSVP/Details: Roxannep@hscdade.org or
Florida Health Care Coalition Third Annual South Florida Conference
South Florida Cancer Control Collaborative meeting Aug 21 10:00 am to 2:00 pm Hospice by the Sea, 1531 W. Palmetto Park Rd., Boca Raton Networking & coffee start at 9:30. Contact: Dorothy Parker, MHS, Dialogue on Health Across Cultures: A Workshop on Cultural Competency in Cancer Care for South Florida Sept 20 Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale/Davie The Southeast Florida Cancer Control Collaborative invites you to attend its cultural competency workshop. The program is designed for participants to: gain a better understanding of the diversity of cultural values, attitudes and beliefs that impact health behaviors and the use of health care services in South Florida; educate health care providers about the importance of a culturally sensitive environment, materials and resources; and increase awareness of race, ethnic and gender disparities, as well as language and cultural barriers in accessing cancer care. More info: MGonzalez16@med.miami.edu or Notices
Ovarian Cancer Survivors Sought to Teach Students The Florida Department of Health and the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance are looking for ovarian cancer survivors who might be interested in participating in the Survivors Teaching Students (STS) Program. They are looking for about 5 women from Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and/or Martin counties. Pass this along. Contact Mary Shafer
Women Beyond Cancer is a national non-profit organization that provides free retreats for women dealing with cancer. Its Chairwoman lives in Miami Beach and is interested in letting others know about their services, and in being part of the Collaborative. Contact murfeebrwn@aol.com
FLORIDA AUDIO CONFERENCES AND WEBCAST
New Florida Cancer Drug Donation Program This program was created during the 2006 Legislative Session, to provide access to the drugs and supplies used to treat cancer to patients who are uninsured and do not qualify for Medicare, third-party insurance or any other state or federal programs. Section 499.029, Florida Statutes, authorizes the donation of cancer drugs and supplies by any person or entity to a participant facility for re-dispensing to an eligible recipient. Facilities holding an Institutional Class II Hospital permit in Florida may elect to participate in the CDDP by submitting a notice of participation to DOH. As a participant facility, the hospital pharmacy would accept donated cancer drugs and supplies from eligible donors, inspect the donated cancer drugs and supplies for authenticity, and dispense the drugs and supplies to eligible patients. Who are uninsured and are not eligible for third-party insurance coverage, Medicaid, or any other state or federal assistance. For more information about the Cancer Drug Donation Program, please visit the program website at www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/ddc/cancer or E-mail: cddp_mqa@doh.state.fl.us
The Annual Conference on Assessment Initiative Poster session abstract deadline: July 18 e-mail to Nelson Adekoya at nba7@cdc.gov August 18-20 Atlanta, GA Sponsored by CDC, this meeting will focus on sharing information on innovative systems and methods that improve the way data are used in public health programs, services, and policies at the local and state levels. Sessions will address data dissemination, health assessment research, applied data analysis, presentation techniques, and community health-assessment processes and outcomes.
Participate in a Medical Homes Summit July 24-25 Washington, D.C. On behalf of the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) and the Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative, The Commonwealth Fund invites states to apply to participate in the Medical Homes Summit. This Commonwealth Fund-supported summit is designed to help state policymakers improve the quality and availability of medical homes for Medicaid and State Children Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) beneficiaries. The summit will host teams from up to 10 states that are developing or have committed to developing medical home initiatives. Participants will meet with peers and nationally recognized experts to examine promising practices, brainstorm new approaches, and begin to apply the lessons learned to participating states' plans.
The Association for Community Health Improvement National Conference Proposal Deadline for Breakout Sessions: Aug 8 March 11-13 Los Angeles This annual conference hosts more than 450 professionals from hospitals, health systems, foundations, public health, and community health organizations for a gathering that stimulates real change and improvement in how community health programs are planned, run, and evaluated. There will be four tracks: Leading Community Health Assessments to Set Priorities, Programs, and Policie; Achieving Community Benefit Excellence; Improving Health by Addressing Our Social and Built Environments; Building the Skills of Community Health Leaders (for Today and the Future)
Becoming the Healthiest Nation in a Healthier World Conference: Sept 9-12 Sacramento This annual National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) conference will be the year's largest gathering of state and local public health officials in the United States, jointly sponsored with Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). Sixth National Conference on Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations Sept 21-24 Minneapolis Held biennially since 1998, this is one of the most respected and well supported events on cultural competence and health disparities reduction in the United States. It is co-produced by Drexel University School of Public Health's Center for Health Equality, Resources for Cross Cultural Health Care, and the USDHHS Office of Minority Health Care. This year's theme is "Partnerships for the Future: Supporting Practitioners and Advancing the Field through Innovation, Policy and Research."
Climb to New Heights-Metrics for Community Health Solutions
AUDIO AND WEB EVENTS ACHI audio conferences
Cutting through the Clutter: Building Awareness of and Identity for Community Benefit Conducting High Quality Community Health Assessments: Two Communities Illustrate Contrasting Approaches $40 (members) and $80 (non-members)
Get Help With Back to School Medicaid & SCHIP Events Register Your Event and Receive 50 Free School Supply Kits! Cover the Uninsured and CKF offer fifty FREE Back-to-School supply kits will be available to the first 250 event planners who register their enrollment events. Each school supply kit is designed to fit into a student's three-ring binder and includes two pencils, an eraser and a plastic ruler. Visit the Event Planning Center to sign up and qualify. Get new ideas for events. Order free back to school materials. Get help from the with News Conferences . And more.
Health Care for America Now Launch Health Care for America Now, an unprecedented coalition of major organizations including labor unions, large community-based membership groups, women's groups, DC think tanks, doctors, nurses, small businesses, and leading netroots activists, will launch a new $40 million campaign to push for quality, affordable health care for every American.
