ARCHIVE 062107

June 21, 2007

Florida CHAIN Seeks State Organizer

Florida CHAIN is looking to hire a State Organizer who is committed to creating long-term change in the health care community. The position is open because Andrew Leone has become our Director of Policy and Communications. The successful candidate will be dedicated, self-motivated and creative, with experience in encouraging participation, facilitating public meetings, supporting group decision making processes, and working with and organizing within communities to move activities and campaigns forward. Click here to view the job description.

Consumers Share Severe Medicaid Reform Gaps at Broward Meeting

Special Session Ignores KidCare; Possible Autumn Opportunity

The Legislature’s special session on property taxes just wrapped up a week early with no efforts to include legislation that would fix KidCare. Another opportunity may arise in September if, as expected, the legislature will convene for another special session to discuss extending automobile insurance requirements that expire October 1. Child health care advocates hope to convince lawmakers and Gov. Crist to consider KidCare during the same special session. (by Alisa Snow, Florida CHAIN) Read more

State Officials Face Off Against President Bush on SCHIP

As the Sept. 30 renewal deadline draws near for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), governors and state Medicaid directors are playing a bigger role in the debate. According to a June 18 story by the Associated Press, they are supporting a bill that would increase funding from $5 billion a year to more than $15 billion. The Bush Administration, on the other hand, proposed reducing the program, limiting it to families whose income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty level – that threshold is $41,300 for a family of four. (by Alisa Snow, Florida CHAIN) Read more

Keep Up the Fight in DC for Children’s Health Insurance

We're making progress. Due to your phone calls and efforts on the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) last week, each Senator's office has received an average of over 600 calls urging support of full funding for children's health! There is more we can do to make sure Congress gives $50 billion in new money for SCHIP! Right now, some legislators are attempting to remove funds and make it more difficult for eligible children to get the coverage they need to be healthy. Contact your U.S. Senators and Rep. NOW to encourage them to make the right decision on SCHIP. (Thanks to the national Campaign for Children’s Health for this alert). Read more and TAKE ACTION


	Tobacco Tax: Everybody’s Doin’ It U.S. senators are considering it as a way to fund the expansion of SCHIP. A recently released poll shows that Americans overwhelmingly support increasing it to expand children’s health coverage, irrespective of party, gender, race, age, or other demographic factors. What is it? It’s the tobacco tax. Florida has not increased its already very low tobacco tax (45^th in the country) since 1990. Studies indicate that, in the first year alone, a $1/pack tax would raise well over $800 million in revenue. In state after state, policymakers realize that a tobacco tax is a win-win for the wellbeing of consumers and the budget. It’s time for Florida legislators to come to the same conclusion and for health care access advocates to get behind the $1/pack tobacco tax. (by Andrew Leone, Florida CHAIN) Read more


	AIDS/HIV Patients in Florida Facing Double Barreled Threat Positive Healthcare Florida, an AIDS Healthcare Foundation affiliate headquartered in Jacksonville, serves a client population of almost 10,000 Florida HIV/AIDS patients on Medicaid. AHCA has cancelled its contract with Positive Healthcare, awarding it instead to a for-profit company that promises to deliver adequate care for half the price. The action by AHCA has prompted AIDS Healthcare Foundation to file a lawsuit against the agency. A Miami Herald article quotes the chief of managed care with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, saying the new plan is not workable with AIDS patients because they require more hands-on monitoring. In the case of the HIV/AIDS population that relies on Medicaid, providing care on the cheap may well mean the difference between life and death. (by Andrew Leone, Florida CHAIN) Read more

Medicaid Waiver Services Reduction Alert!

Letters were scheduled to be mailed to consumers and guardians from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) on June 13, to explain service limitations that were established as law and will become effective on July 1. Letters were also scheduled to be mailed to consumers and guardians advising them of pending service eliminations on June 15. These letters did not contain an effective date, but requested that individuals contact their support coordinator to initiate planning while approval for service elimination is being obtained from Washington, D.C. So - what can you do? (by Margaret Hooper, Florida Developmental Disabilities Council) Read more and TAKE ACTION

Survey: Enhancing Services for People With Disabilities

The Center for Independent Living of South Florida, Center for Independent Living of Broward, and Florida CHAIN are collecting information to explore the possibility of creating a collaborative fund that nonprofits could pull from that would enable them to better meet the needs of those with disabilities. Read more and link to the survey

