RECENT HEALTH ARTICLES
October 20, 2006
Florida News & Opinions
KidCare and SCHIP
Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare Drug Coverage, Drug Costs
Other Medicare, Medicaid
Health Insurance and Costs
Other Health Issues
National News & Opinions
Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP
Medicare Drug Coverage, Drug Costs
Other Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP
Health Insurance and Costs
Other National Health Issues
KidCare and SCHIP
Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare Drug Coverage, Drug Cost
First Coast Families Say They're Overpaying For Prescriptions
Clay County resident Pete Jimmison is enrolled in the Medicare Prescription Drug Program. He also gets a check from social security. His October check was short. Jimmison pays $2.40 a month for his prescription drugs. This month, $121.40 were deducted from his fixed income. "It showed that was for the drug plan," says Jimmison. Jimmison has spent hours on the phone between his insurance carrier, Medicare, and social security. He's being told his the monthly premium of his drug benefit plan is the same $2.40, so why did he have to pay $121.40 this month for coverage? (10/19/06, First Coast News)
Medicare plans offer dizzying choices, HMOs add incentives as deadline looms
Companies with Medicare HMOs that include drug coverage released the details of their plans Friday, adding it to similar information for stand-alone drug-only plans issued about two weeks ago. Consumers now have until Nov. 15, when enrollment begins, to shop and compare all the 2007 plans, which take effect Jan. 1. The overall picture for HMOs: There are a lot more incentives to join one, aimed at nudging more Medicare participants into managed care. Four-fifths of South Florida's HMOs have no monthly premium for drugs, and most have some coverage through the coverage gap that's been nicknamed the "doughnut hole." Only a few had these benefits in 2006. And some plans are offering more snazzy add-ons like free gym memberships and diet programs. But making a choice may prove no easier than it was last year, as there are more HMO offerings than in 2006 -- a trend mimicked by the stand-alones. Broward County residents will need to wade through a total of more than 120 plans, and Palm Beach County residents through more than 100, when making their decisions. (10/14/06, South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Medicare's online tool allows seniors to compare plans
Medicare launched its online drug plan finder tool on Friday, allowing seniors to begin comparing Part D prescription drugs plans offered in 2007. Enrollment starts Nov. 15. (10/14/06, Miami Herald)
Medicare D not always cheapest: Retail costs less, study shows
A recent study of Medicare Part D drug prices in Broward County found that 80 percent of the time, seniors can get a better price for their prescriptions at retail pharmacies than they can get by paying the full-cost price under their Medicare insurance plan, Consumers Union officials announced Tuesday. (10/11/06, Tallahassee Democrat)
How to save on prescription drugs
Ways that Medicare recipients can save money on prescription drugs when they hit the coverage gap are listed. (10/11/06, South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Broward drug-price sampling challenges Medicare costs
A new study of drug prices in Broward County suggests that seniors and the disabled entering Medicare Part D's coverage gap could find better prices on certain prescription medications by shopping around at retail pharmacies rather than buying under their plans. (10/11/06, Miami Herald)
OPINION: MEDICARE MEDICINE MESS - HMOs a model? Hardly
by Waldo Proffitt
Not-so-quiet wars between doctors and insurance company HMOs and between the HMOs and their customers will continue. They are built into the privatized system established as part of the poorly planned prescription drug plan grafted onto Medicare. The prescription drug benefit was used as both a carrot and a stick to push Medicare and Medicaid recipients into HMOs run for the benefit of insurance companies and usually to the detriment of seniors. The traditional Medicare program, offering total freedom in choice of doctors, is, Heaven knows, far from perfect, but it has over the years developed into one of the most effective mass health delivery systems in the world. (10/8/06, Southwest Florida Herald Tribune)
AARP head vows drug cost fight
AARP CEO Bill Novelli said the powerful senior citizen lobby he leads will continue to push for changes to the Medicare drug program to lower prices and give more people access to the government's low-income subsidy. "We felt year one was good, but we never said it was a perfect plan," Novelli said in an interview Wednesday, adding that he is pleased that seniors have a greater number of choices this fall. "We know we keep having to work to fix Medicare Part D." (10/5/06, Palm Beach Post)
Other Medicare, Medicaid
Volunteer helps seniors navigate complexities of health insurance
In the past 10 years, Sandra Roberts has worked her way into a leadership position with SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders). Operated by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Area Agency on Aging of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast, SHINE volunteers help seniors understand and take advantage of benefits they are entitled to through Medicare and Medicaid. Seniors also can get counseling through SHINE on long-term care insurance and group insurance. Anyone who is a Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary, or is acting on behalf of a beneficiary, is eligible for the free services offered by SHINE. (10/11/06, Palm Beach Post)
Looming Medicare cuts cast uncertainty over patient care: Many physicians considering not accepting new Medicare patients if reimbursements reduced
Physicians nationwide are facing a 5.1 percent cut in Medicare reimbursement starting Jan. 1, and the prevailing sentiment is many will decide to quit accepting new Medicare patients. Others may opt to cut back on the services they provide to the 65-and-older population covered by the federal insurance program. Despite intensive lobbying by the American Medical Association, AARP and other groups over the summer and early fall to stop the reimbursement cut, Congress didn't act before taking a break late last month. The only chance now is for a stop-gap measure in late November following the mid-term elections. (10/9/06, Naples News)
OPINION: A fitting legacy: last-ditch plea for health care showed the need to expand Medicaid reform.
Michael Flynn, a Mount Dora man of modest means who died recently after bouts with several illnesses, often asked his friend from church, "Why am I still here?" The friend assured him that his life had significance. In fact, Mr. Flynn indirectly may help millions. When he could not find a doctor to take his complicated case, Mr. Flynn placed a newspaper ad pleading for one. Four responded. It drew attention to the need for Medicaid reforms such as those being tested in a few Florida counties. (10/7/06, Orlando Sentinel)
Health Insurance and Costs
New consumer health-plan information on state's Web site
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) Secretary Christa Calamas today announced the addition of health plan consumer information to the state's comprehensive health care Web site, www.FloridaCompareCare.gov. The new feature allows consumers to compare quality of care, member satisfaction and costs for health plans available in their county. Florida Compare Care reports consumer information on each health plan in the state, including Medicaid and Medicare HMOs, and commercial managed care and traditional plans. Individuals can now choose a plan by comparing. (10/12/06, Bradenton Herald)
OPINION: Community-based clinics serve working families
by James McCloud, president and CEO of the nonprofit Genesis Health Services Inc.
I don't know how many thousands of dollars an emergency-room visit costs for an impacted wisdom tooth or a stomachache that turns out to be gas, but I do know that Genesis is operating at a cost of less than $50 per patient visit for medical, dental and behavioral health services. Services that we render include, but are not limited to, physicals, gynecological exams, HIV counseling and testing, dentures, crown and bridge work, basic and surgical tooth extractions, root canals and fillings. We are able to do this by mining the greatest resource our community has -- volunteerism. This resource is coupled with free radiological, laboratory and other diagnostic services (10/11/06, Southwest Florida Herald Tribune)
OPINION: It's time to call for a vote on mental-health parity
by David L. Shern
More than 10 years have passed since Congress passed the Mental Health Parity Act, an important step toward ending discrimination in the provision of health insurance coverage for mental illnesses. Yet, today, many of the 44 million Americans with mental illnesses and their families still must choose between the debilitating disorders they face and the heavy financial burdens of their treatment. For one-third of those who experience mental illness, the resources to improve their mental health are out of reach. (10/7/06, Tallahassee Democrat)
Crist's healthcare plans lack details
Republican Charlie Crist made an election-year promise Thursday to offer cheaper prescriptions, promote fitness and make health insurance available to more families. Like other proposals offered by the attorney general and his Democratic rival in the the governor's race, Crist's ''Keep Florida Healthy'' plan is long on tough-to-keep promises and short on crucial details. What's the price tag? ''Not that much,'' Crist said of the plan that would also let employers offer bare-bones health insurance, appoint a state surgeon general, and make students take daily physical education classes. Crist's health policies resemble rival Jim Davis'. Many aspects of their plans, especially Crist's, mostly expand on existing programs put in place by Gov. Jeb Bush, or revive ideas that state lawmakers quashed or ignored. (10/5/06, Miami Herald)
Other Health Issues
Governor hopefuls differ on health care
When Jim Davis or Charlie Crist becomes Florida governor, he will face a health-care system struggling with rising costs and a growing number of uninsured. The issue has been overshadowed during this fall's campaign by a property-insurance crisis that is slamming homeowners and businesses across the state. But, despite legislative efforts to fix the health system in recent years, business and health advocates say problems continue to grow, particularly for small businesses and families that are having difficulty affording coverage. This article explores some of the candidates' differences on health care. (10/15/06, Daytona News-Journal)
Groups butt in on smoking
This fall, frustrated that Florida has slashed funding for a high-profile program, those groups are backing a proposed constitutional amendment that would require lawmakers to spend tens of millions of dollars each year on anti-smoking efforts. Voters will decide the issue during the Nov. 7 election. If the amendment passes, the state would be required to spend an estimated $57 million on the program next year -- a total that likely would increase in the future. The program's funding dropped from $70 million in 1998 to as little as $1 million a year from 2003 to 2005. Among other things, those cuts prevented the program from continuing to run edgy television ads aimed at teens. (10/16/06, Daytona News-Journal)
OPINION: Rx for accountability: Hospital rankings imperfect, but aim to standardize care deserves support
With all the problems generated by the Space Coasts' rapid growth, it's important to remember there are benefits as well. One is the steadily improving medical care available to Brevardians from local hospital systems continually working to expand and improve their services. (10/6/06, Florida Today)
NATIONAL NEWS & OPINIONS
Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP
Medicare Drug Coverage, Drug Costs
Democrat Disputes Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Calculations
The Bush administration said last month that beneficiaries who stay in their Medicare prescription drug plan will pay an average of $24 a month in premiums next year, the same as this year. But according to Waxman, average prescription drug premiums in what is known as Medicare Part D will rise to $29 a month in 2007. He cited an analysis by the Democratic staff of the House Government Reform Committee, on which he is the ranking minority member. (10/13/06, Washington Post)
OPINION: Falling Into the Doughnut Hole
The so-called "doughnut hole" in the Medicare prescription drug benefit "makes little sense from a medical or insurance perspective" and "is the inevitable result of designing a program with political rather than programmatic aims in mind, a New York Times editorial states. Under the doughnut hole, the "danger is that some who are ailing, suddenly faced with higher drug bills than they expected, will forgo needed medications and get sicker," the editorial states. The editorial concludes, "But those already enrolled in a plan would be wise to check for any changes when full details of next year's offerings are posted. In some cases, premiums are rising and drugs previously on the formularies have been dropped" (10/6/06, New York Times).