The American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) Theme Issue Submission deadline: Aug 1 This issue will feature current research and contributions of environmental justice and community-based participatory research projects to the fields of environmental and occupational health. Key topics to be addressed include exposure assessment, especially as it relates to cumulative risk; environment-related diseases; community based approaches to improving exposure and disease surveillance for populations that are hard to track; and evaluation of partnerships designed to promote health research, education, and prevention/intervention programs for low-income, immigrant, and minority populations who may be disproportionately exposed to environmental and occupational stressors. All manuscripts will undergo the standard peer review process by the AJPH editors and peer referees as defined by AJPH policy. Submit manuscripts to http://submit.ajph.org/ Social Determinants of Health: A Call For Papers On Nov 8, 2008, The Lancet will publish a theme issue devoted to the social determinants of health. We invite submission of research papers, reviews, viewpoints, and comments with an emphasis on action-what the doctor, public-health worker, policy maker, and politician can do to reduce inequalities and tackle the broad interplay of economic and social forces affecting health. Two New PAL Lawsuits challenge illegal deceptive drug marketing! PAL has two new opportunities for our coalition members and consumers to join lawsuits challenging illegal pharmaceutical marketing tactics, concerning: 1) Vytorin and Zetia, two cholesterol drugs for which Merck and Schering-Plough suppressed results of their own study. Any consumer, health plan or union benefits fund that purchased or paid for any of the cost of these two drugs from April 1, 2006 to the present can join the case. Click here for a flyer, email wwilkinson@communitycatalyst.org or call
Free Materials Available: Use the free guides and toolkits to help you get started! Myths and Facts on the Uninsured. Too many people have misconceptions about the uninsured in America. Share our fact sheet to help educate leaders in your community. Free bookmarks, lapel stickers and promotional fans are available to help you promote the importance and availability of health care coverage. Place your order today! Download and share your state’s Guide to Finding Health Coverage at your event.
2008
UV Safety Month
National Immunization Awareness Month
National Cholesterol Education Month
Let's Talk Month National Domestic Violence Awareness Month American Cancer Society
National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month National Hospice Palliative Care Month Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
Great American Smokeout – November 20 Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Awareness Week – Nov 25-Dec 1
New listings, in order of submission deadlines
Continuing listings, in order of submission deadlines
Developing and Disseminating Targeted Immunization Materials Deadline: July 29 The purpose of the program is to provide support for the dissemination of immunization information using electronic and/or digital formats to enhance the effectiveness of disease prevention programs that reduce the annual burden of vaccine preventable diseases. This program addresses the “Healthy People 2010" focus areas of Health Communications and Immunization and Infectious Diseases. American Academy of Pediatrics: Community Access to Child Health Program Planning Funds Public Welfare Foundation Social Change Programs Funded Full proposal deadline: Aug 1 Letters of inquiry should be submitted at least six weeks before the deadline
Grants for Organizations that Serve Disadvantaged Communities
GE Healthcare Charitable Giving Program Deadlines: Aug 1, Nov 1
Maximizing Enrollment for Kids: Making Medicaid and SCHIP Work Deadline: Aug 6 Although states have made progress in finding, enrolling and retaining eligible children in public health coverage programs like Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the number of uninsured children who are eligible but unenrolled still remains high.
Johnson & Johnson/Society for the Arts in Healthcare Partnership to Promote Arts and Healing The Society for the Arts in Healthcare (SAH) promotes the use of the arts to enhance the healthcare experience for patients, their families, and caregivers. The Johnson & Johnson/SAH Partnership to Promote Arts and Healing provides grants averaging $75,000 over three years to collaborations of healthcare organizations and arts agencies in the U.S. and Canada that have established models of high quality healthcare through the use of arts. Funded programs must have been in existence for a minimum of three years and have demonstrated a high potential for replication. Programs may be located in a variety of settings, including clinics, hospitals, hospices, medical schools, and public health services. At least one member of the partnership must be a current member of SAH. The deadline for letters of inquiry is August 8, 2008. Visit the SAH website for program details and application guidelines.
Cancer Prevention and Control Activities
2009-10 Packer Policy Fellowships Deadline: Aug 15
Department of Health and Human Services Understanding and Promoting Health Literacy (R21) Physician Advocacy Merit Award 2009-10 Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice
Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida Announces Deadlines for 2008 Sept 12 (Winter Cycle) The Blue Foundation board of directors has identified community-based health clinics and outreach services as a priority focus for the foundation's grantmaking. The greatest percentage of the Blue Foundation funding will be to identify, nurture, and sustain such activities to benefit uninsured and underserved population. 2008-2009 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars Community-Campus Partnerships for Health Annual Award Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation Advancing technology to improve healthcare sevices: Verizon Foundation Applications accepted: Jan 1 through Nov 30 The Humana Foundation 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.
Research on Social Work Practice and Concepts in Health (R03) Closing date for applications: May 7, 2009, Multiple deadlines This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) issued by the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research solicits Small Research Grant (R03) applications from organizations/institutions that propose to develop empirical research on social work practice, concepts, and theory as these relate to the NIH public health goal of improving health outcomes for persons with medical and behavioral disorders and conditions. Planning Grant for Oral Health Promotion across the Life Span (R21) Community Participation Research Targeting the Medically Underserved (R01) Community Participation Research Targeting the Medically Underserved (R21)
Community Participation in Research (R01) 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.
Educational Foundation of America Rolling Acceptance
Johnson Foundation: Wingspread Conferences Multiple deadlines Medical Care Enhancement Funded by United Health Foundation Ladder to Leadership: Developing the Next Generation of Community Health Leaders Donors Forum of South Florida on-line database 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 Technology and Audio Visual Materials Audio, Videos and Films: Web, Rent/Purchase. Theater New Listings: Children's Health New Listings: Federal/State Budget New: Health Insurance, Health Care Costs Health Insurance, Health Care Costs
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.
Newly posted resources are at the top of each Topics List.
