Medicaid Reform

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Medicare Part D Needs Fix

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Tampa Bay Health Care Collaborative

Tampa Bay Healthcare Collaborative
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  September 22, 2006

 RECENT HEALTH ARTICLES

Medicare and Medicaid

Medicare Drug Coverage, Drug Cost

Clock Ticking On Medicare Fix
Louis Sciuto, 59, who received a kidney transplant in 1997, keeps the air conditioning in his Zephyrhills mobile home set to 82 degrees and has shut off his hot water heater, forgoing use of the dishwasher. Legally blind since 1995, he has no car. On a good month, his $500 mortgage payment leaves about $165 of his federal disability check for groceries. On a bad month, he turns to a local church. Until this year, Medicaid paid his doctor bills and covered the 25 prescription drugs he takes to manage his health. That changed Jan. 1, when a glitch in the federal Medicare Part D drug program cost him his Medicaid benefits - including coverage of the immunosuppressant drugs that prevent his body from rejecting the transplanted kidney. Medicare Part D covers his other medications, but it does not touch his costly immunosuppressants. In May, the Florida Legislature intervened, creating a program to pay for lifesaving drugs for patients like Sciuto. But state health officials have since found that more people qualify for the program than first predicted, and patients fear it will run out of money. Meanwhile, the program does not offset the doctor bills that Medicaid has stopped covering for such patients. That worries Sciuto, who is experiencing symptoms that prefaced his last heart attack. "We need Medicaid back," he said. "I don't know why I got the transplant; if I knew I was going to go through this. ... It's suicide to get a kidney and not follow up with the doctors." (9/17/06, Tampa Tribune)

DeSoto Health Resources can help with seniors' medication costs
When is a donut hole not associated with a tasty tidbit? It's when a person on social security who needs maintenance medications meets the void of when their Medicare Part D program stops paying for those medications. The problem that is just now coming to the surface to many Medicare Plan D clients is that information available when selecting their plan was confusing. This left many with a plan not compatible with their needs. There are currently 44 plans available in DeSoto County, and choosing the right one can be very difficult. Anyone becoming eligible soon for the Medicare Part D program should not hesitate to seek the knowledge at DeSoto Health Resources to prevent falling into the dreaded "donut hole."  (9/20/06, Sarasota Sun-Herald)

Wal-Mart plans to begin selling reduced-price generic drugs in Tampa
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., facing pressure from critics who call its employee health care coverage inadequate, plans to begin selling nearly 300 generic prescription drugs for a sharply reduced price of $4 for a month's supply. It will test the program in Florida and include 291 generic drugs  for conditions from allergies to high-blood pressure. The plan is available to its employees and customers, including those without insurance. Wal-Mart officials said the reduced price represents a savings to the customer of up to 70 percent on some drugs. The program will be launched at 65 Wal-Mart, Neighborhood Market and Sams' Club pharmacies in the

Tampa Bay area and will be expanded to the entire state in January. (9/21/06, South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

Other Medicare, Medicaid

Bill Would Provide Federal Funding to Cover SCHIP Shortfalls in FY07
The Keep Kids Covered Act would provide federal funding to more than a dozen states facing shortfalls in State Children's Health Insurance Program funding in Fiscal Year 2007 to ensure their programs remain operational with no disruption in coverage. According to Boswell, some 530,000 children could lose coverage without the extra money. Some 85 organizations have asked Congress in a letter "to enact legislation immediately that provides additional SCHIP funding targeted at shortfall states." Created in 1997, SCHIP is a federal-state partnership financed through block grants with funding caps. (9/19/06, AHA News Now)

Senior Care Plan In State's Hands
Federal officials have approved Gov. Jeb Bush's plan to begin transferring the long-term care of seniors on Medicaid to for-profit HMOs and other managed-care organizations. But the state Legislature must still authorize the change, and support from some Republicans has crumbled in the face of opposition from senior groups during an election year. (9/21/06, Tampa Tribune)

Police Warn Of Medicare Refund Scam
Authorities are warning Central Florida residents of a new Medicare refund scam, according to a Local 6 News report. Investigators said someone is calling homes, claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. The caller then tells victims that they are getting a Medicare refund and asks for the victim's bank information. (9/21/06, Central Florida Local 6)

OPINION: Health official gives an upbeat assessment on Medicaid reform
With the Medicaid experiment in Broward and Duval counties off and running, the program's administrator must watch for snags, not read early signs of a smooth transition as a complete success. . . . Watchfulness is appropriate especially since several health-care advocates of Medicaid patients have painted a less rosy picture. They talk of recipients bewildered by a new process that requires them to choose among 13 health plans, not to mention the lack of basic information, such as which drugs are covered and limits the plans impose on care. (9/14/06, South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

OPINION: Test Medicaid program confuses some, wins praise from others
Nine days into Florida's experiment to reform Medicaid, state officials are delighted, health advocates are fearful and some of the recipients seem to be confused, unaware or struggling to cope. The nationally watched pilot program, launched Sept. 1 in Broward and Duval counties, aims to save billions by moving most of Medicaid's low- and moderate-income recipients into private, HMO-style insurers promising better and more efficient care. (9/9/06, South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

OPINION: Medicare to collect Part B surcharge
The new policy is "sure to elicit complaints that the change is simply a soak-the-rich effort. . . .The criticism is unconvincing. . . . The other alternative, cutting benefits across the board, could undermine the health care availability for a broad number of people."
(9/12//06, South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