Long-Range Planning Survey: Advocacy Center for People With Disabilities The Advocacy Center is working on a long-range strategic plan for the next five years (2007-2012) as well as goals for the upcoming federal fiscal year (Oct 1, 2007 – Sept 30, 2008). They have created a public input on-line survey to collect perspectives and ideas about the major challenges faced by people who have disabilities in Florida and what the Advocacy Center can do to help. Read more and link to the survey

Florida Near Bottom in Health System Study Florida’s health system performance ranks among the nation’s worst in terms of access to care, quality, avoidable hospital use and costs, equity, and healthy lives, according to a new study. Florida ranked 43rd nationwide in a study by the Commonwealth Fund’s comprehensive comparison of health system performance in all 50 states. The study Aiming Higher: Results from a State Scorecard on Health System Performance ranks states on 32 performance indicators. (by Alisa Snow, Florida CHAIN) Read more

Keep Discussion on Health Care Delivery Civil and on Target

How to provide adequate health care to those who have no access to it is an issue widely debated in today’s America. Some folks in the Florida Panhandle believe there is a way to help address at least part of the problem and are advocating for a half cent local sales-tax increase to do it. As the June 26 vote approaches, the campaign tone has gotten nasty. Some concerns are valid and should be part of the debate on how to fix a deplorable system of delivery of care in Escambia and beyond. But it is the virulent anti-poor, xenophobic and racist discourse used to argue against helping the less fortunate that one hopes can be overcome as we discuss, locally, statewide and as a nation how to make adequate health care a reality for everyone. (by Andrew Leone, Florida CHAIN) Read more

Medicaid Reform Consumers Depict Dangerous Gaps at Broward Town Hall Meeting

The message was loud and clear: Florida’s Medicaid Reform, as it is being implemented right now, is not working. Over 60 Medicaid consumers, advocates, and public citizens gathered in Ft. Lauderdale on June 20th to voice their concerns and experiences with Medicaid Reform. One after the other, consumers walked up to the podium, reached for the microphone, and shared their most horrifying experiences trying to access care but instead finding their services denied. (by Lisa Margulis, Florida CHAIN) Read more

KIDCARE

Special Session Ignores KidCare; Possible Autumn Opportunity

The Legislature’s special session on property taxes wrapped up a week early, with no efforts to include legislation that would fix KidCare.

Another opportunity may arise in September if, as expected, the legislature will convene for another special session to discuss extending automobile insurance requirements that expire October 1. Child health care advocates hope to convince lawmakers and Gov. Crist to consider KidCare during the same special session.

“Those may be things that we can talk about later in the fall," Gov. Crist was quoted in a June 12 story in the Fort Myers News-Press.

KidCare, the state’s health insurance program for children of low- to middle-income families, was described in a June 11 Palm Beach Post article as “a labyrinthine system of enrollment that drops 15,000 children a month.

“The reason so many children are dropped each month, experts say, is because parents are responsible for reapplying for services when their children must change programs or their family income changes,’’ the article states.

Also, children lose coverage if their parents are late with a premium payment. A child must remain uninsured for at least 60 days before they are eligible for re-enrollment.

Legislation that would have fixed many of these enrollment and administrative passed the Florida House but stalled in the Senate during the last week of the legislative session. Consequently, the bill died.

According to a special series on ABC World News, some states deliberately create administrative barriers and red tape for their children’s insurance programs in an effort to save money, (see the news report at http://abcnews.go.com/WN/TheAgenda/). World News notes that there are 9 million uninsured children nationwide, and 713,288 are in Florida. That translates to an uninsured population of 17 percent of children in Florida, which exceeds the national average of 11.5 percent.

Advocates have come up with a proposal to fixing KidCare that all sides can agree on. This proposal has been sent to Gov. Crist and legislators. Please encourage lawmakers to consider their proposals during a special session later this fall. Look to Florida CHAIN to prompt you as the date draws closer.

(submitted by Alisa Snow, Florida CHAIN)

SCHIP

State Officials Face Off Against President Bush on SCHIP

As the Sept. 30 renewal deadline draws near for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), governors and state Medicaid directors are playing a bigger role in the debate.

According to a June 18 story by the Associated Press, they are supporting a bill that would increase funding from $5 billion a year to more than $15 billion. “This would allow them to reach out to 5.5 million uninsured children presumed eligible for government health insurance based on their incomes. Plus, they could continue to provide health insurance to populations whose incomes are above the threshold the program was originally designed to serve,’’ according to the article.