The Florida Discount Drug Card 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:
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.
IPUT, Informed Parents United Together: Advocating for Universal Education and More! This nonprofit agency works at an individual local network level to educate parents
AARP's Public Policy Institute
Medicare Rights Center (MRC) has an Rx Hotline for Nonprofit Professionals as one component of its comprehensive independent source of health care information and assistance for older adults and people with disabilities. It helps with understanding or explaining the Medicare prescription drug benefit to clients. Call RxHelp, a national hotline dedicated for nonprofit professionals serving the Medicare population, operated from 10 am to 6 pm EDT. Dial 877/RXHELP-0 (
The nonprofit ABC is dedicated to ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries with limited incomes know about and make the best use of all available resources for accessing prescription drugs and reducing their costs. ABC is working through local community coalitions to inform beneficiaries and their families, as well as the professionals who serve them, about Medicare Part-D. Extra Help is provided online or in person; find out if you or someone qualifies by going to BenefitsCheckUpRx?. Publications include: Applying for the Low-Income Subsidy: A Tool Kit for Advocates; and Pathways to Success: Meeting the Challenge of Enrolling Medicare Beneficiaries with Limited Incomes
A Healthier US Starts Here: CMS Prevention and Wellness Initiative This spring and summer, as part of the "A Healthier US Starts Here" initiative the US Department of Health and Human Services and CMS will join with local officials and partners, to raise awareness of the importance of preventing chronic disease and illness, promote Medicare preventive benefits and provide information about how beneficiaries can take action to maintain and improve their health.
The AZ&Me? Prescription Savings This new AstraZeneca program provides medicines free of charge to community free clinics, community health centers and hospitals that serve the uninsured. AstraZeneca plans to provide medicines to hundreds of thousands of patients at approximately 150 facilities by the end of 2008. The new program builds on current AstraZeneca patient assistance programs by extending prescription drug assistance directly to the sites where uninsured patients interact with healthcare providers, supporting patients at one central place where they can get the medicine and care they need. In light of the updates to their patient assistance programs in the last year, AstraZeneca has decided to no longer participate in the Together Rx Access program after January 31, 2008. They offer AstraZeneca programs that provide medicines free of charge to those making up to $30,000 for an individual, or $60,000 for a family of four. More info:
The Partnership for Prescription Assistance
This project is led by Community Catalyst in partnership with the Institute on Medicine as a Profession. Funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Project seeks to eliminate conflicts of interest created by industry marketing by promoting policy change among academic medical centers, professional medical societies and public and private payers. In addition the Project will advance state and national level policy solutions. The Project will sponsor a wide range of activities to achieve its goals, including research and policy analysis; national and community-based forums; outreach to the media; and meetings with key decision-makers, including deans of medical schools, health care administrators, business leaders, policy makers and consumers. These include the Prescription Project Weekly Reader, a readable, relevant way to keep members and friends of the Project informed about what is happening at the intersection of medical conflict-of-interest issues and prescription drugs.
is a prescription savings program sponsored by 10 pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer. It provides savings on a wide range of prescription products at the pharmacy counter to eligible patients without prescription coverage. For more information, call
The National Resource Center on Public Health Preparedness Needs of Culturally Diverse Communities is a new online central clearinghouse of resources and an exchange site to facilitate communication, collaboration, and networking among key players working to empower and eliminate disparities for culturally diverse communities in emergencies. African American Health Coalition (AfAHC) National Resource Center on Advancing Emergency Preparedness for Culturally Diverse Communities Language access continues to be a significant barrier to health care for individuals with limited English proficiency. Over 23 million individuals—almost 9 percent of the population—speak English less than “very well” and likely need assistance communicating in the health care arena. In an attempt to provide tools for health care providers and others, NHeLP has released a series of reports outlining promising practices for providing language services in health care settings. In mid-April, the National Health Law Program and the
Refugee Health Information Network RHIN is a national collaborative partnership, managed by refugee health professionals, whose objective is to provide quality multilingual, health information resources for those providing care to resettled refugees and asylees. RHIN places its greatest emphasis on identifying, collecting, and making quality available materials that have been produced in refugee languages. Sources of these materials include federal, state and local public health agencies; national organizations; health care agencies; community-based organizations; academic institutions and international organizations. RHIN also strives to identify news and events, as well as other information resources useful to health providers serving refugees.
Training Alliance for Communities of Color
Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease Promising Practices
Community Clinical Oncology Program
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has released a new brochure, Women and Depression, about the many dimensions of major depression in women. It can be downloaded. The 13-page brochure highlights symptoms, causes, women of color, life stages, and treatment, with additional sections on seeking professional help, self-help, preventing recurrent depression, and helping other women. Bulk copies for community education can be purchased on-line.
Newly posted resources are at the top of each Topics List.
State Medicaid agencies typically contract with external quality review organizations (EQROs) to assess the quality of health services provided through Medicaid managed care plans. But only a handful of states are using these organizations to improve the quality of preventive and developmental services for young children. This toolkit shows state Medicaid officials how they can work with EQROs to evaluate and improve the quality of preventive and developmental services delivered to children enrolled in Medicaid managed care plans. (July 2008, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., and George Washington University)
First Focus Children's Budget 2008
Alliance for Health Reform has developed an online toolkit on child health coverage. The toolkit provides links to resources that will improve the user’s understanding of how children get coverage in the
Cover the Uninsured Storybook - The Success of SCHIP: How the State Children's Health Insurance Program Helps America's Working Families This is a 15-page, downloadable booklet that shares the touching stories of 23 families that have benefited from coverage provided through SCHIP. Download it today to share with opinion leaders in your community. Order Free Materials: FREE English and Spanish promotional materials featuring the
Helping Pediatric Practices Implement Parental Depression Screening
Return on Investment Calculator for Medicaid Quality Initiatives The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) has launched the Return on Investment Forecasting Calculator for Quality Initiatives, a Web-based tool designed to help Medicaid stakeholders identify programs with the potential to both improve health care quality and control costs. It can generate realistic return on investment (ROI) estimates for quality improvement initiatives.