OPINION: A promising reform for the severely disabled is undermined by underfunding
It was supposed to be a reform, but thanks to inadequate funding, Florida's Disabled Adult Medicaid Waiver appears to be more debacle than program. It shouldn't have come to this. The waiver was meant to replace expensive institutional care with in-home services. The idea should have been a boon to both the severely disabled and the state government. "Boondoggle" might be more accurate. The program has a waiting list of more than 3,100 people and has only added seven new clients from that list since 2004, despite an attempt by state lawmakers to add more money to cut the program's waiting list. It typically costs more than $50,000 a year to place a severely disabled individual in either an assisted living facility or a nursing home. The waiver offers $8,000 to pay for caretakers to help with household chores and medical needs. (9/9/06, South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

New programs to help more Floridians get long-term care insurance
By next year, Floridians will be able to buy something that the federal government hopes will revolutionize nursing home care: a simplified long-term care insurance policy that has been reviewed and certified by state regulators. Florida is one of about 20 states slated to create new Medicaid Partnership long-term care insurance programs as a result of a federal law setting the ground rules for such plans that passed in February. (9/18/06, South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

Seniors call for action against fraud: Many South Florida seniors complain they too have witnessed Medicare fraud and demand something be done.
When Muriel Sherman, 81, decided to go to war against Medicare fraud, she found a lot of seniors who wanted to join her. Her story, reported in The Miami Herald last month, has sparked a wave of responses from seniors with similar stories about their identities being used for widespread fraud that FBI officials estimates runs $1 billion a year in South Florida alone. Because their comments were so numerous and so intense, The Miami Herald has decided to open a forum on its website dedicated to healthcare fraud. (Go to MiamiHerald.com and click on Health). Several seniors have told The Miami Herald that when they called Medicare to complain about fraud, they were told that an investigation is not launched until $1 million in claims has been built up. (9/17/06, Miami Herald)

Miami Medicare fraud crackdown nets more than 100 arrests
Borrowing a tactic used successfully against drug traffickers, federal prosecutors in Miami are attacking (Medicare fraud) by focusing on both the "street-level" scams that typically involve between $1 million and $5 million in fraud as well as the high-dollar cases involving large health providers. Since last October, the effort has result in criminal charges against more than 100 people in 63 separate cases and civil lawsuits against another 38 defendants. All told, the cases over this one-year period involved more than $100 million in Medicare fraud. (9/16/06, Lakeland Ledger) 

3 more charged with Medicaid fraud
Three Miami-Dade men face Medicaid fraud charges, and two others were sentenced this week to federal prison after being convicted of similar charges. Police arrested three Miami-Dade men on Medicaid fraud charges Thursday, a day after a federal judge sentenced two county men to prison for defrauding the government-sponsored healthcare program.  Prosecutors said the men stole about $50 million from various Medicaid programs. They were ordered Wednesday to repay $10.1 million to Florida Medicaid. (9/8/06, Miami Herald)

Health Insurance and Costs

Study: Florida not getting money's worth in health plans
A major coalition of businesses gave generally low rankings to the state's major health insurers. Florida's health plans rank well below the best in the nation, a coalition of the state's major employers announced Monday. ''If this was an FCAT scale, we wouldn't be a B,'' said Becky Cherney, head of the Florida Health Care Coalition. ``We're paying an enormous amount of money for health insurance, and we're getting C's, D's or F's.'' (9/19/06, Miami Herald)

Which health plans made the grade in Florida?
Cigna is tops in a report card that measures Florida's biggest health-insurance plans against each other and against national standards. The influential Florida Health Care Coalition, in a report to be officially released Monday, gives a first-of-its-kind, independent assessment of insurers.The report will be sent to all 128 of the public and private employers that make up the coalition and in turn distributed to their 2 million employees and dependents. The report also will be posted Monday at the coalition's Web site, flhcc.com. The closest thing to an overall score in the report is its "plan profile," mostly drawn from accreditations and reviews by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. With 100 the highest possible score and 95 the highest score attained nationally, Cigna did best among Florida insurers, with a 79. Aetna was next with a 76, followed by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (69), UnitedHealthcare (61), Humana (59) and VISTA Health Plans (22). (9/17/06, Orlando Sentinel)

Size, Scope Hinder Florida's Bid For Full Health Coverage
A Massachusetts-style universal health care plan is unlikely to work in Florida, in part because the state has almost double the percentage of uninsured, reports the Orlando Sentinel. Way too many Americans who need health insurance don't have it -- more than 46 million in all, including 3.2 million Floridians...The new Massachusetts law, which takes effect next July, isn't quite universal in its coverage. But within three years, it is expected to bring health insurance to 95 percent of the state's nearly 600,000 uninsured. Any such solution for Florida -- whose rate of residents lacking health insurance is almost double that of Massachusetts -- appears to be a lot further off, however. (9/4/06, Orlando Sentinel)

Residents urged to learn about health care: Public Policy Institute aims to help educate public on complex issues.
An estimated 20.3 percent of Marion County residents less than 65 years old have no health insurance and head to area emergency rooms for primary health care, according to a 2004 American Health Care Association and University of Florida study. But Marion County is not unique either. Counties like Marion all face a growing health care crisis in which where more than 40 million Americans go without medical insurance. To learn what can be done locally, the Public Policy Institute of Marion County is focusing on what local institutions can do to help meet the area's health care needs and how best to educate residents, legislators and business leaders about the health care industry. PPI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan local organization that aims to improve the quality of life for area residents. (9/14/06, Ocala Star-Banner)