The Bush Administration, on the other hand, proposed reducing the program, limiting it to families whose income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty level – that threshold is $41,300 for a family of four. Although the original SCHIP law gave states the ability to set their own income eligibility levels, Florida uses the same criteria when considering families for its health insurance program for children, KidCare.

Some states also want federal lawmakers to eliminate a provision that prevents children of state employees from participating in SCHIP programs, according to the AP article. This provision affects entry-level employees who start at low salaries, as well as part-time and temporary employees.

In addition, several governors recommend that states allow children of legal aliens enroll in SCHIP. Health care coverage is barred for these children for the first five years they live in the United States, according to welfare laws revised by Congress more than a decade ago.

The Florida Legislature failed to take up legislation that would have enabled children of state employees and children of legal immigrants to qualify for KidCare.

For more information on the debate surrounding SCHIP Reauthorization, visit http://ccf.georgetown.edu/pdfs/ccfForwardWObkward.pdf

(submitted by Alisa Snow, Florida CHAIN)

Keep Up the Fight in DC
for Children’s Health Insurance

There is more we can do to make sure Congress gives $50 billion in new money for SCHIP! Right now, some legislators are attempting to remove funds and make it more difficult for eligible children to get the coverage they need to be healthy.

Contact your U.S. Senators and Rep. NOW to encourage them to make the right decision on SCHIP.

Click here to send your Senators and Representative an email urging them to make the right decision on SCHIP.

The Senate Finance Committee will meet in the coming days to determine the fate of SCHIP. The resulting legislation from this meeting will affect millions of children as Senators write and revise critical aspects of the bill.

More than 9 million children in America

America's children and hard working families are counting on us. Please act now to contact your Senators and Representative.

P.S. If you'd prefer to call your Senators rather than send an email, just pick up the phone! Dial 1-800-828-0498 and tell them the importance of SCHIP for America

(Thanks to Campaign for Children's Health for this alert)

Tobacco Tax: Everybody’s Doin’ It

In Oregon the notion has bi-partisan support and is likely to pass the legislature and be put to the voters later this year. They passed it in Wisconsin and closer to our neck of the woods, in Tennessee. D-Day in Indiana and Alaska is July 1^st. New Hampshire, Iowa and South Dakota just implemented it. U.S. senators are considering it as a way to fund the expansion of SCHIP. A recently released poll shows that Americans overwhelmingly support increasing it to expand children’s health coverage, irrespective of party affiliation, gender, race, age, or other demographic factors.

What is it? It’s the tobacco tax.

States with budget deficits and states with budget surpluses; states that fear lower taxes in neighboring ones and those that rely on income generated by tobacco crops: if they aren’t doing it they sure are thinking about it. And for good reasons.

The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids estimates that a 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes can be expected to drive down the smoking rate by 4 percent (and by a larger percentage in the subset of younger smokers). The Institute of Medicine concurs that one of the best tools for further lowering the national smoking rate (which has dropped by 58 percent since 1965 and is now about 20 percent) is through pricing. Few will argue that smoking is a good thing, especially among youth.

If incentives toward cessation aren’t enough, revenues raised can go to fund programs that help increase access to health care for the poor and working poor: Medicaid, children’s health care programs and gap covering measures, such as Florida’s KidCare and Medically Needy programs.

Consider this: Florida has not increased its already very low tobacco tax (45^th in the country) since 1990. The less than 34¢ a pack that Florida collects is way below the $1.10 national average. Studies by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Community Catalyst and others indicate that on the first year alone, a $1/pack tax would raise well over $800 million in revenue.

Florida CHAIN and the Alliance for a Healthy Florida propose to allocate those revenues where they are most needed: in increased access to health care for millions of Floridians who rely on Medicaid, KidCare and the Medically Needy program but are denied access to care because of barriers such as outdated and unrealistic eligibility rates, labyrinthine application processes and lack of providers who will not take Medicaid patients because of the unreasonably low reimbursement rates the state pays them.

In state after state policymakers realize that a tobacco tax is a win-win for the wellbeing of consumers and the budget. It’s time for Florida legislators to come to the same conclusion and for health care access advocates to get behind the $1/pack tobacco tax.