The Basics of Medicare and Medicaid
The Medicaid Matters web site is a resource for people working across the country to protect Medicaid, the health insurance that 50 million rely on. It stores a ready-to-use toolkit of messages, materials and dissemination ideas. Users are able to download, at no cost, tested messages emphasizing the importance of Medicaid and the threat now facing the program. Messages are enhanced by high quality, full color photography. One set of materials is designed to be ready to print. Once downloaded, they can be forwarded to any print house or copy shop without any further formatting. The second set of materials is designed so that components of the product can be adapted to suit the needs of that organization or constituency that wishes to use them.
Toolkit: Medicare Private Fee-for-Service Plans The toolkit contains links to resources on general information about Medicare private fee-for-service plans, advantages and incentives of using the plans and the difficulties that beneficiaries have faced with the plans, including enrollment fraud. The toolkit also includes a list of experts and Web sites for further information on the plans. (7/12/07, Alliance for Health Reform)
Medicare Advantage Tutorial on the basics of Medicare Advantage and types of MA plans, as well as trends in MA enrollment, characteristics of beneficiaries and the impact of MA plans on traditional Medicare. And an updated Medicare Health and Prescription Drug Plan Tracker with MA plan enrollment data for June, containing local, regional and national data on MA plans and stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plans. (7/17/07, Kaiser Family Foundation)
The Basics of Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare Rights Center Part D appeals manual
New/Updated Resources Medicare Drug Plan Resources Updated fact sheet providing state-specific data about Medicare drug plan options for 2007, including stand-alone drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans, and information on premiums, gap coverage, and availability to beneficiaries who qualify for full low-income assistance. Updated Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit fact sheet, with a revised estimate that 4 million people will be affected by the coverage gap in 2006, as well as current enrollment and low-income subsidy participation and updated Medicare per capita drug spending. Updated Talking About Medicare online consumer guide, reflecting 2007 benefit changes, to help people with Medicare and their families understand options and make decisions based on their personal situations; includes information about financial assistance for those with limited incomes, supplemental insurance options, and Medicare Advantage.
The Consumer Guide to State Health Reform Community Catalyst and Families USA new Web-Based Guide to State Health Reform for Advocates. More and more states are prioritizing health care reform to address the coverage gaps that exist, the affordability crisis that continues to worsen, and the increasing costs of health care. Community Catalyst and Families USA are pleased to announce the release of a unique web-based guide to state health reform for consumer advocates working to strengthen and expand health care coverage in their states. A Consumer Guide to State Health Reform provides a detailed look at the building blocks of comprehensive health care coverage.
Fact Sheets and Primer on the Uninsured The Uninsured and Their Access to Care Covering the Uninsured: Growing Need, Strained Resources Massachusetts’ New Law to Cover the Uninsured Women's Health Insurance Coverage
Critical MASS Toolkit: Taking Community ACTION on Health Disparities
Medicaid and SCHIP: Critical for Latino Families Facing Financial Hardship is a new fact sheet that discusses how Medicaid is important to low-income Latino families, especially during economic hard times. The fact sheet argues that having access to Medicaid benefits prevents Latino families from having to compromise their health care or finances. (4/10/08, national Council of La Raza)
Disparities Toolkit for Collecting Patient Race, Ethnicity, and Primary Language Data The updated version of this web-based toolkit is now available free of charge on the HRET Web site, thanks to HRET and AHA support. The new edition, which can be viewed online and downloaded as a PDF, is easy to navigate and offers important new material.
Women's Health Policy: Coverage and Access to Care Tutorial The tutorial provides an overview of women's health care needs and concerns, and discusses important issues stemming from women's health coverage and access to care and reviews central policy challenges in improving women's access to care (Feb 2008, Kaiser Family Foundation)
This toolkit was created to help advocates and leaders address race and power structures within their work to help create equitable opportunities for all. (Voices for America's Children and The Annie E. Casey Foundation)
A Patient-Centered Guide to Implementing Language Access Services in Healthcare Organizations The guide was created to assist health care organizations in better serving their clients with limited English proficiency and decrease disparities in access to health care. (DHHS Ofc. of Minority Health)
Amigos en Salud Online Disparities Toolkit
Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities: A Quality Improvement Initiative in Medicaid Managed Care ToolkitCenter for Health Care Strategies
Families
The Community Health Promotion Handbook: Action Guides to Improve Community Health
Updated! State-by-State Community Benefit Requirements and Reports 2008 Federal Poverty Guidelines Environmental Health Disparities Fact Sheets These US EPA fact sheets address disparities in secondhand smoke exposure and asthma among African American and Hispanic American children. The intended audiences are parents and community-based organizations working on environmental health issues of specific minority populations. GoingSmokeFree.org: A Toolkit for Implementing Smoke-Free Laws
New Web Tool Provides Samples of Report Cards on Health Care Quality With rising interest in information about the quality of care delivered by health care providers, HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has developed a new Web tool demonstrating a variety of approaches for health quality report cards. The new Health Care Report Card Compendium is a searchable directory of over 200 samples of report cards produced by a variety of organizations. The samples show formats and approaches for providing comparative information on the quality of health plans, hospitals, medical groups, individual physicians, nursing homes, and other providers of care.