Advocates Urge CMS To Look At Medicare Drug Benefit Appeals
The National Senior Citizens Law Center, the Center for Medicare Advocacy and the Medicare Rights Center on Tuesday sent a letter to CMS Administrator Mark McClellan that asked him to make the appeals process for the Medicare prescription drug benefit work "more fairly and efficiently" before the 2007 enrollment period begins. The six-week open enrollment period for the 2007 Medicare prescription drug. (10/4/06, CQ HealthBeat)
In wake of changes, seniors urged to revisit Medicare drug plans
Some health care analysts and consumer advocates are urging Medicare beneficiaries who enrolled in the Medicare prescription drug benefit this year to evaluate changes in their plans for 2007 to determine whether they should select a different option. (10/4/06, USA Today)
U.S. Customs Officers Stop Seizing Mailed Prescription Drugs Purchased From Canada
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials on Tuesday said that as of Oct. 9 they will no longer seize prescription drugs sent by mail to U.S. residents from Canadian pharmacies. (10/4/06, Wall Street Journal)
Other Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP News
OPINION: Medicare Cuts Hurt DisabledManufacturers of power wheelchairs say coming Medicare payment cuts will force suppliers out of business and leave severely handicapped consumers out of luck. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency in charge of the Medicare program, recently announced that beginning Nov. 15, the maximum amount Medicare will pay suppliers for power wheelchairs will be around 35 percent less than what they currently receive. Medicare now pays up to $6,130 for a typical power wheelchair. (10/10/06, Washington Times)
Medicaid Spending Growth Lowest in 10 YearsTotal spending on Medicaid grew at its slowest pace in 10 years, reflecting a better economy that has held down new enrollments, cost-containment efforts and a new federal Medicare drug benefit, a new survey showed. (10/10/06, Reuters)
Security Gaps in Medicare and Medicaid
Investigators say computer security flaws could lead to the disclosure of medical information on people enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. (10/8/06, New York Times)
SCHIP Faces Cuts That Could Leave More Than 610,000 Children without Coverage
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal advocacy group, predicted that federal funding for the coming fiscal year would not be enough to cover the costs of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in some states, according to the Bergen Record. SCHIP is a jointly funded federal-state program designed to provide health coverage for children in working families that make too much to qualify for Medicaid. It covers 6.1 million children nationwide. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated that 17 states face an $890 million shortfall in federal funding, and 610,000 children risk losing benefits. The Record notes that New Jersey faces an estimated $150 million shortfall. "This isn't an abstract policy debate without consequences," said Democratic Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey. "It's about vaccinations, emergency room care, prescriptions for children most in need." (9/28/06, Bergen County Record)
Health Insurance and Costs
USA Today and ABC News Run Series on U.S. Health Care in Response to Survey
A survey on what adults think about the U.S. health care system found "growing unease" with the system and "a desire for major reform," with more than half endorsing universal coverage. (10/16/06, USA Today)
OPINION: Columnist Advocates for Universal Coverage of Children
Los Angeles Times columnist Ronald Brownstein writes that though states are taking steps to cover the nation's 8.3 million uninsured children, the problem requires "a national solution and a broad funding source." (10/15/06, Los Angeles Times)
Many vets lose health benefits
Under federal rules blamed on budget constraints, millions of middle-class veterans who weren't injured in the military can no longer enroll in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health-care system. The change occurred in 2003, and news of it has gradually trickled down to veterans. The Washington Post has reported that as many as 10 million veterans who aren't in the system wouldn't be allowed to enroll under the new rule. In just the past three years, more than 250,000 veterans who sought care at the nation's VA hospitals have been turned away because of the new rule. (10/15/06, Louisville Courier-Journal)
Small Businesses Gain Employees, But Employees Risk Losing Health Coverage
Small businesses are taking an increasing share of U.S. employment, which may adversely affect health care coverage for millions of American workers. (10/10/06, USA Today)
Survey Predicts Another Increase in U.S. Workers' Insurance Costs
U.S. workers will face an 8 percent increase in their health insurance costs in 2007, as both premium contributions and out-of-pocket expenses rise again, according to an annual survey by Hewitt Associates. (10/8/06, Chicago Tribune)
Worker Health Bill Expected to Rise Eight Percent
U.S. workers, who have already seen their medical expenses double in the past five years, will see their insurance costs rise again next year, both in payroll contributions and out-of-pocket spending. In 2007, the combined premium and out-of-pocket costs for health-care coverage will climb nearly 8 percent to $3,305 a year, according to an annual study by Lincolnshire-based Hewitt Associates in preparation for open enrollment season. (10/8/06, Chicago Tribune)
Frist Unveils Minority Health Bill
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is aligning himself with Democrats in hopes of enhancing his political legacy through an effort to improve minority health care. The bill authorizes roughly $500 million to reduce disease rates among racial and ethnic minorities and some poor rural whites. (9/30/06, AP)
OPINION: Columnists Bemoan Rising Health Care Premiums
The ongoing increases in health care premiums, reported in a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study, mean that employers may no longer be able to afford to cover their workers. However, the solution is not merely to cut health care costs. While cutting costs "has become the accepted wisdom" about the health care crisis, the cost increases align with an increase in health benefits and longevity that we do not want to give up. (9/27/06, New York Times)
Other Health Issues
Patient Advocacy Groups Sometimes Duplicate Efforts; Some Attempting To Coordinate
Some patient advocacy groups "have begun to debate whether the large number of organizations may be hindering as much as helping in their efforts."According to the Journal, "Many diseases -- including AIDS, autism, Parkinson's" and different cancers -- have more than one group that lobbies Congress for funding and provides support for families. While competing for donors, research and publicity, "there is a chance" that patient advocacy groups will duplicate one another's efforts and waste resources by offering the same services. Some groups have attempted to resolve disorganization and confusion by establishing coalitions that lobby on common issues or merging. (10/9/06, Wall Street Journal)
Geriatrics Lags in Age of High-Tech Medicine
The population is aging, but geriatrics, a relatively low-paid specialty, is of little interest to medical students. (10/18/06, New York Times)
Award to Eliminate Health Disparities
The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health today announced the award of more than $13 million to 38 organizations to support efforts to eliminate health disparities in racial and ethnic minority communities. "These awards underscore our continuing commitment to eliminate health disparities experienced by traditionally disadvantaged populations across the nation," said Dr. Garth Graham, deputy assistant secretary for minority health. "Our comprehensive effort to close the health gap among minorities continues to strengthen our nation's health care while providing better health services to more Americans." (9/28/06, DHHS)
HEALTH ADVOCACY RESOURCES
October 20, 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 Care Costs
New: Health Equity Issues
New: Other Health Issues
Florida Reports
Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIPS
Federal Budget/Health Care
Health Insurance, Health Costs, Health Care Reform
Health Equity Issues
Other Health Issues
FLORIDA CHAIN WEB SITE RESOURCE UPDATE
Florida Medicaid Reform PowerPoint Presentation
Educate your colleagues and/or employees on Florida Medicaid Reform basics. with Florida CHAIN's PowerPoint presentation for public use. Feel free to call Florida CHAIN for more information about Medicaid reform or about the PowerPoint: 954-791-7314.
The Florida CHAIN web site now includes resource information in Spanish.
GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS
New grant listings
University of Toronto Fellowships
Deadline: Nov. 10
The Comparative Program on Health and Society (CPHS) at the Munk Centre for International Studies invites applications for the 2007/8 New Faculty Fellowship and Distinguished Visitor Fellowship. The CPHS supports research on the social determinants of health from a wide variety of disciplinary and methodological perspectives. Projects of particular interest examine: i. the relationship between socio-economic status and health outcomes; ii. access to health and health-related services; or iii. accountability mechanisms in the governance of health and health-related services. Email: cphs.munk@utoronto.ca
CIHR Strategic Training Program in the Transdisciplinary Approach to the Health of Marginalized Populations
Deadline: Nov. 15
The Centre for Research on Inner City Health (CRICH) of St. Michael's Hospital, Public Health Science, University of Toronto invites students and fellows of all disciplines to respond to their 2007/2008 Call for Applications. The goal of the CIHR Strategic Training Program is to promote a new generation of health researchers in a transdisciplinary approach, using both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, to understanding the health of marginalized populations. The program aims to enable investigators-in-training to: 1) develop the knowledge, skills, and mentality needed to build their own research agenda designed to improve the health of marginalized groups; 2) reach beyond the boundaries of their own disciplines and methodologies in understanding and interpreting their research; 3) translate their findings to researchers, clinicians, policy makers, community partners, and other stakeholders.
Florida Healthy Kids
The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation has released a Call for Grant Proposals – Round Two (CGP). The CGP seeks innovative proposals from community organizations, governmental entities and others to provide marketing and outreach activities that will result in reaching the enrollment target for the Florida KidCare Program.
Continuing grant listings, in order of submission deadlines
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.