Hospital Charity Care Is Probed
Investigators Find Nonprofits Overcharge or Deny Services Nonprofit hospitals routinely overcharge or deny care to patients least able to pay, Senate investigators have found, raising questions about whether the institutions should be eligible for tax exemptions that cost the U.S. Treasury billions of dollars a year. (9/13/06, Washington Post, 9-13-06)

Senate Panel to Draft Paper on Community Benefits
The Senate Finance Committee will develop a discussion paper with proposals regarding the oversight of charity care and community benefits at not-for-profit hospitals. A key part of the proposals will be revised community-benefit standards released this summer by the Catholic Health Association, committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said during a hearing.  (9/3/06, Modern Healthcare) 

OPINION: Health Policy Malpractice
Despite the success of the Veterans Health Administration, the Bush administration has restricted access to the V.A. system. The Department of Veterans Affairs health care system "is a stunning success -- but the [Bush] administration and the Republicans in Congress refuse to build on that success because it doesn't reflect their conservative agenda," columnist Paul Krugman writes in a New York Times opinion piece. According to Krugman, the "key to the VA's success is its long-term relationship with its clients," which "means that the VA can easily keep track of a patient's medical history, allowing it to make much better use of information technology than other health care providers." He adds, "Unlike all but a few doctors in the private sector, VA doctors have instant access to patients' medical records via a systemwide network, which reduces both costs and medical errors." (9/8/06, New York Times)
 

Other Health Issues 

OPINION: Healthier state starts with checkup
By Deanna Wathington
As the director of Minority Health here in Florida, I can't stress enough how important it is for people to see a health care provider on a regular basis. Every day I see firsthand the fact that African-American babies are dying at twice the rate of non-African-American babies. I know that compared with whites, American Indians and Alaska natives are almost three times as likely to have diabetes, and African-Americans and Hispanics are twice as likely to have this disease. I also know that there is something each of us can do about it, something that will benefit us individually as well as our community. It is as simple as going in for a regular health checkup. While it is true that a lot of people don't have health insurance -- fortunately, there are free and low-cost services in place for those with limited or no health insurance, including those provided by the Florida Department of Health. (9/19/06, Daytona News-Journal)

Luring Customers From Medicare
For years, private insurers have offered alternatives to the federal Medicare program that are meant to give patients lower-cost options than the government coverage provides. More than 7 million people now subscribe to such plans, out of a total Medicare population of 42.5 million. The $7 billion that Medicare will pay private industry this year to provide this fee-for-service coverage is at least $770 million higher than the government would spend covering those patients itself, based on the 11 percent calculation. (9/22/06, New York Times)

Report Recommends Change in Medicare
Quality not quantity should be the federal government’s guide in setting payments to doctors, hospitals and other health care providers, said a report that was released Thursday. Medicare pays doctors and hospitals when they perform a service, but such a system “tends to reward excessive use of services, high-cost complex procedures, and lower quality care,” said the report, which was requested by Congress and prepared by the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences. (9/22/06, New York Times)

OPINION: The Medicare Monster
The resignation of CMS Administrator Mark McClellan will provide him with "a golden opportunity" to "tell us what to do about Medicare," the "monster of our future," columnist Robert Samuelson writes. "Federal spending on the elderly is plausibly projected to double from 2000 to 2030 as a share of national income," and about "three-quarters of that increase will be health spending -- mostly Medicare," Samuelson writes, "Now, uncontrolled health spending will dominate the federal budget and pose ugly choices: (a) raise taxes sharply, (b) gut other programs and (c) run ever-larger -- and more dangerous -- deficits." (9/18/06, Washington Post)

House, Senate Members Urge Delay in Wheelchair Policy
Members of the House and Senate have joined stakeholders in urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to delay implementation of a new policy on October 1 that would force many Medicare beneficiaries into power wheelchairs and scooters that are inadequate for their mobility impairments. (9/15/06, Medical News Today)

Number of Uninsured Children Rises: Census Figures Show 8.3 Million Youths Lacked Health Coverage in 2005
For the better part of a decade, fewer and fewer American children have gone without health insurance each year, a trend that diverged sharply from the seemingly inexorable rise in the number of adults without coverage. No more. For the first time since 1998, the number of children younger than 18 without health coverage ticked upward last year by 361,000, along with the overall increase in the ranks of the uninsured, according to census figures released last week. Of the nation's nearly 74 million children, about 8.3 million, or 11.2 percent, lacked coverage in 2005, up from 10.8 percent the year before. The discouraging development surprised some health experts, who attributed the change to budget crunches that led some states to curtail enrollment of children in government-subsidized plans and steady declines in the number of people who receive health insurance through their jobs. (9/5/06, Washington Post) 

For Insurance, Adult Children Ride Piggyback
Children can now stay on their parents’ health insurance plans well into their 20’s in a growing number of states. With 18- to 34-year-olds the fastest growing group of uninsured, states are extending the time that children can be a dependent for insurance purposes. The rise of uninsured young adults results from two main economic forces, analysts say. Changes in the workplace mean that fewer jobs now have full benefits, which disproportionately affects the newest workers. In addition, the rising cost of premiums, whether shared with an employer or paid individually, makes insurance less attractive to a relatively healthy population. (9/17/06, New York Times)