Slides, Resource Links Added to Community Health Assessment Toolkit
Five Guidelines for Developing Customer-Friendly Websites better job of helping people find information on the Web about Medicaid, SCHIP and other government services by producing a customer-friendly sites
Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? This seven-part series for PBS broadcast and DVD release will, for the first time on television, sound the alarm about our glaring socio-economic and racial disparities in health--and seek out root causes. While we pour more and more money into drugs, dietary supplements and new medical technologies, it turns out there is much more to our health than bad habits, health care or unlucky genes. The social conditions in which we are born, live and work profoundly affect our well-being and longevity. The series is part of an ambitious Public Impact Campaign conducted in partnership with leading public health, policy, and community-based organizations, pointing out that investing in our schools, improving housing, integrating neighborhoods, better jobs and wages, and giving people more control over their work, are as much health strategies as smoking diet and exercise.
Web Sites, Web Features & Databases
Newly posted resources are at the top of each Topics List.
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 A low literacy brochure describing services offered at
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
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
Florida Health Insurance Coverage of Children 0-18 (2004-2005)
Statehealthfacts.org Updates Data on Medicaid & SCHIP Coverage for Children
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
State of Florida Health Care Consumer Websites
Medicaid Applications Online 24/7 and in Neighborhoods
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
Statehealthfacts.org provides free, up-to-date, and easy-to-use health data on all 50 states, covering more than 500 health topics.
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
Children’s Health Coverage Conversation Guide Children’s Defense Fund offers help with opportunities to talk about important issues with your friends and family, such as children's health coverage. Health coverage is going to be discussed on the campaign trail, on the nightly news and as a key reason why working Americans are having a difficult time paying their bills. Beware, there is a lot of misinformation out there! This guide provides helpful responses you can use to explain why health coverage for all children is a step forward for children that will improve the lives of all of us.
Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health
Online Parent SCHIP Information
Fact Sheets on Medicare, Long-Term Care Spending; Medicaid; Long-Term Spending Data
Compare your state's Medicaid program and the population it serves to other states and the nation by visiting Kaiser's new interactive online State Medicaid Fact Sheets tool.
Interactive Tools on Medicaid The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured presents the State Medicaid Fact Sheets and the Medicaid Benefits Online Database, two interactive tools featuring the latest key data, information and services provided for each state’s Medicaid program. Both tools allow for easy access to the data which can then be printed, saved and emailed.
CMS has launched a revised version of the Medicare Drug Plan Finder Web site that allows beneficiaries to sort plans offered in their communities by annual costs based on prescriptions, monthly premiums, coverage levels in the so-called "doughnut hole" and other factors and view the information in one chart. (October 2007, CMS)
Online Interactive Medicare Advantage Comparison Tools
Fact Sheets on Medicare, Long-Term Care Spending; Medicaid; Long-Term Spending Data
Election Year Health Reform Messaging (ppt presentation) This election season we are working hard to promote comprehensive health care reform. But how do we talk about health care in a way that resonates with voters? Drew Westen, psychologist and author of “The Political Brain”, and Celinda Lake, political strategist and President of Lake Research Partners, recently completed cutting-edge research that identifies persuasive narratives, messages, and counter-responses to support health care reform. This project, funded jointly by Families USA, Herndon Alliance, and AARP, developed and rigorously tested a set of principled stands on health care reform. Rather than just produce a set of key words or phrases, the project developed a menu of narratives and the counter-responses to predictable attacks on the narratives.
Interactive Online Side-by-Side Comparisons of Presidential Candidate Health Care Proposals
Using this tool, Medicaid benefits can be compared across the 50 states, the Using this tool, Medicaid benefits can be compared across the 50 states, the Families Many states are taking steps — expanding public programs, launching new state programs, and reforming private insurance — to make it possible for more people to get coverage. This new
Health08.Org, A Hub for Information about Health Care and The Presidential Campaign With health care emerging as one of the hot topics in the 2008 presidential election, this new ad-free Kaiser Family Foundation Web site will provide analysis of health policy issues, the results of regular public opinion surveys, and news and video coverage from the campaign trail. It will feature original content produced by Kaiser as well as health-related resources from various campaigns, other organizations, and news outlets. The site will offer summaries of candidates' health reform proposals, basic facts and information about the health system, the results of Kaiser tracking surveys examining the public's views on health issues and their perceptions of the candidates' views on health care, syntheses of health news coverage, podcasts and video from the campaign trail, and interviews with candidates and other key players in the health reform debate.
Health Care Coverage in America: Understanding the Issues and Proposed Solutions includes a corresponding PowerPoint presentation. (Cover the Uninsured)
State Expansion Resource Center from Minority Health Initiatives at Families USA features states that have expanded, or are working to expand coverage, on a more comprehensive scale. Here too you will find the most recent headlines.
is a free online learning experience designed to help health professionals improve their patient-communication skills, increase their awareness and knowledge of factors that affect their communication with patients, and implement patient-centered communication practices. The course, developed by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), comprises five modules and is estimated to take a total of 5 hours to complete. The course may be completed at the user's own pace and may be taken for credit (CEU/CE, CHES, CME, and CNE) or not for credit.
Guide to Health Programs (Guia de Programas de Salud) This easy-to-use bilingual guide in Spanish and English is available for free to anyone looking for basic information on health insurance, nutrition, and other public programs. ( Complete body of reviewed research available through new interactive tool. (10/11/07, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
Think Cultural Health is a new web page that provides a wealth of resources and information on the issues of cultural competence in health care and health care disparities. (DHHS Office of Minority Health)
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's new disparities Web page includes publications and information listed according to racial/ ethnic group, as well as by topic area.
National Cancer Institute Spanish Web Site The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has launched a new Web site, cancer.gov en español tailored to the needs of the U.S. Hispanic/Latino community. The Web site is completely in Spanish and is one of the latest tools developed by the NCI in its efforts to address cancer health disparities. It is intended to meet the needs of Hispanic/Latino cancer patients, their families and health care providers, who are either Hispanic/Latino or serve such patients.