(submitted by Andrew Leone, Florida CHAIN)

AIDS/HIV Patients in Florida Facing Double Barreled Threat

HIV/AIDS patients everywhere face a host of challenges. Beside the complexity of managing the disease, there continue to be widespread misconceptions about it, how it is contracted and who is affected by it.

On one front, the last decade has seen much improvement in providing disease management that meets the specific needs of HIV/AIDS patients, mostly by organizations that combine a dedicated and humane delivery of care with advocacy efforts. Positive Healthcare Florida, an AIDS Healthcare Foundation affiliate headquartered in Jacksonville, is one such organization. Its client population is comprised of almost 10,000 HIV/AIDS patients in the state who are on Medicaid.

Positive Healthcare, founded in 1999, covers all of Florida's 67 counties with five Regional Offices and approximately 100 Registered Nurse Care Managers. These have established personal relationships with most of their patients and provide more than health care.

A recent article in the Miami Herald highlighted an additional threat now being faced by AIDS patients across the state. “For a quarter-century, F.J. Davis has lived with the terror of the AIDS virus, watching friends die as he coped with myriad drugs and doctors. But now, because of a change in a state contract that pays for his care, the 47-year-old Miami man says he has something new to fear: the loss of his longtime nurse, who's more ``like my guardian angel.''

His nurse may no longer be able to see him because the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has cancelled its contract with Positive Healthcare awarding it instead to a for-profit company that promises to deliver adequate care for half the price. The action by AHCA has prompted AIDS Healthcare Foundation to file a lawsuit against the agency. The Herald article quotes Donna Stidham, a registered nurse and the chief of managed care with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, saying the new plan is not workable with AIDS patients because they require more hands-on monitoring.

''If you have diabetes and don't take care of yourself, you will end up in the emergency room and then go see your doctor,'' Stidham said. "With HIV, you don't get sick quickly. The medicines are not easy to take. You need someone to monitor you and make sure the right regimen is in place.''

Although the trend in Florida moves inexorably towards putting delivery of care in the hands of private companies under the pretext of a need to control costs, the bottom line should be about giving adequate care to those who need it. In the case of the HIV/AIDS population that relies on Medicaid, providing care on the cheap may well mean the difference between life and death.

To find out more about the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Positive Healthcare Florida, visit http://www.aidshealth.org/

(Submitted by Andrew Leone, Florida CHAIN)

Medicaid Waiver Services Reduction Alert!

Attention Consumers and Families:

Letters were scheduled to be mailed to consumers and guardians from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) on June 13, 2007, to explain service limitations that were established as law and will become effective on July 1, 2007.

Letters were also scheduled to be mailed to consumers and guardians advising them of pending service eliminations on June 15, 2007. These letters did not contain an effective date, but requested that individuals contact their support coordinator to initiate planning while approval for service elimination is being obtained from Washington, D.C.

So - what can you do?

Call your local legislators (www.leg.state.fl.us).
Call the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities at 800/342-0823.
Request information from your local agency or support coordinator to initiate a fair hearing.

Submitted by Margaret Hooper, MSW, Public Policy Coordinator

FLORIDA DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL, INC.

Phone (850) 488-1284 / (800) 580-7801

Fax (850) 922-6702

TDD (850) 488-4180 / (888) 488-8633

www.fddc.org margaretd@fddc.org

Survey: Enhancing Services for People With Disabilities

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), nonprofits are required to provide services that are accessible for people with disabilities. Often times, federal funding depends upon identification of services provided, and failure to identify persons with disabilities may result in the appearance that no demands or provisions are being made.

Click here to take this 5 minute survey.

Long-Range Planning Survey: Advocacy Center for People With Disabilities

The Advocacy Center is working on a long-range strategic plan for the next five years (2007-2012) as well as goals for the upcoming federal fiscal year (October 1, 2007 – September 30, 2008).

We would like input from your organizations. We have created a public input on-line survey to collect perspectives and ideas about the major challenges faced by people who have disabilities in Florida and what the Advocacy Center can do to help.

Thank you in advance for distributing this e-mail containing a link to our website and on-line survey to your membership (and let us know if possible when that has been done). We need to collect as much public input as possible between now and Monday, June 25, 2007.

We believe hearing directly from you at this time is critical to our decision making about how to best invest our time and resources in the coming year and beyond.

Click here to take this survey.