AMA Calls Number of Uninsured a "Disgrace" and Promotes Its Plan to Expand Coverage
The American Medical Association is "calling for radical changes in how health insurance is sold," with market-based measures such as tax incentives that would reduce the number of uninsured and slow the rise in health care costs. (9/15/06, Memphis Commercial Appeal)

Cost of Purchasing Individual Health Insurance Is Prohibitive for Almost All
A new study finds that "the overwhelming majority" of adults seeking to purchase individual health insurance are either rejected or cannot afford it. (9/14/06, Los Angeles Times)

OPINION: Government Reinsurance of High Medical Costs Could Lower Premiums and Bring Young People into the Insurance Pool
Economist Katherine Swartz argues that government-sponsored reinsurance for the very highest medical expenses would make coverage overall more affordable and bring young adults into the insurance market.
(9/12/06, Boston Globe)

Higher Demand For Assisted Living Creates Waiting Lists, Higher Prices For Care
Increased demand for assisted living facilities has made waiting lists "increasingly common" and has led to higher prices. Occupancy at the 36,000 assisted living facilities nationwide has reached "near saturation" at 95%, and the average annual cost for such facilities -- without health care expenses -- reached about $35,000 in 2005, a 33% increase from 2002, according to a recent survey by MetLife. Medicaid in most cases does not provide coverage for assisted living facilities, although some states have begun to allow coverage for such facilities, which cost less than nursing homes, to reduce costs. (9/2/06, Wall Street Journal)

How long you live depends on which USA you live in
America is a nation divided by vast differences in life expectancy, a "longevity gap" that can't be readily explained by race, income or access to health care, a study reported Monday. In fact, when viewed through the prism of life expectancy, there are eight Americas, with decades separating groups consisting of millions of people. The research team examined state and county life expectancies, the risk of death from specific diseases, health insurance and access to health care for major population groups from 1980 to 2001. They found that life expectancy differences are driven mainly by chronic diseases in young and middle-aged adults. Income, infant mortality, violence and HIV/AIDS, which now responds to drugs, played less of a role. (9/12/06, USA Today) 

HEALTH ADVOCACY RESOURCES

September 22, 2006 

Florida CHAIN Website Resources

Grants and Fellowships

Organizations and Services

Manuals, Guides and Toolkits

Technology and Audio Visual Materials

     Audioconferences and Webcasts

     Media Programming

     Web Sites, Web Features

     Videos

Periodicals and Books

Reports and Studies

     New Listings

        New Listings: Medicare, Medicaid    

        New: Health Insurance, Health Costs, Health Care Reform

        New: Health Equity Issues

        New: Other Health Issues

     Florida Reports

     Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIPS

     New: Census Data Analysis

     Federal Budget/Health Care

     Health Insurance, Health Costs, Health Care Reform

     Health Equity Issues

     Other Health Issues

 FLORIDA CHAIN WEB SITE RESOURCE UPDATE

The Florida CHAIN web site now includes resource information in Spanish.

GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS

New grant listings

Scholars in Health Policy Research Program
Deadline:  Oct. 25
The Robert Wood Johnson Scholars in Health Policy Research Program helps develop a new generation of creative health policy thinkers and researchers within the disciplines of economics, political science and sociology. Each year, the program selects up to 12 highly qualified individuals for two-year fellowships at one of three nationally prominent universities with the expectation that they will make important research contributions to future health policy in the United States.

Substance Abuse Policy Research Program—Round XI
Deadline:  Nov. 14
This Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Program is designed to encourage experts in public health, law, political science, medicine, sociology, criminal justice, economics, psychology and other behavioral and policy sciences to address issues related to substance use, one of the most pressing public health problems facing our nation. Projects are expected to increase understanding of public and private policy interventions to prevent, treat and reduce the harm caused by the use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.   

Translational Research for the Prevention and Control of Diabetes and Obesity
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): N/A
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) through this FOA seeks to foster the development of cost effective and sustainable translational research studies to prevent and treat obesity and diabetes. The interventions designed should have the potential to be disseminated to clinical practice including individuals or communities at risk.   

Medicare Seeks Proposals for Senior Risk Reduction Demonstration
As part of its efforts to increase prevention on the part of Medicare beneficiaries, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that it has issued a solicitation to implement a health promotion and disease prevention program through the Medicare Senior Risk Reduction Demonstration.  The demonstration will determine whether health risk reduction programs that have been developed, tested, and shown to be effective in the private sector can be tailored to the Medicare program to help beneficiaries improve their health and thus reduce the need for health care services.