The Applied Research Center (ARC) and COLORLINES Magazine have made various resources from their conference available on the ARC Web site, the ARC blog, and on the Facing Race wiki Kaiser Family Foundation issued a new data update that shows the percentage of whites, African Americans, and Hispanics in all 50 states and the District of Columbia that are uninsured, enrolled in Medicaid, and living in poverty. The data also provide a quick glance at disparities in rates of infant mortality, diabetes-related mortality, and AIDS cases between these racial and ethnic groups.
Faith Based Efforts and Resources Families
Factline: Tracking Health in Underserved Communities
New Database for Medical Language Access
2007 Federal Poverty Guidelines Now Available
Women's Health Insurance Coverage Fact Sheet
Comprehensive source of Hispanic data Rural Communities Statistics and Information
Immigrant Health Policy Reference Library
is a compilation of more than 150 health tables. Nearly one in five U.S. adults - more than 40 million people - report they do not have adequate access to the health care they need, according to the annual report on the nation's health released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report also contains a special section focusing on access to care, which shows that nearly 20 percent of adults reported that they needed and did not receive one or more key services in the past year including medical care
Latest Health Policy Facts and Data The Kaiser Family Foundation has launched Kaiser Fast Facts, featuring QuickTakes and Kaiser Slides - two sources of facts, data and slides about the nation's health care system and programs.
Tracking the Presidential Candidates on Health Care
Consumer Health Information for You and Your Family
Metropolitan Quality of Life Data
New Online Medical Dictionary Reference Tool MediLexicon International Limited, corporate owners of Medical News Today, was pleased to announce on Nov. 11 the launch of a new medical dictionary tool. This dictionary search is a joint collaboration between MediLexicon and Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, who have provided the data. American Community Census Data Online State Level Data on Health Coverage & the Uninsured
The Johns Hopkins INFO Project's OneSource Database This provides one-stop access to over 360,000 resources and six separate databases with a single mouse click or search term. OneSource users can quickly search for reports, articles, documents, posters and pamphlets, photos, web sites, Q&As and news articles through a single interface. An enhanced search and browse capability makes finding global family planning, reproductive health and population information faster and more simple than ever. Enter your terms in the search box. Select the resource type you want to look for, or search all six databases at once, and click Search.
Audio, Videos and Films: Web, Rent/Purchase, Theater The Deadliest Disease in America, is a documentary produced by URU The Right To Be, Inc, which chronicles the stories of four individuals who experienced racism while seeking medical care. The film serves as a vehicle to foster discussion about the U.S. health care system and what strides are being made to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities. For more information, to view the trailer, and to see a list of conference tour locations, click here.
Viewpoints: The Health Care Debate This new series online from Kaiser Family Foundation Broadcast Studio features interviews with leaders of organizations representing health care providers, insurers, policymakers, employers, labor unions and consumers sharing their views on shortcomings in the nation's health care system and how it could be improved. The Partnership for Quality Care hosted a summit, “Confronting the Chronic Care Challenge,” that focused on improving value in delivering care to patients with chronic conditions. In particular, the second panel of the summit focused on changing delivery systems to reduce inequities in health care. To view the entire summit or specific panels, click here.
Sick People or Sick Societies? We are healthier than ever before, and we live longer, but improvements in health are not distributed evenly. The rich outlive the middle classes, who outlive the poor. Swedes and Japanese live longer than Canadians, and Canadians, longer than Americans. Freelance journalist Jill Eisen discovers that the reasons have little to do with our health care systems. FREE download available for limited period.
Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? This seven-part series for PBS broadcast and DVD release will, for the first time on television, sound the alarm about our glaring socio-economic and racial disparities in health--and seek out root causes. While we pour more and more money into drugs, dietary supplements and new medical technologies, it turns out there is much more to our health than bad habits, health care or unlucky genes. The social conditions in which we are born, live and work profoundly affect our well-being and longevity. The series is part of an ambitious Public Impact Campaign conducted in partnership with leading public health, policy, and community-based organizations, pointing out that investing in our schools, improving housing, integrating neighborhoods, better jobs and wages, and giving people more control over their work, are as much health strategies as smoking diet and exercise.
Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? Hosted by the Black Women’s Agenda, the workshop featured a panel discussion of this PBS documentary produced by California Newsreel. View the entire panel discussion online.
Partnerships to Achieve Health Equity This Society for Public Health Education summit featured a series of plenary sessions dealing with the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities by focusing on health behavior dissemination, research, and implementation. Videos and transcripts available online.
Can Tax Credits Be a Linchpin for Health Reform? Lessons from the Factory Floor In a policy field notoriously beset by ideological and partisan division, one of the few ideas enjoying support across the philosophical spectrum is the use of federal income tax credits to cover the uninsured. The only credit of this sort now available-the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC), serving workers displaced by international trade-aids no more than 15 percent of eligible households. (4/1/08, Urban Institute)
Social Epidemiology: Strategies for Public Health Activism Health Disparities in the United States: Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, and Health
The Public Health Observatory Handbook of Health Inequalities Measurement This new South East Public Health Observatory handbook primarily focuses on the measurement and interpretation of health inequalities.
Ahora Hablo! Medical Edition,"Simple Steps to Communicate with Spanish-speaking Patients Unlike other medical Spanish books on the market, this book is pocket-sized and includes vocabulary for dental and vision care as well as many specialized areas such as obstetrics and cardiology. It retails for $9.95. It is being picked up independent and college book stores as well as hospitals and clinics. For more information: m.h.graham@ahorahablo.com or call 414-331-7178
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.
New Listings: Children's Health
Colocating Health Services: A Way to Improve Coordination of Children's Health Care?