There are several ways to provide input other than the on-line survey. We urge people to contact us in any way that works for them and/or for assistance or accommodations. For example, people may provide input via:

Toll free call 800-342-0823, Ext 500, to record your ideas or ask for help with the survey;
TDD call 800-346-4127 to record your ideas or ask for help with the survey;
E-mail to survey@advocacycenter.org to write your ideas or ask for help with the survey; or
Mail or fax your ideas to:

Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, Inc.
2728 Centerview Drive, Suite 102 Tallahassee, FL 32301-6948

FAX: 850/488-8640

Thank you for taking the survey, on behalf of the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities

Click here to take this survey.

Submitted by Lavonia Sampson, Project Manager, F.L.S.H.C
PHONE: 850/878-2196 FAX: 850/878-6584
admin@flshc.net www.flshc.net

FLORIDA NEWS

Florida Near Bottom in Health System Performance Study

Florida’s health system performance ranks among the nation’s worst in terms of access to care, quality, avoidable hospital use and costs, equity, and healthy lives, according to a new study.

Florida ranked 43rd nationwide in a study by the Commonwealth Fund’s comprehensive comparison of health system performance in all 50 states. The study Aiming Higher: Results from a State Scorecard on Health System Performance ranks states on 32 performance indicators.

According to some of the findings, Florida ranked:

50th in the percentage of adults age 18 to 65 who are insured;
49th in the percentage of children who are insured
38th in the Percent of Children Ages 0–17 with a medical and dental preventive care visit in the last year.

Florida did somewhat better in a few areas.

Florida ranked 5th in the percentage of home health residents who were readmitted to the hospital. Florida ranked 12th in the percentage of adults who had seen a doctor in the last two year. As for the percentage of nursing home residents who were readmitted to a hospital within the past three months, Florida ranked 19th.

The mission of The Commonwealth Fund is to promote a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society's most vulnerable.

In drawing their conclusions, researchers note that underperforming states can learn from leading states:

Hawaii was the first state to require employers to provide health insurance to full-time workers; it now ranks first in terms of access to care.
Rhode Island provides incentive payments to Medicaid managed care plans that reach quality targets; it ranks first on measures of the quality of care.
Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont have innovative approaches to expanding health insurance coverage; they lead the nation in providing equitable health systems to residents.

(Submitted by Alisa Snow, Florida CHAIN)

REAL STORIES FROM FLORIDA HEALTH CARE CONSUMERS

Keep Discussion on Health Care Delivery Civil and on Target

How to provide adequate health care to those who have no access to it is an issue widely debated in today’s America. Major presidential candidates recognize the importance of overhauling a system that nationwide excludes over 45 million people. High-profile governors tout innovative ideas. Famous moviemakers fan the flames of discontent and hope to shame policymakers into changing the system.

Taking a clue out of the well-known slogan “Think globally - act locally,” some folks in the Florida panhandle believe that there is a way to help address at least part of the problem and they are advocating for a half cent local sales-tax increase to do it. The half penny tax would set up a network of doctors to provide checkups, urgent care, basic lab tests and X-rays, subsidized prescriptions and transportation services for some 30,000 uninsured residents of Escambia County who represent an ever-growing sector of society everywhere: the working poor, those who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to buy their own health insurance.

As the June 26 vote day approaches, the tone of the campaign has gotten rather nasty. A few days ago, the Florida Health News e-newsletter bundled a series of articles and commentaries that appeared on the local paper, the Pensacola News Journal. Stories on those who would benefit from the proposed services included that of a recently widowed disabled woman suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems.* Reader commentaries, unsympathetic and running overwhelmingly against the tax, included comment such as “Cry me a river. Unfortunately, it is NOT society's responsibility to take care of everyone with hypertension, diabetes and heart trouble -- especially when very few of those cases are genetic, and the majority are brought on by lifestyle choices? And here's another principle: People get sick and die. That's life.”

Another writer states: “As much as I hate it for this woman... but diabetes and the extent to which it disables a person IS CONTROLLED IF YOU WORK AT CONTROLING (sic) IT!!!” The writer then goes on to compare contracting diabetes with irresponsible behavior: “It's like telling a person to not drink and drive... you warn them over and over... and then once more they drink and drive and then kill someone... and they feel bad... why should I feel sorry for them?”

Another story told of a father of two, also from Pensacola. He lost a job with benefits two years ago and found work as a painter for an independent contractor that offers no health insurance. For a number of months he has suffered with a rash and swelling of his hands. He doesn’t qualify for Medicaid because of his assets -- a single-wide trailer in Brownsville.