CVS/pharmacy Accepting Applications for Community Grants Program
Deadline: Oct. 31
CVS/pharmacy supports the communities it serves by offering nonprofit organizations the CVS/pharmacy Community Grant. The Community Grants program is currently accepting proposals for the following: 1) Programs targeting children under the age of 18 with disabilities that address any of the following: health and rehabilitation services; public schools promoting a greater level of inclusion in student activities and extracurricular programs; and creating opportunities or facilities that give greater access to physical movement and play. 2) Healthcare services for uninsured people. All CVS/pharmacy Community Grant applications must be submitted online between January and October of each calendar year.
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.
Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship
Deadline: Nov. 17
Administered by the Institute of Medicine, this is the nation's most prestigious learning experience at the nexus of health science, policy and politics. The fellowship is an outstanding opportunity for exceptional midcareer health professionals and behavioral and social scientists with an interest in health to experience and participate in the health policy processes at the federal level and to use that experience to provide leadership to improve health, health care and health policy at the national, state or local levels.
ACHI Youth Obesity Collaborative
Deadline: Nov. 17
The Association for Community Health Improvement is seeking proposals from rural and suburban hospitals interested in joining its youth obesity collaborative, a national network launched last February to identify effective community strategies to reduce youth obesity. The learning collaborative strives to enhance the effectiveness of participants' initiatives and also to develop guidance for other hospital-based partnerships seeking to impact youth obesity. The Learning Collaborative benefits each participant directly through a facilitated peer learning network and expert consultation, to support program enhancements and improved program outcomes. The project pays participants’ travel costs to Learning Collaborative events and the costs of expert consultation made available to the collaborative. Participants do not receive cash grants to fund staff or programs.
Applied Epidemiology Fellowship at CDC for Medical Students
Deadline: Dec. 4
Funded by Pfizer Inc. and administered by the CDC Foundation, this fellowship provides medical students with applied hands-on training experience in epidemiology and public health. Up to ten 3rd-4th year medical students from around the US will spend up to a year at the CDC, carrying out epidemiologic analyses in areas such as birth defects, injury, chronic disease, infectious disease, environmental health, reproductive health, and minority health. The program provides a stipend for living expenses.
2007 Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars Program
Deadline: Dec. 15
Operated in partnership with Howard University, the Scholars Program brings talented African American, Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander college seniors and recent graduates to Washington, D.C., for placement in congressional offices to learn about health policy. Through the nine-week program (May 21- August 3, 2007), Scholars gain knowledge about federal legislative procedure and health policy issues, while further developing their critical thinking and leadership skills. In addition to gaining experience in a congressional office, Scholars participate in seminars and site visits to augment their knowledge of health care issues, and write and present a health policy research paper.
Funding for Mental Illness Information and Outreach Initiatives
Deadline: Dec. 22
The American Psychiatric Foundation is making up to $750,000 in grant funds available over the course of three years (2005-07) to fund public education, information, and outreach initiatives that promote the early recognition and treatment of mental illness. Grants from the foundation can support a wide variety of public education activities in this arena. The foundation seeks to fund new and innovative ideas and programs that promote public awareness of mental illness, the effectiveness of treatment, and the importance of early intervention.
Fellowship in Minority Health Policy (2007-8)
Application deadline: Jan. 2
Supported by The Commonwealth Fund, administered by the Minority Faculty Development Program at Harvard Medical School, this innovative fellowship is designed to prepare physicians, particularly minority physicians, for leadership roles in formulating and implementing public health policy and practice on a national, state, or community level. Five one-year, degree-granting fellowships will be awarded per year. Fellows will complete academic work leading to a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at the Harvard School of Public Health, and gain experience in and understanding of major health issues facing minority, disadvantaged, and underserved populations. CFHUF also offers a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree at John F. Kennedy School of Government to physicians possessing an MPH. It is expected that CFHUF will support the development of a cadre of leaders in minority health, well-trained academically and professionally in public health, health policy, health management, and clinical medicine, as well as actively committed to careers in public service.
2007 NCHS/AcademyHealth Fellowship
Deadline: January 8
Sponsored by National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and AcademyHealth, this fellowship program brings visiting scholars in health services research-related disciplines to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) in Hyattsville, Md. for a period of 13-24 months to conduct studies of interest to policymakers and the health services research community. Fellows have access to NCHS data resources for use in their proposed studies, and also work on collaborative projects with NCHS staff.
HRET Cultural Competence Leadership Fellowship
Deadline: Jan. 30
The Health Research and Educational Trust and the Institute for Diversity in Health Management (IFD), in partnership with the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL), Health Forum, and the American Hospital Association (AHA), are now accepting applications for the Cultural Competence Leadership Fellowship. Now in its second year, the program equips participants with critical skills to lead their organizations in providing safe, high quality care to multicultural patients and communities. Fellows explore practical approaches to assessing organizational competence, enhancing patient-provider interaction, and using systems approaches to reduce disparities. Community practitioners and teams are encouraged to apply.
Changes in Health Care Financing and Organization
Application Deadline: Open
This Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program supports policy analysis, research, evaluation and demonstration projects that provide policy leaders timely information on health care policy and financing issues. This Call for Proposals is intended to support projects that: 1) examine significant issues and interventions related to health care financing and organization and their effects on health care costs, quality and access; and 2) explore or test major new ways to finance and organize health care that have the potential to improve access to more affordable and higher quality health services.
Funding for Community-Based Approaches to Improve Care for Vulnerable Populations
Deadline: Rolling
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is accepting applications for its Fresh Ideas: Community-Based Approaches to Improve Care for Vulnerable Populations grant program. The purpose of this program is to promote community-based approaches to health and health care problems that interact with social problems. Examples include inadequate housing, poor education and poverty. Priority is given to projects that focus on hard-to-reach populations such as new immigrants and refugees and at-risk adolescents.
Research Proposals on Disparities Issues
Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation seeks to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the care of patients with cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus type 2 and/or depression. To that end, RWJF invites research proposals that offer solutions towards reducing health care disparities. RWJF encourages researchers to include data and analyses in their proposals to help us better understand these disparities related to: sub-ethnic and other marginalized groups (e.g., Mexican, Puerto Rican, Vietnamese and American Indian); and acculturation factors (e.g., generation, years in US, age of migration and language proficiency). RWJF will consider projects of up to $75,000 with a one-year time frame.
State Coverage Initiatives
Through funding from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, State Coverage Initiatives offers both policy planning and demonstration grants. SCI grants are designed to support states in the early stages of planning coverage expansions and those states that have decided on a new coverage expansion mechanism and seek assistance designing and implementing the program. Specific new grant opportunities are announced on the Web site and through the e-newsletter, St@teside; however, states may submit project ideas at any time. For specific info, contact isabel.friedenzohn@academyhealth.org or 202/292-6726
Allegany Franciscan Ministries Capacity Building Scholarship
Allegany Franciscan Ministries will award, in Miami-Dade, Tampa Bay, and Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie areas, Capacity Building Scholarships throughout 2006 as long as funds are available. Scholarships of up to $300 may be requested to pay registration fees for conferences, seminars and other training opportunities for the staff and volunteers of nonprofit organizations in order to increase their capacity to deliver efficient and effective services to those in need. Organizations may submit scholarship applications at any time, preferably at least six weeks prior to the registration deadline of the conference or training program.
Donors Forum of South Florida on-line database
The new online searchable Donors Forum of South Florida database has up-to-date information about funders in South Florida. This resource— which is also available in hard copy — presents continuously updated information about the giving interests and procedures of funders with a track record of investing in the South Florida area and working collaboratively with others. To order, email leot@donorsforumsf.org or call 305/371-7944.
Directory Of Health Policy Fellowships
This Kaiser directory contains new listings for undergraduates, graduate students and professionals searching for summer, school-year, or post-doctoral positions.
ORGANZATIONS AND SERVICES
Newly posted resources are at the top of the list.
Training Alliance for Communities of Color
This is a new website from the National Health Policy Training Alliance for Communities of Color, a partnership between Families USA, the Joint Center Health Policy Institute (HPI), the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, and the National Medical Association (NMA). This unique partnership was created to make clear the link between efforts to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities and the role of health policymaking, as well as to ensure that community leaders have the tools, information, and resources they need to address these issues. The mission of the Alliance is to empower community leaders, elected officials, and journalists from communities of color with pertinent information about health policy developments in order to: expand their capacity to address and catalyze action on crucial health and health care issues; bolster the skills of leaders from communities of color to play a more influential role in shaping and creating health policies that are of relevance to their respective communities; and engage diverse leaders in national health policy development.
Medicare Rights Center (MRC) is a comprehensive independent source of health care information and assistance for older adults and people with disabilities. Multiple services include: a telephone hotline; a database of case advice; education and training; public policy work; electronic newsletters; and communications with local and national media outlets. Publications include:
Access to Benefits Coalition
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
The National Hispanic Resource Help-Line 1/800-473-3003 provides support for Latinos throughout the nation who need information about educational, health and human service providers. To become part of their database, click here.
Southeast Florida Cancer Control Collaborative (SFCCC)
SFCCC is a group of individuals and organizations working together to reduce the cancer burden and to reduce cancer disparities in Southeast Florida, including Broward, Indian River, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties. The SFCCC includes representatives from more than 60 public and private organizations, agencies and health care providers, as well as cancer survivor and advocacy groups. SFCCC aims to increase awareness about cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment among populations at high risk. The Collaborative meets quarterly at various locations in the region.
MANUALS, GUIDES, TOOLKITS
Newly posted resources are at the top of the list.
Medicare Part D Extra Help/Low Income Outreach Toolkit
CMS now offers an Extra Help/Low Income Outreach Toolkit. The outreach and education initiatives outlined in this plan are designed to identify all remaining likely Low Income eligible beneficiaries; ensure that they complete applications; and encourage them to actively choose their Medicare drug plans. Estimates show approximately 3 million Medicare beneficiaries remain who are likely to qualify for Extra Help but have not yet applied for it or enrolled in a Medicare drug plan. There is a May 16 - Nov. 15, 2006 Special Enrollment Period so those eligible for Extra Help can join a Medicare drug plan immediately without paying a penalty.