Over 635,000 individuals, or 7.9 percent of all Social Security Disability (SSDI) recipients, were in the waiting period for Medicare in December 2007. People who receive SSDI benefits qualify for Medicare, but only after a 24-month waiting period. (July 2008, Social Security Admin Ofc. of Policy)
Medicare Advantage Plans In 2005 Made $1.14B More In Profits Than They Projected, GAO Report Finds Private insurers participating in the Medicare Advantage program in 2005 spent less on medical services for beneficiaries and recorded larger profits than projected. According to the report, the plans on average projected spending 90.2% of total revenue on medical services but actually spent 85.7%. The disparity resulted in an extra $1.14 billion in profits. Under the rules of the program, insurers recording more profits than expected are required to spend the additional funds on extra health services for beneficiaries. (July 2008, GAO)
Medicare Paid As Much As $92M to Medical Suppliers Using ID Numbers Of Dead Physicians Medicare from 2000 to 2007 paid between $60 million and $92 million to medical suppliers that used the identification numbers of dead physicians to file fraudulent claims, according to a report presented on Tuesday by the (7/8/08, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs)
New Listings: Federal/State Budgets Many States Imposing Cuts that Hurt Vulnerable Residents As a new fiscal year begins in most states, at least 20 states have made or proposed budget cuts that threaten vital services for many residents. Targeted areas include: Public health: 13 states; Elderly and disabled services: 6 states. (7/2008, CBPP) 29 States Face Total Budget Shortfall of at Least $48 Billion in 2009 32 states faced or are facing budget problems. Most states have already adopted new or revised budgets that address their ‘09 shortfalls. In order to present a complete picture of the economic downturn’s impact on state finances, the report includes both states that have closed these shortfalls and those that are still deliberating. Closed shortfalls are noted as such. (7/2008, CBPP) A Balanced Approach to Restoring Fiscal Responsibility Sixteen leading economists and budget experts issued a major critique today of a recent proposal to address future federal budget deficits through radical changes in budget procedures for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. They believe there are better ways to begin tackling projected deficits, which they describe in their critique. (7/9/08, CBPP)
Being a primary care physician is an increasingly tough business these days...[y]et primary care physicians are a key driver of value in health care, whether from the individual patient's point of view or from a population health point of view. Repeated, well-constructed studies comparing national systems within the United States show that health care systems with universal, convenient, affordable access to primary care do better in every measure. (7/7/08, H&HN) Public and Private Health Insurance: Stacking Up the Costs Drugmakers Offer Aid to People 'on the Edge' Offered by major pharmaceutical companies and publicized through Web-based information clearinghouses and TV ads, PAPs [prescription assistance programs] have blossomed where good corporate citizenship meets good public relations. The result: Big Pharma gives free medication to patients with low incomes. (7/1/08, Washington Post) Coverage for All: Inclusion of Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders in State Healthcare Reform Initiatives Insured Population Experiencing Health Care Access Problems The gap is narrowing between the insured and uninsured as more people with health insurance reported access barriers to health care in 2007. About 20 percent of the U.S. population delayed or was unable to get access to medical care when they needed it, up from 14 percent four years earlier, (June 2008, Center for Studying Health System Change) Prospects of US Health Care Reform Plans From a Human Rights Perspective McCain Health Care Plan Would Lead to More People Dropping Employer Coverage
Trends in Mortality from Common Cancers in the United States by Educational Attainment, 1993-2001 Low Socioeconomic Status Increases Risk of Death after Cancer Diagnosis An analysis published June 25th in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases highlights that diseases very similar to those plaguing Africa, Asia, and Latin America are also occurring frequently among the poorest people in the United States, especially women and children. These diseases - the "neglected infections of poverty" - are caused by chronic and debilitating parasitic, bacterial, and congenital infections. (7/25/08, PloS) Poor and Uninsured Patients More Likely To Experience Racial Discrimination
Health Centers: America's Primary Care Safety Net Reflections on Success, 2002-2007
This report used a database that is nationally representative of inpatient stays in all short-term, non-Federal hospitals. People from communities with average household incomes of $36,999 or less were hospitalized more than twice as often as people who came from wealthier areas where average household incomes topped $61,000. The rate of hyperthermia hospital admissions for uninsured patients was significantly higher (17 percent) than hospital admissions for uninsured patients as a whole (5 percent). (July 2008, AHRQ) US Leads World in Substance Abuse
New Listings: Other Health Issues
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
State of Breast Cancer Report Names
Florida Funding For Safety-Net Hospitals Could Be Affected By Proposed Property Tax Cuts Proposed cuts to
Too Great a Burden: Florida Families at Risk A Report on the Impact of Healthcare Costs on 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 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
(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
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
The Three E’s: Enrollment, Employment, and Earnings in the Medicaid Buy-In Program, 2006 presents a national profile of the enrollment, employment, and earnings of buy-in participants and investigates the association between participant characteristics, state program features, and employment outcomes. The report notes that the buy-in program continues to be a popular coverage option for states and that enrollment grew nationwide between 2001 and 2006 from 29,398 to 97,491. (4/11/08, Mathematica) Medicaid, SCHIP, and Economic Downturn: Policy Challenges and Policy Responses examines the implications of a recession for health coverage and state programs. It also projects the impact of a one percentage point rise in the national unemployment rate on Medicaid and CHIP and the number of uninsured individuals. The analysis also documents how federal fiscal relief during the last economic downturn of 2003-2004 helped to stabilize Medicaid and helped states avoid deeper budget cuts. (4/28/08, KFF)