"I don't understand it," he said. "The taxable value of my property is $9,000 and I can't qualify?"

Comments by readers again ran overwhelmingly against a tax that would benefit this resident and called into question the seriousness of his ailment and his work ethic: “Exactly, so he gets a rash, and we the tax payer are supposed to pay to get rid of it. Get a second job, deliver pizza. You do what you need to do to provide for you and your family. Not the tax payers job to provide for you. Vote NO “

In another instance, a part-time home health aide from Pensacola who suffers from asthma, high blood pressure and heart problems tells of how she usually waits until she is so sick she has to go to the emergency room to get care: she has been hospitalized six times in the last five years. "If I don't have the money, I do without until it gets so bad they put me in the hospital," she said. She applied for Medicaid but was told she makes too much money.

And what do the good people of Escambia commenting on her plight have to say? In one case, a reader, aside from blaming the aide for her lack of discipline in managing her ailments, cannot resist taking a swipe at undocumented workers, as well: “Many taxpayers are sick of hearing of those who work part time jobs and then complain about what they cannot afford -- then blame society for that problem on top of it all. That is a socialist attitude that has no place in the United States.

How come we haven't heard from the 10,000 illegal foreigners in the area that will benefit from this? I guess they're staying in the shadows until it passes(?)”

Another reader chimes in: “I also have a couple of low-money side jobs. Should I get another so you can work part-time and have free insurance?”

Granted some of the readers that support the idea of helping the working poor with health care coverage distrust the notion of the tax and what it would fund is the answer. Others are cynical of Baptist Healthcare, the local hospital that has backed the tax, wondering whether the hospital would not be the real beneficiary.

These latter concerns are valid and should be part of the debate on how to fix a deplorable system of delivery of care in Escambia and beyond. It is the virulent anti-poor, xenophobic and racist discourse used to argue against helping the less fortunate that one hopes can be overcome as we discuss, locally, statewide and as a nation how to make adequate health care a reality for everyone.

*For the referenced articles and commentaries, visit http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/

(submitted by Andrew Leone, Florida CHAIN)

Florida CHAIN Seeks Stories

Florida CHAIN welcomes contributions from health care consumers who are interested in sharing their experiences with readers of CHAIN Reaction. If you have a story to share, please contact Andrew Leone at 954/684-9895 or andrewl@floridachain.org

Medicaid Reform Consumers Depict Dangerous Gaps at Broward Town Hall Meeting

The message was loud and clear: Florida’s Medicaid Reform, as it is being implemented right now, is not working.

Bill Schneider, Office of Consumer Affairs of Behavioral Health

State Rep Elaine Schwartz

Over 60 Medicaid consumers, advocates, and public citizens gathered in Ft. Lauderdale on June 20th to voice their concerns and experiences with Medicaid Reform. The panel included cardiologist Dr. Palamara, Ashley Reynolds from AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Andrew Leone from Florida CHAIN, and State Representative Elaine Schwartz.

One after the other, consumers walked up to the podium, reached for the microphone, and shared their most devastating experiences trying to access care but instead finding their services denied.

Chuck Haire

Charles was among the first to receive a Medicaid Reform enrollment packet in July 2006. After reviewing the plans and benefits chart with a trusted advisor and consulting with choice counselors, he selected an HMO that offered, as added benefit, dental care beyond the emergency and denture services that all plans are required to offer under Reform. He was particularly interested in this benefit because he suffers from serious visuomotor (motor skills involving vision, such as eye-hand coordination) deficit that has impacted appropriate dental care.

However, Charles was without 12 of his teeth for more than six months after his HMO refused to pay for his dental care. Charles needed a crown and the plan representative said it would be covered. Upon signing up, the HMO said it would cover only one kind of crown – one that is so substandard that no dentists would do it. Finally, one dental plan did offer to do it but at a cost of $12,500. In addition, the list was outdated and dentists kept dropping out of his plan. Instead, Charles opted to have his teeth removed and replaced with dentures.

Phillip was transferred over to a PSN that did not cover the specialists he needed after just having had a cancer operation. “In the meantime, I almost had a nervous breakdown” was how Phillip, who is blind, described the experience.