Continuing grant listings, in order of submission deadlines

TECHNOLOGY AND AUDIO/VIDEO RESOURCES

Health Insurance, Health Costs, Health Care Reform, Budget

Number of Uninsured Americans at All-time High
Data released by the Census Bureau show that the number of uninsured Americans stood at a record 46.6 million in 2005, with 15.9 percent of Americans lacking health coverage. "The number of uninsured Americans reached an all-time high in 2005," said Robert Greenstein, executive director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "It is sobering that 5.4 million more people lacked health insurance in 2005 than in the recession year of 2001, primarily because of the erosion of employer-based insurance." (8/29/06, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

Framework for a High Performance Health System for the United States
Despite spending the most on health care, the United States lags behind other industrialized nations on many dimensions of health system performance.  Formed in July 2005, the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System seeks to chart a course for a US health care system that provides significantly expanded access, higher quality, and greater efficiency for all Americans, especially those who are most vulnerable.  (August 2006, Commonwealth Fund)

Health Equity Issues

The Rising Prevalence of Severe Poverty in America: A Growing Threat to Public Health
Since 2000, Americans have been getting poorer, and national rates of severe poverty have climbed sharply, according to a study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The researchers reported that the growth in the poverty rate is due largely to a rise in severe poverty and that "moderate" poverty has grown little. The study found that children under age 5 are twice as likely to be living in severe poverty as the rest of the population. "In 2004, one of three Americans with incomes less than 50% of the poverty threshold--5.6 million people--was a child." Severe poverty is also dramatically worse among African Americans and Hispanics, and minority children therefore face the greatest risk. The researchers reported that children account for 45% of Hispanic and African Americans living in severe poverty.  Likely health consequences include a higher prevalence of chronic illnesses, more frequent and severe disease complications, and increased demands and costs for healthcare services. Adverse effects on children carry long-term implications. The researchers describe a "sinkhole effect," in which "families and 

individuals in the middle and upper classes appear to be migrating to lower income tiers that bring them closer to the poverty threshold." (October 2006, American Journal of Preventive Medicine) 

Self-reported Health, Perceived Racial Discrimination, and Skin Color in African Americans in the CARDIA Study

This study investigates the association between self-reported physical and mental health and both perceived racial discrimination and skin color in African American men and women... Discrimination was statistically significantly associated with worse physical and mental health in both men and women, before and after adjustment for age, education, income, and skin color.  (Sept. 2006, Social Science and Medicine) 

Improving Communication with Vulnerable Patients
This report identifies "promising practices" that address language barriers and low health literacy to help hospitals and providers better communicate with their vulnerable patients. (8/22/06, Commonwealth Fund)  

Rate Of Disabilities Higher Among U.S. Residents With Lower Incomes
U.S. residents  55 and older with annual incomes less than the federal poverty level are more likely to have disabilities that limit routine physical activities than those with higher incomes, according to a study that examined Census 2000 Supplemental Survey data from 333,675 respondents ages 55 and older. Respondents 55 to 64 with annual incomes less than the federal poverty level -- at the time, $8,259 for an individual -- were six times more likely to have disabilities that limited activities such as walking, climbing stairs and lifting objects than those in the same age group with incomes of $60,000 or more. The study also finds that the rate of disabilities continued to decrease among respondents ages 55 to 64 as annual incomes increased higher than $60,000. Study authors said the disparity did not result only because of more limited access to health care among respondents with lower annual incomes, "Social class is a tremendously important risk factor for disability. . . . If policy makers are concerned about improving health status, they need to focus not only on medical coverage, which only accounts for 10% to 15% of health status, they need to look at how to improve social class." (8/17/06, New England Journal of Medicine)

Health Care Disconnect: Gaps in Coverage and Care for Minority Adults
Analysis of the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey (2005) finds that uninsured rates for Hispanic and African American adults are one-and-a-half to three times greater than the rate for white adults. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of working-age Hispanics and one-third (33%) of African Americans were uninsured at some point during 2005, compared with 20 percent of working-age whites. (August 2006, Commonwealth Fund)

Low Literacy Increases Risk Of Death And Misunderstanding Of Medical Consent Forms
Literacy at less than a ninth-grade level almost doubles five-year risk of mortality among elderly people, regardless of education, socioeconomic status, or health, according to a study. (August 2006, Journal of General Internal Medicine)

Examining the Health Disparities Research Plan of the National Institutes of Health: Unfinished Business
This final report of an Institute of Medicine committee charged with assessing the NIH Strategic Plan to Reduce and Ultimately Eliminate Health Disparities is now available. The report recommends ways to improve oversight and coordination of the Strategic Plan and to assure that needed research on health disparities is being carried out as effectively and expeditiously as possible. The recommendations are intended to help NIH achieve its minority health and health disparity Strategic Plan objectives. (Institute of Medicine)

Preventive Care for Children in the United States: Quality and Barriers
The importance of childhood preventive care has long been emphasized at the federal level, through such programs as the Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant, Medicaid's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Program, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Still, less than half of all children and adolescents in the United States receive the preventive care recommended by professional guidelines. In this study, the researchers focused on 58 large observational studies and interventions that addressed child care on four counts: frequency of visits, developmental and psychosocial surveillance, screening for diseases, and anticipatory guidance. (April 2006, Annual Review of Public Health) 

The 2005 National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR) and 2005 National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR) are now available on AHRQ's Web Site. The 2005 NHQR is a comprehensive national overview of quality of health care in the United States. The 2005 NHDR tracks disparities in both quality of and access to health care in the United States for both the general population and for congressionally designated priority populations.