Determining Income Eligibility in Children’s Health Coverage Programs: How States Use Disregards in Children’s Medicaid and SCHIP Medicaid Managed Care for Children in Child Welfare U.S. Variations in Child Health System Performance: A State Scorecard High Body Mass Index for Age Among US Children and Adolescents, 2003-2006 A recent study shows the growing rate of childhood obesity has started to level off. However, this is not true for children of color. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed data on more than 8,000 children. CDC found that among girls aged 12 to 19, about 28 percent of blacks and 20 percent of Mexican-Americans were obese, compared to 14 percent of whites. For boys aged six to 11, about 28 percent of Mexican-Americans and 19 percent of blacks were considered extremely obese, compared to 16 percent of whites. (5/28/08, JAMA)
Multiple Health Disparities in Non-English-Speaking Households
The issue brief prepared for the Kaiser Family Foundation by Mathematica Policy Research analyzes recent developments in the Medicare Advantage marketplace, including plan choices available to beneficiaries and enrollment trends by plan type and geography. It also examines market share for the insurers offering MA plans and the role MA plans play in providing employer-sponsored retiree health benefits (6/5/08, KFF)
Nearly Three-Fourths Of Medicare Drug Plan Beneficiaries Will Pay 16% More For Coverage This Year Monthly premiums for Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the 10 largest prescription drug plans this year increased by an average of 16% to $26.39. (6/4/08, Avalere Health) Wide Racial, Geographic Health Care Disparities Among Medicare Beneficiaries Race and place of residence can have a significant effect on the quality of care a Medicare beneficiary receives, according to a new report. The study examined Medicare claims over the past two decades for evidence of racial and geographic disparities in several indicators of health care quality. Blacks were found to be less likely than whites to receive recommended care within a given region, but greater disparities in care were found among different geographic regions, according to the study (6/5/08, RWJF). Variations in regional Medicare spending do not affect beneficiaries' perceptions of the care they receive, according to a new study. (5/28/08, JAMA) Medicare Part D: Simplifying the Program and Improving the Value of Information for Beneficiaries Exploding Enrollment in Fee-For-Service Plans Causes Concerns The escalating enrollment in private Medicare fee-for-service plans reflects their popularity, but their cost is becoming a concern for Democratic lawmakers. (6/6/08, Commonwealth Fund) Proposal: "Early Medicare" Program Would Provide Federal Health Care to Uninsured Using Medicare as a model to cover all uninsured adults is not the way to address the health care gap in the United States, said Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., during a panel discussion of a new proposal that would mirror the federal program to cover those without health insurance. The proposal, authored by the Commonwealth Fund, would establish a new program modeled after Medicare called Medicare Extra. Advocates say the federally administered program would improve coverage and access to care while lowering costs, and could yield a health system savings of $1.6 trillion over 10 years. (6/6/08, Commonwealth Fund) Disparities in Health and Health Care among Medicare Beneficiaries Study highlights inequity in health care quality in the U.S. The study also points out that these disparities are particularly striking when comparing different regions of the country. For example, researchers showed amputation rates for blacks in Mississippi and South Carolina are three times greater compared to blacks in Colorado and Nevada. (June 2008, RWJF) Medical Fraud a Growing Problem; Medicare Pays Most Claims Without Review Medicare has a "growing fraud problem and the need to devote more resources to theft prevention." Law enforcement officials estimate that health care fraud costs taxpayers more than $60 billion annually. HHS Inspector General Daniel Levinson has said repeatedly that Medicare is "highly vulnerable" to fraud. Fraud "hot spots" include South Florida -- "where schemes center on expensive, infusion-based HIV medications and on equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, canes and hospital beds" (6/13/08, Washington Post) Cost-Related Medication Nonadherence and Spending on Basic Needs Following Implementation of Medicare Part D
Health Insurance, Health Care Costs How Many Are Underinsured? Trends Among U.S. Adults, 2003 and 2007 Viewpoints: The Health Care Debate Failing Grades: State Consumer Protections in the Individual Health Insurance Market
Young and Uninsured: Health Coverage Gaps for Young Adults
Are the Uninsured Responsible for the Rise in Emergency Department Visits in the United States?
Newly Insured Outpace Available Doctors Hospitals Put Patients' Debt Up for Auction On the Road to Universal Coverage: Impacts of Reform in Massachusetts at One Year The Nation's Smallest Businesses Battling High Health Care Costs Behind the Numbers: Medical Cost Trends for 2009 The Healthcare Trap: Why Do Rich Countries Spend So Much on Health, When Evidence Shows It Doesn't Make Much Difference to Life Expectancy? How Private Health Coverage Works: A Primer–2008 Update Health and Wellness Initiatives: The Shift From Managing Illness to Promoting Health
Achieving Affordable Health Insurance Coverage for All Within Seven Years: A Proposal From America's Internists, Updated 2008
Beyond Health Care - Socioeconomic Status and Health US Health Care Still Failing Ethnic Minorities Panel Issues Blueprint for Minority Community Preparedness Doctors Miss Cultural Needs
Toxic Pesticides Threaten Urban Communities of Color
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Hospital Patient Safety Events, 2005 Socioeconomic Determinants of Psychological Well-Being: The Role of Income, Income Change, and Income Sources during the Course of 29 Years Lifeline to Health Equity: Policies for Real Health Reform Physician Performance and Racial Disparities in Diabetes Mellitus Care Physicians’ lack of attention to cultural differences between populations can adversely affect the quality of care they provide. Researchers analyzed the patient records of 90 primary care physicians who were treated for diabetes between 2005 and 2007. Researchers believe that health disparities occur because physicians are doing the same type of treatment for each individual patient and not considering their diverse needs. (6/9/08, Archives of Internal Medicine)
Surf, Turf and the Future of Primary Care Improving Public Health through Prevention Despite Pressing State Deficit, Latest Field Poll Shows Voters Strongly Opposed to Health Care Cuts (6/10/08, The Field Poll) U.S. Mortality Drops Sharply in 2006, Latest Data Show
The Concept of Prevention: A Good Idea Gone Astray? |
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HFA partners at Award Ceremony, L-R: Leonardo Scarpati, AARP; Carol Smith, AARP; Patricia Kodish, March of Dimes; Gladys Segredo, AARP; Rep. Jim Waldman; Lisa Margulis, Florida CHAIN; Bill Rettinger, Medicaid Advocates.com
WHAT WORKS COSTS LESS!Yet, too many Americans and their families can't access vital - and often life-saving - mental health services. Your help is needed. (Submitted by Mental Health America of Greater Tampa Bay) 