Fact Sheets and Primer on the Uninsured
The Kaiser Family Foundation has collected links to some resources on the topics of health coverage and the nation’s uninsured population to assist you in your work related to these issues:
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
The Uninsured: A Primer
Medicare Rights Center Resources to Fix Part-D
MRC promotes fixing Part-D by making it available under Original Medicare and negotiating drug prices. Here are four resources to help educate others:
Presentation (Powerpoint) on Why We Need a Drug Benefit Under Original Medicare
"Part D - No Guarantee" Confusion Chart Flier
Why is the Privatized Part D Drug Benefit a Disaster?
The New Part D Prescription Drug Program: A Gamble for All Americans
Applying for the Part D Low-Income Subsidy: A Tool Kit for Advocates
Access to Benefits Coalition provides these Tools You Can Use to help people apply for the extra help available through the new Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage.
Families USA is offering a new resource, Making Public Programs Work for Communities of Color: An Action Kit for Community Leaders, from its Minority Health Initiatives Department. The kit provides community leaders with information, tools, and resources to engage in health advocacy and improve the health and well being of their communities. Emphasizing the importance of public programs in reducing racial and ethnic health disparities, the kit contains: a summary and statistics of racial and ethnic health disparities and the role public programs can play in reducing them; an overview of Medicaid (and SCHIP) and Medicare, including their relationships to communities of color; fact sheets on improving health coverage for racial and ethnic minority groups; state and local case studies on health advocacy; advocacy tools including a powerpoint presentation, and lists of organizations and publications. Contact: 202/628-3030 or rpanares@familiesusa.org.
Healthy Kids Marketing and Public Relations Tool Kit
Healthy Kids asks users to please forward updates on items used, including how they were used, numbers distributed and feedback on effectiveness. Call center staff need to be aware of any efforts so they know which items are out in each community and are prepared to address questions. To make changes or additions to any design or use the trademarked logos or phone numbers, prior approval is required to ensure that accurate information is distributed. Send requests to floyda@healthykids.org or fax to 850/224-0615.
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.
TECHNOLOGY AND AUDIO/VIDEO RESOURCES
Audio Conferences and Webcasts
Dated events listed chronologically; standing webcasts listed last
Getting it Right: Navigating the Complexities of Collecting Race/Ethnicity Data
Oct. 31 2-3:30 pm (EST)
A decision by health care providers, hospitals and health plans to collect race and ethnicity data invites an array of new issues and choices. In this Web seminar, our panel of experts will answer questions about moving forward with data collection and the obstacles, barriers and complexities you may encounter. Examples of topics to be discussed include legal concerns about collecting data and geocoding where individual-level information is not available.
ACHI Audio Conferences
Nov. 16 2:00 pm (ET)
Parish and Community Outreach Nursing
Jan.18
Primary Care Access Network: Health Care for the Underinsured
Health Needs of Florida's Incarcerated Women Audioconference
Nov. 29 3:30-4:30 pm
The fifth audioconference in the Best Practices in Women's Health will focus on the unique health needs of incarcerated women. Presenters will discuss promising practices that address some of these needs including prevention of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, and domestic violence. The audioconferences are sponsored by Infant, Maternal, and Reproductive Health Unit (Florida Department of Health) Please distribute this information widely. No registration is required. For more information, contact Cheryl_Robbins@doh.state.fl.us and request to be added to the email distribution list.
Video/Forum to Assess Medicare Drug Benefit Implementation for Low-Income and Dual Eligible Beneficiaries
Explores key challenges in reaching low-income people on Medicare and reviews potential strategies for improving participation in the low-income subsidy program. Panelists discuss the early experiences of these beneficiaries and consider how to address ongoing challenges. A new video, produced by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Transitions 2006, which explores some of the issues and challenges experienced by dual eligibles, is also presented. (5/18/06, Kaiser Network)
Families USA Conference Call Audio Playbacks
Throughout 2006, Families USA is holding a series of conference calls on a range of health care topics for state and local advocates. Interested, but can't make it? Don't worry. You can catch up on what you missed by listening to the audio playback. To listen to these conference calls, you will need RealPlayer or Windows Media Player. Click here for listening instructions.
Media Programming
Remaking American Medicine?...Health Care for the 21st Century
Crosskeys Media® and Devillier Communications, Inc. announce a four-part series to be broadcast on PBS nationally every Thursday at 10 p.m. in October. Line-up and date for each show:
Hand in Hand - October 26
As medicine continues to become more and more technologically sophisticated and the systems that deliver medical care become more complex, the relationship between providers, patients and families is more important than ever.
"60 Minutes" Targets Hospitals' Billing of the Uninsured
"60 Minutes" segment transcript
"60 Minutes" responses to segment transcript
Web Sites, Web Features & Databases
Newest postings are listed at the top of State and National Web Resources sections below
State Web Resources
Florida Association of Community Health Centers (FACHC)
The following resources have recently been added to the FACHC web site:
Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Spanish-speaking Adults (SAHLSA-50) A new health literacy test than can be used to screen for low health literacy among Spanish speakers.
Health Coverage and Access to Care for Hispanics in "New Growth Communities" and "Major Hispanic Centers" A 2006 Report from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured
Spanish Language Mental Health Manual for Health Promoters Developed by the California- Mexico Bi-National Health Initiative.
Florida Health Care Website for Consumers
A new Web site for Florida health-care consumers officially launches today, courtesy of the Florida Hospital Association. The site offers links to information on doctors, hospitals and health-care plans as well as checklists to help consumers ask the right questions. It is intended largely as a portal to other, established sites. There are links to sites for Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, among others.
"2006 Kids Count” Report
The annual report measures each state in terms of 10 statistics, including infant mortality, teen birth rate and infants born with low birthweights. The report finds no change in U.S. infant mortality since 2000, less than a percentage point increase to 7.9% in 2003 in the percentage of infants born weighing less than 5.5 pounds and a decrease in the teen birth rate from 48 births per 1,000 girls in 2000 to 42 births per 1,000 in 2003. (6/27/06, Annie E. Casey Foundation)
State of Florida Health Care Consumer Websites
The recently expanded FloridaCompareCare.gov aims to improve care and reduce costs by giving citizens the tools to compare outcomes and prices between health care providers and medical services. Through this website one can see data on certain conditions and procedures related to quality of care, pricing and performance at the state’s hospitals and ambulatory (outpatient) surgery centers. In 2005, Florida became the first state to publicly report infection and mortality rates in each hospital. In July 2006, Florida became the first state to publicly report separate pediatric quality of care data. In addition, adult data can now be broken out specific to ages 65 and over. Additional new breakdowns include types of facilities.
FloridaHealthStat.com provides health care information to assist consumers, health care professionals, and researchers in making well-informed health care decisions and in researching the status of health care in Florida. MyFloridaRx.com provides consumers with the retail prices of the most commonly used prescribed drugs by pharmacy across Florida. For questions or comments regarding any of Florida’s consumer websites, contact 850/922-7036.
Medicaid Applications Online 24/7 and in Neighborhoods
Local partners can direct families to their area sites or online to apply for Medicaid and other benefits. The Web Application is generally preferable as the data makes it into the Florida system more quickly and there is a reduced chance of data entry errors.
Florida KidCare Applications can be completed online
Website Offers Free 24 Hour Health Information to Floridians to address concerns and inquiries
The Florida Department of Health (DOH) Secretary encourages health care consumers to visit www.FLHealthSource.com whenever they need information about a licensed health care professional. DOH’s Division of Medical Quality Assurance (MQA) maintains FLHealthSource.com. The site provides health care consumers with a host of information, including license status, office address, and disciplinary information for all health care professionals licensed in Florida. The site also provides additional information for the five profiled professions –medical doctors, osteopathic physicians, chiropractic physicians, podiatric physicians and advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs).
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
National Web Resources
Online Interactive Medicare Advantage Comparison Tools
Before making the switch to Medicare Advantage, beneficiaries can compare plans to determine their needs.
Then they can review each plan using the “Guidelines for Considering Medicare Advantage” from the Center for Medicare Advocacy. More information about Medicare Advantage managed care plans is online at Medicare.gov. More recent FAQs on private fee-for-service plans is available through CMS.
Online Parent SCHIP Information
To assist in the growing problem of America's uninsured children, medical insurance hub HealthInsuranceFinders has added information to assist parents in finding and understanding all of their health insurance options: a State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) section with an overview of State Children Health Insurance Programs for each state.
State By State National Survey of Children’s Health Data Resource Center Dataset
The DRC Child Health Indicators version of the 2003 NSCH Dataset is now available. Added to the data sets are the 65 Child Health Indicators for the DRC online data query and the National Chartbook. Also included are Healthy People 2010 relevant indicators and key socio-demographic variables.
Comprehensive source of Hispanic data
Recent release from the Census Bureau with data and linkage to sources covering many areas.
Statehealthfacts.org Data Updates
New updates include 2005 Medicaid Spending and Enrollment, Adult Overweight/Obesity Rates, and Child Health for 2005. New 2003 child health data from the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health on the percentage of children who are overweight and children who have accessed mental health services have also been added and are available by state and region.
Private Health Insurance 101 Tutorial
This new Kaiser Family Foundation narrated slide tutorial provides an overview of the private health insurance system, discussing basic concepts that are important in understanding private health insurance and how it works, such as risk spreading/risk selection, pluralism, costs, coverage, and regulation. Tutorial slides can be downloaded.
Updated Medicare 101 Tutorial
The newly expanded Kaiser Family Foundation tutorial gives an overview of Medicare, describes how it works and explores the program's challenges. The tutorial has been updated to include the latest information on Medicare spending, the prescription drug benefit and future challenges.
Rural Communities Statistics and Information
The Rural Assistance Center has added to its Web site a new resource providing continuously updated demographics and statistics, documents and resources and contacts for all 50 states. RAC said the federally funded "State Resources" addition is designed to help health care providers and human services representatives in rural communities with activities such as locating and competing for funding opportunities and networking.