Phillip Goldstein

Andrea, the director of a mental health facility, explained that her organization hasn’t been paid by several Medicaid reform plans in over 9 months. Thus the agency is forced to turn away clients and decrease its staff.

Howard’s son is a mental health consumer. Taking the suggestion of an ill-advised HMO marketer, he transferred HMO’s. After trying to find out if his son’s medications were covered, he called a choice counselor who also didn’t have that information. Finally, when he tried to get the medication he needed, the HMO refused to pay for it. Howard’s son was hospitalized. After he was stabilized, he was released but the HMO refused his medication. This happened three times within a 7 week span of time. With the assistance of advocates and attorneys, Howard’s son was finally able to transfer out of the HMO - after having cost the state almost $30,000 worth of unnecessary hospitalizations.

A nurse from AIDS Healthcare Foundation explained how her clients are so confused about the changes that she’s making home visits, without being paid, just to help them chose a plan so that they don’t experience a gap in their care that would make their health decline.

It was an emotional evening in that packed room and audience members wanted their voices of concern to be heard. For many of these audience members, what they were going through was illustrative of a delivery system of care that was analogous with underdeveloped countries. The passion to stand up against such inhumane treatment in the name of managed care profit was strong. Ideas for advocacy included making legislative visits, meeting with health plan medical directors, supporting efforts to raise physician reimbursement rates, and advocating for a tobacco tax with the allocated revenue going to health access expansion, and even filing a lawsuit.

One thing was certain. Medicaid Reform, as it is being implemented right now, is not for the weak of body, mind, or soul.

(Submitted by Lisa Margulis, Florida CHAIN)

Members of the audience

State Events & Notices
     North Florida
     Central Florida
     East Central Florida
     West Central Florida
     Southwest Florida
     Southeast Florida
     Florida Audio & Web Events
     Statewide Notices
National Events & Notices
     Conferences & Events
    Audio & Web Events
     National Notices
     Campaigns & Initiatives

STATE EVENTS & NOTICES

NORTH FLORIDA

Mapping Florida Communities Workshop: Intro to GIS and Community Analysis

June 21-22 8:30 am-4:30 pm Jacksonville, New Horizons Computer Center 7020 A.C. Skinner Pkwy STE 180

June 28-29 8:30 am-4:30 pm Tallahassee Community College 444 Appleyard Drive, EWD Bldg #38, LAB No. 219

For all beginners interested in mapping their community; Excel skills required. Participants will learn to use ArcGIS 9.2 to: create thematic maps of their own data, and display spatial trends in information; map addresses of their clients, their projects or incidents; extract and map current Census data such as poverty, race, language, population, transportation, education and workforce characteristics; Conduct spatial queries; Download free shapefiles; Create well designed maps. Includes workbook, 60 day software trial, 30 day access to geography and demographic files.

6th Annual Medicaid Research and Policy Conference: State Health Care Innovation: Cost, Quality, and Access

June 28-29 Residence Inn, 600 West Gaines St, Tallahassee

Confirmed Speakers: Andrew Agwunobi, AHCA Secretary; Ana Viamonte Ros, Surgeon General and Secretary FL Dept of Health; other state officials and experts; and Melinda Abrams, Commonwealth Fund. Breakout sessions: Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities; Public Health and Prevention for Vulnerable Populations; Exploring Local Health Care Reforms in Florida; Quality of Care for Vulnerable Populations. Click here for the call for posters. Hosted by Florida Center for Medicaid and the Uninsured with support from AHCA. Free registration online at www.fmu.phhp.ufl.edu

13th Annual Children's Week (2008)

March 29-April 6

In addition, local events and activities will take place throughout the state Feb-April. Contact jason@childrensweek.org

Notices

Baker County SHINE volunteers wanted

SHINE volunteers provide individual counseling and assistance to elders and their caregivers about Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare plan choices, long-term care and other health insurance issues. Volunteers also make educational presentations to community groups and participate in local health fairs, senior fairs and outreach events. For more information, please call the Elder Helpline at 1-888-242-4464 or 904-391-6699.

CENTRAL FLORIDA

Mapping Florida Communities Workshop: Intro to GIS and Community Analysis

June 28-29 8:30 am-4:30 pm Orlando MicroTek, 5950 Hazeltine Natil Dr, Citadel Int'l III, Suite 410

MEETING OF THE MINDS: Strategic Initiatives for Implementation

August 6-8 Orlando

Florida Center for Universal Research’s Second Annual Summit.