 STATE HEALTH EVENTS AND NOTICES

September 22, 2006

NORTH FLORIDA

Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition's 2006 Advocacy Summit
Sept. 25   9:00 am-12:00 noon    FL Dept. of Law Enforcement Conference Center
921 North Davis Street, Jacksonville

Reserve Your Place Now! Join key stakeholders to strategically plan Legislative Priorities for the 2007 Legislative Session. The focus of the 2006 Advocacy Summit will be on women's and children's health. RSVP by Sept. 21 to lmichaels@nefhsc.org or 279-0885 ext. 107

WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA 

Passing the Torch from Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month to Breast Cancer Awareness Month®
Sept. 30  5:00–8:30 pm  Tampa, Cotanchobee Park, 601 St. Pete Times Forum Dr.
Passing of the Torch highlights the hereditary link between breast and ovarian cancer, honors cancer survivors and those at high risk, remembers those whose lives have been lost to cancer, and recognizes families that have been affected by cancer. Local experts and survivors will speak about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Entertainment will be provided by noted jazz-singer Belinda Womack and the popular all-physician band, Doc Rock. The event is free of charge. Valet parking available for $8 at Marriott Waterside. For more information or to volunteer, click here or contact Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered at info@facingourrisk.org 

Choosing the Best Medicare Plan D for You

Oct. 24    1:30 pm    DeSoto County Health Department, 34 S. Baldwin Ave.

DeSoto Health Resources will be offering this seminar. Also available at this meeting will be DeSoto Health Resources, Inc. associates with laptop computers to help provide individual sign up if desired by any of those attending. The goal is to make sure information on choosing the plan best for each individual before the Dec. 31 deadline is available. For more information, call 863/494-1351.

Zero Exposure Project: Pregnancy, Alcohol & Substances: Strategies for Prevention
Oct. 27   9:00 am-1:00 pm   Twin Lakes Pk., Green Bldg. Conf. Rm., 6700 Clark Rd., Sarasota
The Zero Exposure Project is based on the vision that every child in a community is born substance-free and lives in a family that promotes healthy growth and development. The Zero Exposure Project and the March of Dimes are sponsoring this complimentary workshop and luncheon to teach how to: 1) Raise awareness of the consequences of alcohol and substance abuse before and during pregnancy; 2) Increase health education and referral services available to pregnant women; 3) Develop a community education campaign addressing substance abuse and pregnancy. Click here for the workshop brochure including registration form, or call 866/217-0020 ext. 129

Events

Southeast Florida Cancer Control Collaborative Disparities Workgroup
Sept. 26  12:30-2:00 pm University of Miami
This Cultural Competency Planning meeting will take place at the UM/Sylvester Cancer Center, Fox Research Building, Room 308. For more information, contact moliveros@med.miami.edu.

A Community Dialogue: Our Healthcare Future
Sept. 28  8:30 am-4:00 pm   Peace Education Foundation, 1900 Biscayne Blvd, Miami
There are many steps to make the changes we need in our health care systemss. An important one is bringing people from different backgrounds and experiences together to look at how health care works today and at some possible ways to make it better in the future. 30 to 40 people from the community will gather to sort out our priorities for health care. The day is put together in a way that invites you to share your thinking and to listen to the ideas of others. RSVP to 305/576- 5001 ext 42 or ashal@hscdade.org.

Conference on Intervention

Oct. 2-4  The Breakers Palm Beach Hotel

Click here for more information on this and four other events scheduled for 2006.

AHCA Resources Presentation

Oct. 3  2:30-4:30 pm   Medicaid Program Office-Area 11, 8355 NW 53rd St, Miami

Beth Eastman from Florida Center for Health Information and Policy Analysis (State Center for Health Statistics),Tallahassee, will provide a special resources presentation. The previously Florida Center has a wealth of information for consumers to assist in making well informed health care decisions on topics including selecting a hospital, ambulatory (outpatient) surgery center, health plan (HMOs, PPOs, etc), prescription drug information, etc., as well as numerous brochures in the Consumer Awareness Series. Please RSVP to rosenbaj@ahca.myflorida.com.

Building a Livable Community for All: Creating Connections, Strengthening Skills and Implementing Best Practices: Alliance for Human Services 4th Annual Institute
October 27   Miami Beach Convention Center

Over 400 individuals (business leaders, social service providers, not-for-profit agencies, faith-based organizations, human service consumers) will gather to discuss and receive valuable information and innovative solutions on social service issues.  The Alliance is dedicated to improving quality of life for Miami-Dade County residents through partnerships, coordination of resources, and community involvement. For more information, call 305/646-7274 or write ggrey@alliance4hs.org.

Champions for Children Awards Ceremony 2006
Nov. 9    11:30 am - 2:00 pm Parrot Jungle Island Treetop Ballroom
The Children's Trust presents this second annual event. Invitations will follow.

Notices

New Healthy Start Coalition Of Miami-Dade Website LAUNCHED! The website at www.hscmd.org will increase community awareness about the Healthy Start Coalition’s activities and accomplishments, and serve the women, infants and families of Miami-Dade County.  

STATEWIDE

10th Annual Joint Cancer Conference of the Florida Universities
Sept. 28-Oct. 1  The Breakers Hotel, Palm Beach
Click here for details.

Florida Children's Summit
Oct. 6   8:00 am-5:00 pm  Orlando/Orange County Convention Center
The goal of the inaugural Florida Children's Summit, organized in conjunction with the Florida Legislature,is to bring advocates, professionals, community leaders and elected officials together to create and agree on the State of Florida's commitment to our children and families, and to develop long range strategies for the 2007 Legislative Session and beyond. Children's Week Partners and other non-profit organizations are strongly encouraged to sign up as partners (in-kind) and invite their networks of advocates to attend the Summit. Registration will be limited to 1,500. Click here for more information or call 305/864-5822.