American Community Census Data Online
The new poverty, income, and health insurance data from the U.S. Census Bureau released on August 29, 2006 is available online. This year, it has more state and local data than in previous annual surveys.
Covering Kids & Families Web Site
New layout includes Back to School Campaign resources; Communications Action Center, a one-stop outreach resource; new Covering Kids & Families Policy Center; new promising strategies section; resources for families looking for information about low-cost and free health care coverage; streamlined free materials ordering section; new PSA featuring Bernie Mac; royalty-free photos; resources for event planners. For more information, call 202/338-7227 or email coveringkidsandfamilies@gmmb.com.
New Community Health Action Web Site
This website is intended to give leaders at community-based organizations, easy and ready access to important information on healthcare issues. The site also features a free quarterly newsletter called Community Health Advocacy News & Views with resources and information.
State Level Data on Health Coverage & the Uninsured
Kaiser Family Foundation's interactive web tool includes the health insurance status of the state’s population (those with various types of health coverage or who are uninsured), and demographic information (such as income, race/ethnicity, age, gender) for those who are uninsured, have employer-based insurance, or Medicaid. Information about Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries can be found in those respective categories. Find data from other categories on the website that relate to Health Coverage & Uninsured.
The Johns Hopkins INFO Project's New 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.
Uninsured Tutorial, Module, and Reference Library
This KaiserEDU.org page contains comprehensive resources including links to key research, policy analysis, and the latest data and statistics on the uninsured.
Health Care Coverage in America: Understanding the Issues and Proposed Solutions includes a corresponding PowerPoint presentation. (Cover the Uninsured)
Immigrant Health Policy Reference Library
This new compendium summarizes data and research on immigrants’ health coverage and access to care. The library also includes a list of organizations that conduct analysis on the impact of major health policies on immigrants and presents research on specific populations, including Latino, African and Asian immigrants.
Medicaid Fact Sheets Tool
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.
2006 Federal Poverty Guidelines
The Southern Institute on Children and Families, National Program Office for Covering Kids & Families has made available the 2006 Federal Poverty Guidelines. Compiled from the 2006 HHS Poverty Guidelines, these guidelines provide income levels for families at 50%, 100%, 125%, 133%, 150%, 185% and 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.
Healthcare Coverage Options Database: Assistance for Obtaining Health Coverage
This Web site provides information on health insurance options for low-income U.S. residents. The site includes comprehensive information on large-scale programs like Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and the federal Health Care Tax Credit Program, as well as hundreds of smaller state, federal, and private programs.
Videos
Covering Kids & Families Video
Parents' Action for Children, a 2006 national supporter, has created a flash animation video in partnership with Covering Kids & Families that promotes the availability of low-cost and free health care coverage for eligible families. Parents’ Action for Children plans to promote the video to their membership of more than 35,000 parents across the country who are working to improve the lives of children and families in their communities. View the video today! For more information, contact 202/338-7227 or coveringkidsandfamilies@gmmb.com
Problems with the Medicare Drug Program and How to Fix Them: Video
This new 14-minute video produced by Families USA features trusted newsman Walter Cronkite discussing the problems within the new Medicare prescription drug benefit and offering solutions for the Part D program. The video offers an authoritative look at Medicare’s prescription coverage. First-hand experiences come from retirees from across the country, who offer an up-close look at the troubles the new drug benefit has generated, from the headaches of sorting through dozens of plans to the financial tolls the program will take on so-called beneficiaries. A dedicated community pharmacist shares his insights on the roll-out of Part D and knowledgeable consumer advocates analyze the politics at the core of the creation of the Medicare drug program. Watch the Video Online or Request a Copy
PERIODICALS AND BOOKS
Dying While Black
One of the most significant issues to be addressed by health community is inequalities in health and health care for minorities, particularly African Americans. African Americans still suffer from the generational effect of a slave health deficit. African Americans lag behind on nearly every health indicator, including life expectancy, death rates, infant mortality, low birth weight rates anddisease rates. African Americans are sicker than European Americans. Blacks have shorter lives - Blacks are quite literally dying from being black. (October 2006)
Covering Health Issues - A Sourcebook for Journalists
The newest edition of the Alliance for Health Reform's 300-page guide, "Covering Health Issues," is now available for downloading. The guide is useful for anyone interested in health policy issues. Each chapter contains key facts, an overview, expert sources with telephone numbers, story ideas, helpful websites and a discussion of current policy proposals.
Health and Health Care in Schools
The October issue is online, including: Do Dietetic Interventions Work in Child Obesity?; Crisis in the Emergency Room; Assessing the Impact of SCHIP, Ten Years Later; and An Update on Injuries in High School Sports.
New Journal, Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action
The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health will publish the inaugural issue this fall of its new journal, Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action (PCHP). Published by The Johns Hopkins University Press, with a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, PCHP will address topics in the growing field of community-based participatory research.
Health Disparities: A Selected Bibliography
From the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
REPORTS AND STUDIES
New Listings
New Listings: Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP
Medicaid Changes: What will they mean for Broward and Duval counties, and beyond?
This document is Briefing #1 by researchers at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute engaged in a two-year evaluation of the Medicaid reform pilot counties for both Florida counties. The evaluation is assessing how these changes affect Medicaid beneficiaries’ ability to access needed care as well as the impact on community health providers.(September 2006, Georgetown University Health Policy Institute)
Getting the Runaround: Problems with Obtaining Accurate Information from Part D Plans
This third Issue Brief in a series on Medicare drug benefit Issues for consumers drafted by California Health Advocates and the Medicare Rights Center calls for fixing Part D Call Centers before the new enrollment period starts Nov. 15. (October 2006)
Low Medicaid Spending Growth Amid Rebounding State Revenues: 2006 and 2007
The 50-state annual survey about budget conditions and Medicaid cost containment actions in FY2006-07 finds an improved economy combined with the implementation of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit has contributed to the lowest rate of Medicaid spending growth in a decade and the fourth consecutive year in which Medicaid spending growth has slowed. (October 2006, Kaiser Family Foundation)
New Listings: Health Insurance, Health Costs
Prescription Access Litigation Project (PAL) Announces Major Settlement
Community Catalyst recently announced that the Prescription Access Litigation Project (PAL) has announced a groundbreaking settlement in a nationwide class-action lawsuit brought by PAL members New England Carpenters Health Benefits Fund and AFSCME District Council 37 Health and Security Plan against First Databank, Inc., the most widely-used publisher of prescription drug prices in the United States. The milestone settlement is forecasted to result in a 4 percent rollback of prices on hundreds of drugs which represent 95 percent of the nation’s retail branded drug sales. The net impact will be a staggering $4 billion in savings for health plans which have been overcharged for prescription drugs. Click Here for the full Community Catalyst report.
Poll Spotlights Problems Americans Are Having Because of Health Care Costs
25% of Americans say that they or a family member in their household had problems paying medical bills during the past 12 months, according to a new poll conducted jointly by ABC News, the Kaiser Family Foundation and USA Today. That's the highest share of Americans reporting a problem paying medical bills in a series of Kaiser surveys taken since 1997. (10/16/06, Kaiser Family Fdn.)
Maternal and Child Health Update 2005: States Make Modest Expansions to Health Care Coverage
The issue brief examines state efforts in 2005 to provide health care to low-income women and children through Medicaid and SCHIP and examines some policies states have implemented to expand coverage. The brief finds that Medicaid covered more than 40% of U.S. births to low-income pregnant women, a percentage that has remained constant since 1986. The brief also finds that many states have expanded eligibility and enrollment policies for Medicaid and SCHIP to cover more low-income women and children and that 10 states made modest expansions of continous eligibility and other practices to help maintain coverage for Medicaid and SCHIP beneficiaries. (9/28/06, National Governors Association)
Quarter of U.S. Adults Would Always Purchase Generics
About one-fourth of U.S. adults would purchase generic medications, rather than brand-name treatments, in all cases, according to a Harris Interactive poll. (10/11/06, Wall Street Journal)
Health Insurance Status of Hispanic Subpopulations in 2004: Estimates for the US Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population under Age 65
This Statistical Brief presents health insurance estimates for the Hispanic population by subgroups and US citizenship status. An examination of these estimates reveals dramatic disparities in insurance coverage within the Hispanic population due to differences in eligibility for public programs and access to private coverage. (September 2006, MEPS)
Health Savings Accounts and High Deductible Health Plans: Are They An Option for Low-Income Families?
HSAs are a type of medical savings account that allow consumers to save for medical expenses on a tax-fee basis. They are linked with high deductible health plans (HDHPs), and together these insurance and savings options represent a new approach to health care, commonly referred to as consumer-directed care. This brief, based on analyses of available data and research, finds that most low-income families would not benefit from HSA-HDHPs due to an already low level of tax liability and the amount of family income that the HDHP and potential cost-sharing would consume. (10/4/06, Kaiser Family Foundation)
Center for Budget and Policy Priorities Reports:
Recent Action by Congress Sets Up Larger Appropriations Cuts in Lame-Duck Session
This analysis finds that as a result of action Congress took before adjourning for the elections, widespread cuts in domestic appropriated programs are likely to be made during Congress' lame-duck session (or early next year, if Congress fails to complete action on appropriations for fiscal year 2007 in November or December).
Many Americans Not Sharing in the Growing Economy
Tax Cuts: Myths and Realities
My Brother's Keeper: New Study on Community Benefit
This report that examines nonprofit hospitals as they deal with criticism of their pricing, reporting practices and business relationships. It explores fundamental questions about the community benefit provided by nonprofit hospitals and offers them guidance for improving their operations and defending their reputation and tax-exempt status. (10/11/06, PWC)
Increased Co-Payments for Expensive Specialty Drugs Won't Cut Health Care Costs
This study found the best way to hold down costs to employers and health insurance plans for expensive specialty drugs is to make sure the medications are prescribed only to the patients who can truly benefit from them. (9/12/06, Rand)
New Listings: Health Equity Issues
NIH Launches Largest Long-Term Hispanic/Latino Health Study
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and six other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) today announced contracts totaling $61 million over 6 ½ years to conduct the largest long-term epidemiological study of health and disease in Latin American populations living in the United States. As many as 16,000 participants of Hispanic/Latino origin - 4,000 at each of four sites - will undergo a series of physical examinations and interviews to help identify the prevalence of and risk factors for a wide variety of diseases, disorders, and conditions. Participants in the Hispanic Community Health Study will range in age from 18 to 74 years and will be followed over time for occurrence of disease. (10/15/06, Medical News Today)
Poverty Doesn't Explain Racial Gap in Birthweight
Upwardly mobile white women who grew up in poverty have a lower risk of having an underweight infant, but the same is not true of black women, a study published Tuesday suggests. The findings, based on a U.S. health survey begun in 1979, add to evidence that factors others than poverty contribute to racial disparities in infant birthweight. It's well known that African-American women are more likely to have a low-birthweight baby than white women are -- the difference is even seen among middle-class and college-educated women. (10/3/06, Reuters)
American Indians and Alaska Natives Most Likely to Experience Health Care Discrimination
Especially if they identify themselves as American Indian and white, are more likely than other racial groups to feel discriminated against when receiving health care, according to a new study. The findings come from a massive health survey of Californians completed in 2001. Nearly 9 percent of the people surveyed who were of American Indian/Alaska Native and white descent said they had felt like they were discriminated against during their past year of health care. (October 2006, Ethnicity and Disease)
Blacks, Whites Differ On End-of-Life Treatment
A small study of preferences for life-sustaining treatment shows up a divide along racial lines. Wishes of black patients are not only different from those of their white counterparts but are largely at odds with the prevailing ethic regarding end-of-life care. (October 2006, Ethnicity and Disease)
Disparities in Preventive Procedures: Comparisons of Self-Report and Medicare Claims Data
With the exception of PSA testing, adjusting for age, gender, income, educational level, health status, proxy response and supplemental insurance showed that minorities were more likely to self-report preventive procedures in the absence of claims. (9/29/06, BMCHealth)
New Listings: Other Health Issues
New Report Highlights Importance and Impact of Consumer Voice in Protecting Health Care Access and Promoting Health Care Reform
This 16-state study demonstrates that an organized consumer voice is critical in protecting or expanding health care access. The report, which examines the political, economic, and organizational factors that affect the power of consumer health advocacy, is based on interviews with more than 200 activists, policymakers, and funders in the target states. In states where consumer organizations are organized and well-supported like Colorado, Illinois and Massachusetts, consumer advocates have been the drivers of major health policy reform. But even in more challenging environments like Mississippi and Ohio, they have been the linchpins in campaigns to protect thousands of people from losing access to health coverage. The report, which was funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, pinpoints the specific capacities that result in effective consumer advocacy and makes recommendations for developing strong and organized systems of consumer advocacy in all fifty states. (10/3/06, Community Catalyst)
Physician Communication Spotty When Prescribing
Physicians could do a much better job of communicating critical elements of medication use when they prescribe new drugs to their patients, a new UCLA study has found. In too many instances, physicians did not address such things as the purpose of a medication, potential adverse side effects or even the names of drugs they were prescribing to their patients. Yet these gaps in the patients' knowledge can lead to misuse, non-adherence, drug overdoses and under-doses and other potentially serious problems. (9/25/06, Archives of Internal Medicine)
Florida Reports
National Survey of Children’s Health, 2003 Florida State Profile Children ages 0-17
State of Working Florida 2006
Research Insitute on Social and Economic Policy (RISEP)'s annual Labor Day report reviews economic data to provide a comprehensive picture of workers and their families. Data on wages, employment, industries, and benefits show how workers are faring in Florida 's economy. Key 2006 findings include: almost 20% of Florida’s residents had no healthcare coverage in 2002-2005, worse than all but two of the nation’s states; median wage well below national norms; drop in family incomes; positive outcomes from new state minimum wage law.
New report looks at uninsured in Florida
This report from the Research Institute on Social and Economic Policy at FIU documents and breaks down Florida's uninsured figures, finding 18.5% of the total Florida population uninsured. The report looks at employment and industry data related to lack of coverage, and proposes a partial solution.
Grading State Systems for Adults with Serious Mental Illness
A National Alliance on Mental Illness report grades each state's public mental health system for adults with serious mental illness, and assigns the nation an overall grade of D. The report grades states on 39 criteria in the areas of infrastructure, information access, services and recovery.
Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIPS
Clearing Hurdles and Hitting Walls: Restrictions Undermine Part D Coverage of Mental Health Drugs
The study examines access to antipsychotics and antidepressants for 15 New York Medicare prescription drug plans to which dual eligibles -- individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid -- were assigned. The study looks specifically at prior authorization, step therapy and quantity limit requirements for medications. According to the study, not all plan formularies include single-source antipsychotics and antidepressants as required by CMS, and 23% of plans either did not cover antidepressants or restricted access to the drugs through utilization management. In addition, the study finds that commonly prescribed and more expensive drugs had higher rates of utilization management. The study recommends that CMS review all formularies to ensure that "all or substantially all" medications are covered and review utilization management practices to ensure the practices do not restrict patients' access to needed drugs. (9/28/06, Medicare Rights Center)
Danger Looms for Children's Health Care in 2007
The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), a program created in 1997 to expand health care coverage to the millions of uninsured children living in the U.S., faces federal funding shortfalls for fiscal year 2007. These shortfalls are quite alarming; especially at a time when the Census Bureau is reporting that the number of children without health insurance grew to over 8 million in 2005, the first time the proportion of uninsured children has risen since 1998. For years, SCHIP allowed more children to receive coverage, bucking the trend of declining health insurance among adults. But now, insufficient federal funding for SCHIP has started to make things worse, with 17-18 states unlikely to be able to sustain their existing SCHIP programs in fiscal year 2007. Currently, thanks to SCHIP, over 4 million low-income children who might otherwise not be able to receive proper health care are able to see a doctor and entitled to immunizations, regular checkups, and hospital care. Unfortunately, due to the way SCHIP is financed some of these children may be forced to join the ranks of the uninsured by the end of this year. (9/19/06, Coalition on Human Needs)
The State of Kids’ Coverage
The percentage of children without health insurance decreased by more than 20% from 1997 to 2004.For the study, researchers combined survey results from 1997 to 1998 and 2003 to 2004 and then compared them. The data come from census figures. According to the researchers, the decline in rates of uninsured children is attributable to SCHIP, which has been available in every state since 1997. The program covers those children whose parents have annual incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private insurance. Researchers found that the percentage of children with private health insurance declined in nearly every state, but the percentage with SCHIP coverage or Medicaid increased in all but four states. Researchers found that eight million children still go without any health insurance, and about 70% of those children are eligible for coverage. The study finds that one in four children without health insurance receives no medical care each year, compared with one in eight children with health insurance. (8/9/06, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
Closing the Gaps in Child Health Coverage
Every year, millions of children temporarily lose their health coverage under public insurance programs, only to be reenrolled later in the same program or a different one. According to two different Fund-supported reports, coverage gaps are often a byproduct of the cumbersome coverage renewal processes families must periodically undergo, or of unnecessarily complicated transitions from one program to another. (August 2006, Commonwealth Fund)
Pharmaceutical Industry Profits Increase by Over $8 Billion After Medicare Drug Plan Goes Into Effect
“The ten largest pharmaceutical companies enjoyed substantial profit increases in the first six months of the new Medicare drug program. In the first half of 2006, profits for these companies increased by over $8 billion, a 27% increase” (September 2006, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform)
The Illusion of Choice: Vulnerable Medicaid Beneficiaries Being Placed in Scaled-Back “Benchmark” Benefit Packages
The Deficit Reduction Act, signed into law in February 2006, permits states to vary the benefit packages they offer to some groups of Medicaid beneficiaries. States can require most children and parents to enroll in new “benchmark” benefit packages that do not provide all the benefits covered by regular Medicaid. These benchmark benefit packages must receive federal approval. However, CMS has given states greater flexibility than Congress intended, by allowing them to offer exempt beneficiaries the choice of enrolling in a benchmark package or remaining in regular Medicaid. CMS has now made it possible for states to disregard the protections that Congress intended to provide in exempting various groups of beneficiaries from the benchmark plans. There is considerable risk that beneficiaries in states which Congress intended to exempt will be “opted-in” to scaled-back benefit packages that do not meet their needs, and that Congress’s clear intent to provide these vulnerable beneficiaries with full Medicaid coverage and protections may be negated. (9/14/06, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities)
Federal Budget/Health Care
Tax Cuts: Myths and Realities
Because important decisions about a wide array of tax policies must be made in the next few years, it is essential to understand their effects on deficits, the economy, and the distribution of income. Supporters of the tax cuts have sometimes sought to bolster their case by understating the tax cuts’ costs, overstating their economic effects, or minimizing their regressivity. This fact sheet addresses some of the myths heard most frequently in recent tax-cut debates. (9/27/06, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities)
Health Insurance, Health Costs
No Shelter from the Storm: America's Uninsured Children
In recent years, much attention has been paid to the growing number of Americans who lack health insurance. Unfortunately, less attention has been paid to a startling and often-overlooked fact: One out of every five uninsured Americans is a child. This report takes a closer look at uninsured children—who they are and what kinds of services they miss out on as a result of being uninsured. (9/28/06, Campaign for Children's Health Care)
Hispanics More Likely to Be Uninsured
While most Hispanics work, one-third of the nation's Hispanic population is uninsured, which is more than any other group. (September 2006,Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured)
Kaiser Health Care Costs Survey: According to a new survey, health care premiums have climbed twice as fast as wages and inflation in 2006
(Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust)
Measures to Boost Insurance Coverage of Latinos
A report from the Latino Coalition, a Hispanic advocacy group, found that the growing number of uninsured Latinos could be curtailed if the government offered tax incentives to small businesses that offer coverage, as well as tax credits for health savings accounts. (9/14/06, Houston Chronicle)
Coverage for Mental Health Treatment: Do the Gaps Still Persist?