12th Annual Children's Week
March 25-April 1, 2007  Tallahassee
Click here for details.

Notices

Florida Cancer Clinical Trials Cooperative, Inc. (FCCTC) is a public resource that provides information about cancer clinical trials to Florida residents.  They have a web-based and a phone-based Clinical Trial Matching Service that provides users with an opportunity to search for cancer clinical trials for which they might be eligible. The program allows people to print (or be mailed) information about potential trials to discuss with their physicians. The Florida Dialogue on Cancer established the FCCTC in 2004 and received a federal grant to create a clinical trials information system in Florida. Their data base includes current information about clinical trials at hospitals and research facilities throughout the state, including pediatric cancer trials. Information is available in English and Spanish. Go to http://www.floridacancertrials.com or call 1/800-584-9976  

 NATIONAL EVENTS AND NOTICES

September 22, 2006 

CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

Health as a Human Right: Health Education, Equality and Social Justice for All

November 2-4  Boston

Society for Public Health Education’s 57th Annual Meeting will examine the impact of reciprocal influences of health and human rights, including the impact public health programs and policies have on human rights and health disparities, the consequences human rights violations have on health, the importance of health in realizing human rights, and the ways in which health educators can ensure that human rights are integrated into public health strategies to eliminate disparities.

Making Methods and Practice Matter for Women, Children and Families

December 6–8    Atlanta

Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology (MCH EPI) conference organizers invite you to join MCH professionals in sharing experiences, enhancing knowledge, and generating new ideas for improved MCH data use and informed policymaking.

Spring Training for Health Champions
March 7-9   New Orleans

The Association for Community Health Improvement is now accepting breakout session proposals for its  2007 conference.  Topic tracks include: access to care; chronic disease prevention and management; community benefit excellence; and community health assessments.  

AUDIO AND WEB EVENTS

Planning and Coordinating Care for People with Alzheimer’s Disease
Sept. 28  1–2:30 pm EST 
Free educational web seminar presented by the Medicare Rights Center. Register online.

Black Women’s Health Imperative: Standing Up to Osteoporosis 
Oct. 10  Noon EDT
An educational, audio-teleconference on osteoporosis. Ask questions and listen in while noted health care professionals answer pressing health questions on the topic. Please submit questions today, and encourage friends and family to also register for this free event. Click here to submit questions and RSVP.

Chicago's Comprehensive Youth Obesity Prevention Collaborative
Oct. 17    2:00 pm ET, 1:00 pm CT
Join this free CDC-sponsored Audio Conference call for insight into Chicago's comprehensive and collaborative youth obesity prevention network, which addresses childhood obesity prevention through clinical, research, and advocacy/public education projects and initiatives.  This inclusive undertaking of research, education, health promotion, policy and results measurement, involves a vast partnership of schools, business, community groups and government, easily garnering city-wide support. Learn how this project includes social marketing to 'sell' healthy lifestyles for young children, the drafting and passage of legislation that supports the community-level efforts and more. To register, write communityhlth@aha.org with the session title in the subject line and your contact information in the body.

"When an Apple a Day Isn't Enough" National Essay Contest
Sept. 5 - Oct. 31
Do you think all children should have access to health care?
The Campaign for Children's Health Care wants to generate awareness among America's youth about the importance of providing health coverage to all young people. Their hope is that this contest will give voice to the insights of our nation's youth and help educate policy makers at both the state and national levels. Ages 9-18 are asked to explain how the ability to obtain the health services they need affects their lives and those around them. Winners will be selected from two age groups in each state: 9-13 and 14-18. State winners will receive $250 in cash, and winning essays will be published in a Campaign booklet. Grand Prize winners (and a parent or guardian) will receive $2,500 and a trip to Washington, D.C. for an awards ceremony in Feb. 2007. One teacher or program facilitator for each Grand Prize winner will also receive an overnight trip to D.C. and will be recognized . The school or organization that submits the most entries will receive a $2,000 cash award for school supplies.

JAMA Theme Issue on Access to Health Care
Call for Papers: Oct. 1

The number of individuals in the United States who are unable to access medical care because they are underinsured or lack any insurance at all continues to increase. An estimated 61 million persons aged 19 to 64 years were uninsured or underinsured in 2003.1 The peculiar US system of basing insurance on employment is collapsing in the face of businesses that are no longer making this same commitment to their employees. To focus attention on and reinvigorate much-needed interest in this pressing topic, JAMA will publish a theme issue devoted to access to health care, and some of the Archives Journals will publish theme issues or devote pages to publishing articles on this topic, all in March 2007. 

Help Eligible, Uninsured Children Get Enrolled!: Annual Covering Kids & Families Back-to-School Campaign  National Kick Off August 9

Most of the nearly 8.3 million uninsured children in the United States, most of whom are eligible for low-cost or free health care coverage. The Back-to-School Campaign is designed to urge parents to call toll-free 1(877) KIDS-NOW to find out if their uninsured children are eligible. Plan a community activity or participate in an event. Visit  www.coveringkidsandfamilies.org to register for Covering Kids & Families e-mail updates and to find out what you can do to help inform these parents. Browse the Covering Kids & Families toolkits in the Communications Action Center for ideas. Contact the Covering Kids & Families Communications Team at coveringkidsandfamilies@gmmb.com or 202/338-7227 with any questions about the Back-to-School Campaign, or for assistance with planning.