Privately insured consumers seeking treatment for mental health and substance abuse problems still have to pay more out-of-pocket than do patients receiving other medical services care patients, despite state laws mandating equal coverage for both types of care, according to a new study by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (September 2006, Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics)
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)
The Coverage Gap: A State-by-State Report on Access to Care
Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) – a national survey of preventive and health risk behaviors – the researchers analyzed health disparities between insured and uninsured adults. Using data from the US Census Bureau Current Population Survey from 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2004 and 2005, they also looked at the number of Americans age 50-64 that are without health care coverage.
Health Equity Issues
Reifying Human Difference: The Debate on Genetics, Race, and Health
The causes of racial and ethnic inequalities in health and the most appropriate categories to use to address health inequality have been the subject of heated debate in recent years...[Genetic accounts] produce, reify, and naturalize notions of racial difference, provide a scientific rationale for racially targeted medical care, and distract attention from research that probes the complex ways in which political, economic, social, and biological factors, especially those of inequality and racism, cause health disparities. (11/3/06, International Journal of Health Services)
Barriers To Prevention And Treatment Are Leading Contributors To Mental Health Crisis
One in four U.S. adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder, yet they face barriers to equal access to treatment and preventive health services, public health experts said today at a forum releasing new research examining the impact of mental illness on the nation's health. Barriers include stigma and racial and ethnic discrimination. (October 2006, American Journal of Public Health)
Ethnic Disparities In Medicare Claims
African Americans and Latinos are more likely to underestimate how long it has been since their last routine
screening test for disease -- such as a mammogram, Pap smear, or cholesterol test - according to a University of Rochester study that matched patient recollections with Medicare documentation. The study helps to shed light on vexing questions such as why black women are dying from breast cancer in higher numbers than white women, despite national data suggesting that black women are getting screening mammograms, and therefore have the same access to earlier and better detection as white women. (10/3/06, Medical News Today)
Poor Children with Health Insurance Are Healthier
RAND Corporation researchers found that poor children in California who receive government-sponsored health insurance are healthier and do better in school and socially. The study found that children enrolled in Healthy Families, California's version of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides low-cost coverage to children in families that make too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private coverage, had fewer problems with access to health care. The program especially benefited Hispanic and black children. (9/8/06, Fresno Bee)
America’s Uninsured Children: Minorities at Greater Risk
Campaign for Children’s Health Care's new fact sheet and report finds that more than 60 percent of the uninsured children in the United States are racial or ethnic minorities.
U.S. Health Care Quality Poor and Leads to Excess Deaths
A Commonwealth Fund report on health quality found that the United States spends twice as much on health care as almost two dozen other industrialized nations in relation to gross domestic product, but has the highest infant mortality rate and lowest life expectancy rate for those over age 60, while 61 million U.S. residents were uninsured or did not have adequate coverage in 2003. (9/21/06, BusinessWeek Online)
Strategies for Improving Latino Healthcare in America
The Latino Healthcare Taskforce's charge was to analyze key challenges facing Latino healthcare and offer recommendations on how best to meet them. The Taskforce sought to: Identify barriers that could impact strategies and action plans, primarily at the federal level, Propose alternative solutions to issues at all levels, and Provide action recommendations to President Bush, as well as to community, governmental agency and congressional leaders. (September 2006, Latino Healthcare Taskforce)
New Report: Health Coverage and Access to Care for Hispanics
As America's Hispanic population grows and moves beyond urban centers, a new report assesses the implications for access to health care. It finds that Hispanics in "new growth communities" face greater barriers to health care than those in cities considered "major Hispanic centers" (major centers). Many of these "new growth communities" are smaller urban and rural communities in areas of the country that previously had a very small Hispanic population and thus have less experience caring for a diverse population. (9/21/06, Kaiser Family Foundation)
Eight Americas: Investigating Mortality Disparities across Races, Counties, and Race-Counties in the United States
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. 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. (September 2006, PLOS Medicine)
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)
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)
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)
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.
Other Health Issues
Why Not the Best? Results from a National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance
High Performance Health System, the National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance is the first-ever comprehensive means of measuring and monitoring health care outcomes, quality, access, efficiency, and equity in one report. Its findings indicate that America's health system falls far short of what is attainable, especially given the resources the nation invests. (September 2006, Commonwealth Fund)
The Oral Health of Children A Portrait of States and the Nation 2005
The Health Resources and Services Administration presents this chartbook highlighting the major findings of the National Survey of Children's Health on children's oral health. This survey, the first of its kind, presents national- and State-level information on the health and well-being of children and their use of health services, including oral health and dental care. The survey includes many positive findings about children's oral health.
STATE HEALTH EVENTS AND NOTICES
October 20, 2006
NORTH FLORIDA
Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Board of Directors Meeting
Nov. 8 10:00 am-2:00 pm Tallahassee
All interested parties are invited. If you plan on attending, please reply to floyda@healthykids.org.
Social Justice Regional Gathering
Nov. 11 (rescheduled) North Florida Gathering
Social justice activist groups, organizations and individuals are gathering to expand and connect the social justice network across the state. The goal is to pool collective resources to create a cohesive progressive movement in Florida that will be heard. For more information, click here or call 305/598-1404
Developmental Disabilities Guardian Training
Jan. 19-20 Tallahassee
Florida Developmental Disabilities Council is sponsoring training workshops to empower families to become more knowledgeable about navigating the legal system. This is particularly important because there is a scarcity of attorneys with the necesary knowledge and experience. There is no fee for consumers and family members. Travel reimbursement is available. However, you must register using this form or online. For more information, call 305/243-6397, or email JSherman@med.miami.edu.
CENTRAL FLORIDA
Public Meeting on Florida Senior Care
Oct. 26 1:00-2:30 pm Hart Memorial Central Library, 211 E. Dakin Ave, Kissimmee
All are invited to this public meeting. Florida Statutes mandates the Agency for Health Care Administration, in consultation with the Department of Elder Affairs, to create an “integrated, fixed-payment delivery system for Medicaid recipients who are 60 years of age or older. The Agency for Health Care Administration shall implement Florida Senior Care initially on a pilot basis in two areas of the state.” AHCA submitted waiver applications to CMS on Jan. 25 and received federal approval on Sept.13. Florida Senior Care will implement in the following areas upon legislative approval: The Panhandle Pilot Area- Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton Counties; and the Central Florida Pilot Area- Seminole, Orange, Brevard and Osceola Counties. The primary purpose of this meeting is to provide outreach and education to Medicaid beneficiaries about the program. An overview of the proposed program will be provided, as well as opportunity for public comment. Any person requiring special accommodations to participate should advise the Agency at least seven days prior to the meeting at 850/487-2618 or hermess@ahca.myflorida.com.
WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA
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
Enhancing Quality of Cancer Care through Patient Navigation
Nov. 17 10:30 am–2:30 pm Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa
This program provides a detailed overview of the patient navigation model and the role of patient navigation in enhancing the quality of care for cancer patients. Space is limited; reservations are required.RSVP by Friday, November 10, 2006 to 1-888/663-3488. A block of rooms has been reserved at La Quinta Inn & Suites ~ USF for $79 + tax/night. For reservations, call 813/910-7500. To receive discounted rates, please reference booking code Affiliate Relations when making hotel arrangements.
Developmental Disabilities Guardian Training
Dec. 1-2 Tampa
Florida Developmental Disabilities Council is sponsoring training workshops to empower families to become more knowledgeable about navigating the legal system. This is particularly important because there is a scarcity of attorneys with the necesary knowledge and experience. There is no fee for consumers and family members. Travel reimbursement is available. However, you must register using this form or online. For more information, call 305/243-6397, or email JSherman@med.miami.edu.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Board of Directors Meeting
Oct. 25 10:00 am-2:00 pm
Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club
All interested parties are invited. If you plan on attending, please reply to floyda@healthykids.org.
SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Events
Miami-Dade Healthcare Access & Policy Summit: For Healthcare Providers and the Community
Oct. 21 & 22 HSC, Miami
Participants will join experts and advocates in a discussion about developing community goals and barriers to access.
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.
Idearaiser on the Uninsured, Part II
Nov. 9 1:00-4:00 pm Broward General Medical Center, Ft. Lauderdale
This second Idearaiser on the Uninsured will open with a panel discussion by some of the nation’s leading private-sector innovators working to lower the costs of the health care system. Participants will then meet in smaller groups to offer ideas and solutions for reducing the number of uninsured Floridians and lowering health care costs for all. Before the event, be sure to submit ideas through www.floridahealthcounts.org and check out our website for more white papers. If you would like to be added to our e-mail list for weekly updates on this issue, please sign up at the website. Please forward this invitation to others. Seating is limited; RSVP to Jessica.welter@myfloridahouse.gov or call 850/595-5550 for more information.
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.
Miami-Dade HealthCare Access Summit
Nov. 11 Pre-summit training HSC Conf. Room, 260 NE 17th Terr, Miami
Nov. 17 Summit Radisson Hotel, 1601 Biscayne Blvd.
This Human Services Coalition event was created for health care providers and constituents. The pre-summit training will update participants on the pertinent issues. ASL sign language interpreters and other communications formats will be provided at no cost with seven days advance notice.
Nonprofit Internet Strategies Seminar
Nov. 13 8:30 am-12:30 pm United Way Ansin Building, 3250 SW Third Ave, Miami
Center on Nonprofit Effectiveness, Family and Children Faith Coalition, and Human Services Coalition of Dade County and the ePhilanthropy Foundation will be hosting. Participants will move forward in developing a sound ePhilanthropy strategy while learning from three certified Master Trainers in the field. Click here for more information.