Nominations Sought for Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leadership Award

Letter of Intent Deadline: Sept. 22

The Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leadership Program (CHLP) honors 10 outstanding individuals each year for their work in creating or enhancing health care programs serving communities whose needs have been ignored and unmet. Each leader receives $120,000 to be used for personal and program enhancement over a period of up to three years. CHLP seeks individuals who have the leadership skills to overcome complex obstacles and find creative ways to bring health care services to their communities. Candidates should be working at the grassroots level, have received no significant national recognition and be in "mid-career," with no less than five and no more than fifteen years of community health experience. Nominations can be made by consumers, community leaders, health professionals and government officials who have been personally inspired by the nominee. Interested nominators need to complete a Letter of Intent (LOI) form. Completed nominations will be due in November.

Cover the Uninsured Week
April 23-29, 2007
Mark your calendars and visit www.CoverTheUninsured.org where information will be posted as plans for 2007 develop. Sign up for the Cover the Uninsured Week Weekly News Digest for the latest news and updates on the issue of the uninsured.

Campaign for Children’s Health Care
Launched on July 11
The Campaign for Children's Health Care is a nationwide public education campaign designed to raise awareness about the 9 million children who do not have health insurance and the millions more who are underinsured. The campaign is dedicated to making high-quality, comprehensive, affordable health insurance coverage for all of America’s children a top national priority. 

SEPTEMBER

World Suicide Prevention Day: September 10
For materials: 781/239-0071   info@mentalhealthscreening.org   www.stopasuicide.org

Take A Loved One for a Check-up Day: September 19
U.S. Office of Minority Health
For materials: (800) 444-6472   info@omhrc.gov  www.healthgap.omhrc.gov

 
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month: September
For materials: 888/245-9455   info@pcacoalition.org  www.pcacoalition.org

 
National Sickle Cell Month: September
For materials: 800/421-8453  scdaa@sicklecelldisease.org  www.SickleCellDisease.org

National Cholesterol Education Month: September
For materials:301/592-8573  nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov  hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/cholmonth

Healthy Aging Month: September
Educational Television Network, Inc.
For materials: 610/793-0979  info@healthyaging.net   www.healthyaging.net

Leukemia & Lymphoma Awareness Month: September
For materials: 800/955-4572   infocenter@leukemia-lymphoma.org   www.lls.org

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: September
For materials: 888/OVARIAN  nocc@ovarian.org  www.ovarian.org

Head Lice Prevention Month: September
For materials: 781/449-6487  npa@headlice.org  www.headlice.org

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month: September
For materials: 800/729-6686   info@samhsa.gov   www.recoverymonth.gov

Reye's Syndrome Awareness Month: September
For materials: 800/233-7393   nrsf@reyessyndrome.org   www.reyessyndrome.org

OCTOBER

National Child Health Day: October 2
For materials: 301/443-2170   www.mchb.hrsa.gov

National Depression Screening Day: October 5
For materials: 781/239-0071   info@mentalhealthscreening.org   www.mentalhealthscreening.org

National Latino AIDS Awareness Day
"Knowledge is Power. Get the Facts. Get Tested for HIV"
October 15
Partners throughout the country will host press conferences, health fairs, HIV testing initiatives, roundtable discussions, town hall meetings, and dialogue with elected officials to raise awareness about the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS the Hispanic/Latino (a) community.

National Health Education Week: October 16-20
For materials: 212/463-4053   ray@nche.org   www.nche.org

National Mammography Day: October 20
For materials: 800/ACS-2345   www.cancer.org  

Healthy Lung Month: October
For materials: 800/LUNG-USA (586-4872)   info@lungusa.org   www.lungusa.org

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month: October
For materials: 312/596-3400   nbcaminfo@yahoo.com   www.nbcam.org/about_nbcam.cfm

National Family Sexuality Education Month: October
For materials: 212/541-7800   education@ppfa.org   www.plannedparenthood.org

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Awareness Month: October
For materials: 800/221-7437   info@firstcandle.org   www.firstcandle.org

Children's Health Month: October
For materials: 202/564-2188   www.childrenshealth.gov

National Hospice Month: November
For materials: 703/837-1500  nhpcoinfo@nhpco.org  www.nhpco.org

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month: November
For materials: 877/272-6226  information@pancan.org  www.pancan.org

Lung Cancer Awareness Month: November
For materials: 800/298-2436  info@lungcanceralliance.org  www.lungcanceralliance.org

National Family Caregivers Month: November
For materials: 800/896-3650  info@thefamilycaregiver.org  www.thefamilycaregiver.org

American Diabetes Month: November
For materials: 800/DIABETES  askada@diabetes.org  www.diabetes.org

National Epilepsy Awareness Month: November
For materials: 800/332-1000  postmaster@efa.org  www.epilepsyfoundation.org

Prematurity Awareness Month: November
Prematurity Awareness Day: Nov. 21
For materials: 888/MODIMES  askus@marchofdimes.com  www.marchofdimes.com

Great American Smokeout: Nov. 16
For materials: 800/ACS-2345  www.cancer.org

World AIDS Day: Dec. 1
For materials: unaids@unaids.org  www.unaids.org/en/default.asp