Developmental Disabilities Guardian Training
Nov. 17-18 Fort Lauderdale
Florida Developmental Disabilities Council is sponsoring training workshops to empower families to become more knowledgeable about navigating the legal system. This is particularly important because there is a scarcity of attorneys with the necesary knowledge and experience. There is no fee for consumers and family members. Travel reimbursement is available. However, you must register using this form or online. For more information, call 305/243-6397, or email JSherman@med.miami.edu.
Notices
Health Council of South Florida leader opinion survey
The Council is conducting a leader opinion survey about health issues in Miami-Dade County. The results will help serve the needs of residents.
Center for Positive Connections Expands Services
The nonprofit Center, located in North Miami, has announced that it now offers holistic as well as educational and social services and support to those infected or affected by chronic illnesses such as Cancer, Hepatitis C, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Crohn's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, as well as continuing services for people affected by HIV/AIDS.
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
Events
36th Annual National Black Child Development Institute
Oct. 22-24 Hyatt Regency Miami
Every year thousands of educators and professionals in early care and education; elementary and secondary education and administration; child welfare and youth development; research; and local, state, and federal policy convene to gain knowledge and acquire the skills needed to ensure a quality future (including health) for all children and youth. Advance fee offer ends Sept. 25. Read more or register online.
Health Needs of Florida's Incarcerated Women Audioconference
Nov. 29 3:30-4:30 pm
The fifth audioconference in the Best Practices in Women's Health will focus on the unique health needs of incarcerated women. Presenters will discuss promising practices that address some of these needs including prevention of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, and domestic violence. The audioconferences are sponsored by Infant, Maternal, and Reproductive Health Unit (Florida Department of Health) Please distribute this information widely. No registration is required. For more information, contact Cheryl_Robbins@doh.state.fl.us and request to be added to the email distribution list.
Quality Summit: Improving Health Care for Racially and Ethnically Diverse Populations
Dec. 13-14 Miami Beach, Florida
The Quality Summit, Improving Health Care for Racially and Ethnically Diverse Populations, is for Medicaid and commercial health plans, state Medicaid agencies, providers, and other organizations committed to reducing health care disparities and improving care for racially and ethnically diverse populations. The Quality Summit will offer a national showcase of best practices in reducing disparities and improving health care quality for all. The Quality Summit is made possible with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Commonwealth Fund.
11th Annual Medicaid/Medicare Conference Set
March 13-15 Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota
This yearly event offers vital information on nuance and change in Medicaid/Medicare regulations to stay current with the issues that surround Medicaid and Medicare. Reimbursement, risk management, valuation, acquisition and many other concerns facing providers, insurers and lenders will be reviewed.
12th Annual Children's Week
March 25-April 1, 2007 Tallahassee
Click here for details.
Notices
KidCare Renewal
It's not too late to renew KidCare coverage for uninsured children by calling toll-free 1-800/821-5437. Have your Florida KidCare Family Account Number ready when you call. Click here for a flyer in three languages.
Send Back-to-School Activities Info to Florida Covering Kids and Families
Each year, Florida Covering Kids and Families collects information regarding Back-to-School activities. They would like to learn about and recognize your efforts to help families enroll in Florida KidCare. Please send the following information to pcannon@health.usf.edu: 1) County and name of organization; 2) Number of applications distributed (at events, in school or other mailings, and by any other means); 3) Number of applications completed (at events or other means); 4) What kind of events and how many? Please be as specific as possible in the number of applications and how you distributed and collected them.
NATIONAL EVENTS AND NOTICES
October 20, 2006
CONFERENCES AND EVENTS
36th Annual National Black Child Development Institute
Oct. 22-24 Hyatt Regency Miami
Every year thousands of educators and professionals in early care and education; elementary and secondary education and administration; child welfare and youth development; research; and local, state, and federal policy convene to gain knowledge and acquire the skills needed to ensure a quality future (including health) for all children and youth. Advance fee offer ends Sept. 25. Read more or register online.
2006 ESRI Health GIS Conference
Oct. 23–26 Denver
This conference will offer a forum for Health professionals to share information on geographic information system (GIS) technology as a framework for managing and sharing geospatial data and methods for community health programs, health care delivery, hospitals, epidemiology, disease surveillance, health research, and more.
National Prevention Summit: Prevention, Preparedness, and Promotion
October 26-27 Washington, DC
The 2006 National Prevention Summit will focus on disease prevention, health preparedness, and health promotion and will feature innovative programs that are making a difference in communities across the country to build a HealthierUS. These programs are focused on healthy lifestyle choices. One special emphasis this year will be the prevention of childhood overweight and obesity. Another emphasis will be on preparing for public health emergencies, such as avian influenza.
The Health Disparities 2006 Conference: Partnering for Practical Solutions
Oct. 27 Falls Church, VA
The focus of this conference is to educate health care providers about state and regional disparities, to prioritize the identified disparities and to create multidisciplinary action teams, which will address disparities in health.
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.
The Power of Many: Putting Unity in Community
Nov. 17-18 Washington, DC
This 4th Annual Congressional Tri-Caucus Minority Health Summit is sponsored by the Coalition to Promote Minority Health and the American Public Health Association, in cooperation with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. For more information, contact dwatts@cpmhinc.org 213-896-6044.
Moving Toward Real Solutions: Advances to Address Low Health Literacy Fifth Annual National Health Communication Conference
Nov. 29 Washington, DC
Over half of all US adults - 90 million people - have difficulty understanding and acting on health information. The American College of Physicians Foundation is focused on finding practical and evidence-based solutions to the problems of low health literacy. Together with the Institute of Medicine, the ACP Foundation brings together leading researchers and stakeholders from around the country to take a solution-oriented approach to low health literacy.
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.
Community Benefit 101: the Nuts and Bolts of Planning and Reporting Community Benefit
Feb. 2007 Baltimore
April 2007 San Francisco
Catholic Health Association, leader in the community benefit field for 20 years, is offering a seminar that covers the basics of community benefit in not-for-profit health care. This event presents a valuable introduction for persons new to the topic and a useful review for those who are already doing the work of community benefit planning an reporting.
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.
Advancing Science-Based Prevention: Creating Real World Solutions
May 30 - June 1 Washington, D.C.
All participants are encouraged to submit abstracts for individual paper and poster presentations, organized paper symposium, poster forums, roundtable discussions/scientific dialogues and technology demonstrations for the Society for Prevention Research 15th Annual Meeting.
The Changing Face of Health Education and Health Promotion
June 7-9 Seattle
This national health education and health promotion conference is cosponsored by the Directors of Health Promotion and Education, the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Proposals are encouraged for concurrent sessions, pre or post-conference workshops, or poster presentations at the 2007 National Health Education Conference & SOPHE's 2007 Midyear Scientific Conference.
AUDIO AND WEB EVENTS
Getting it Right: Navigating the Complexities of Collecting Race/Ethnicity Data
Oct. 31 2-3:30 pm EST
A decision by health care providers, hospitals and health plans to collect race and ethnicity data invites an array of new issues and choices. In this Web seminar, a panel of experts will answer questions about moving forward with data collection and the obstacles, barriers and complexities you may encounter. Examples of topics to be discussed include legal concerns about collecting data and geocoding where individual-level information is not available. Click here for registration.
ACHI Audio Conferences
Parish and Community Outreach Nursing
Nov.16 12:00 pm (ET)
Primary Care Access Network: Health Care for the Underinsured
Jan. 18
NOTICES
"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.
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.
CAMPAIGNS AND INITIATIVES
Medication Campaign Urges You to "Just Say Know"
A coalition of organizations, advocates, healthcare professionals, academics and concerned citizens have launched a campaign to get one million people to go to their health care providers and ask, "What am I really putting into my body? What are the side effects? What are the alternatives?"
Survey on Consumer Education Grants Program
Help design Generics education campaign - Win a $50 Gift Card
Deadline: Oct. 31
Community Catalyst and Brigham & Women’s Hospital are pioneering an innovative consumer education project called Generics are Powerful Medicine, to increase consumers' understanding and use of generic drugs. They will be developing high-quality consumer education materials and awarding grants, funded initially by two court awards from prescription drug antitrust lawsuits. Please click here to fill out a ten minute survey to further this project. One randomly-selected respondent will win a $50 gift card to Powells.com, one of the largest independent online bookstores, and a copy of Powerful Medicines: The Benefits, Risks and Costs of Prescription Drugs. Click here to forward this email to colleagues or email lists. Only representatives of non-profit organizations are eligible to complete the survey and enter the drawing. Please click here to respond to the survey at by Oct. 31.
Cultural Competency, Health Literacy Measures Sought
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality seeks survey instruments or items for a new CAHPS cultural competency survey that will measure patient perspectives on the cultural awareness of health care professionals. "The addition of the CAHPS cultural competency component to the set is intended to empower consumers with quality of care information while also encouraging health professionals to provide culturally competent care," the agency said in a notice today. (10/16/06, AHA News Now)
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.
OCTOBER
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
On Tuesday, October 17th, MRAC sponsored a Town Hall Meeting in Hollywood co-hosted by State Rep. Eleanor Sobel and Dr. Marion Thorpe, Jr., of Care Broward and MRAC member. Participating on behalf of AHCA was Ms. Sybil Richard, COO, who answered questions posed by the public and promised to follow up on many of the issues raised.
Ms. Elaine Schwartz
Over the course of two hours, Medicaid recipients from constituencies including low-income, disabled, homeless and mentally ill individuals and their caregivers took the opportunity to both lambaste and praise different elements of Medicaid reform. Some common themes included complaints that Choice Counselors were unable to effectively answer questions posed or expected consumers to do much of the legwork by just suggesting they call the different plans themselves for answers. Some were pleasantly surprised as to the ability to easily reach a "live person" on the line. Some of the concerns centered on the inability, by those who see different specialists, to be able to continue seeing them as many are not in the same managed care plans. Others were concerned about the changes in the process of approval of prescription drug medicines and who would decide as to what is "medically necessary."