Supported Employment and Benefits Management Training

Oct 18-19 Gainesville (Registration Deadline – October 16)

for Individuals with Disabilities, their Family Members and Support Coordinators. For information, contact 850/386-2022 or diamondw@wilres.com.

EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA

WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA

2007 Summer Conference on Florida's Young Children
July 18-20 Tampa
The One Goal: Building the Future Together "Putting Families and Children First" Conference brings together early education and care providers and leaders from around the state. It is designed to share innovative programs, practices and techniques for improving services and outcomes for all Florida’s children.” The previous conference “Providing Childcare For Children With Disabilities And Special Health Care Needs” coordinated by the Florida Inclusion Advisory Council is now fully integrated with this event. Registration fee $45, waived for primary presenter. Cosponsors include health organizations. 850/893-6270, frankieallen_2000@yahoo.com.

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

Supported Employment and Benefits Management Training

July 26-27 Fort Myers (Registration Deadline– July 24)

for Individuals with Disabilities, their Family Members and Support Coordinators. For information, contact 850/386-2022 or diamondw@wilres.com.

Supported Employment and Benefits Management Training

Dec 6-7 Fort Myers (Registration Deadline – Dec 4)

for Individuals with Disabilities, their Family Members and Support Coordinators. For information, contact 850/386-2022 or diamondw@wilres.com.

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA

Events

Community Debate: Are You Dissatisfied With Our Health Care System?
June 22 7:30 pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami, 7701 SW 76 Ave, Miami

An informal debate on the U.S. health care insurance crisis. Santiago Leon and Don Marx, professional insurance brokers, will present opposing views on our health care insurance system for the future. Sponsored by: UUCM-Social Justice Committee and Health Care for All-Florida, which works toward creating a sustainable health care system responsive to the needs of all people.

Mapping Florida Communities Workshop: Intro to GIS and Community Analysis

June 22 8:30 am-4:30 pm FIU, Kovens Conf Ctr, 3000 NE 151st St, Miami

Health Care For All-Florida Program

June 26 12 noon Gardner's Cafe, Palmetto Bay Village Center, 18001 Old Cutler Rd, Palmetto Bay

Progressive Women's Alliance

Miami-Dade Delegation/Walgreens Sponsor Free Health Screenings

June 26-28 25 locations

Miami-Dade's Legislative Delegation is partnering with Walgreens Corporation to provide free blood pressure screenings, glucose levels screenings and health appraisals to the public at 25 Walgreens locations throughout the county. A press conference will also be held on Tuesday, June 26, 9:30 - 10:30 am at Walgreens, 7910 NW 27 Ave, Miami. Senator Frederica Wilson, Delegation Chair, and the 24 members of the Legislative Delegation initiated the health screenings to address Miami-Dade's increased obesity. 305/375-4088.

Private Screening of Michael Moore's "Sicko"
June 29 10 am–12:30 pm Gateway Cinema, 1820 E. Sunrise Blvd, Ft Lauderdale

Be among the first to see "Sicko," Michael Moore's new film about the sorry state of health care in America, with a 30 min "Opportunities for Action" discussion following the film. Admission: $6.75

RSVP Requested: Florida CHAIN: 954/791-7314 or lisam@floridachain.org Sponsored by: Florida CHAIN, Children’s Services Council of Broward County, Florida Association of Retired Americans, AIDS Healthcare Foundation/Positive Healthcare, and Health Care For All- Florida

2007 National Conference on Latinos and AIDS
July 30-31 Miami
The goal is to update the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of health-care providers who care for patients with HIV/AIDS. Also designed for healthcare media, federal and state legislators, AIDS service organization officers, social workers, peer counselors, church leadership and corrections health-care personnel. The objectives are to familiarize participants with the epidemiology of HIV in the United States, current guidelines and cutting edge clinical modalities for the management of HIV, current research encompassing drug abuse and its connection to the HIV epidemic, social and psychiatric concerns of the HIV-infected patient, policy initiatives, trends, and political issues that impact all HIV-infected patients. Registration: $90 nurses, social workers, and other non-prescribing health professionals; $110 physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners; $135 all attendees after July 15. Continuing education credits are available. For more info, contact MHCC@npedu.com or 866/901-6267

Health care rally

August 13 South Palm Beach County

A very large rally is being planned. More information will be forthcoming. Call for details: 561/792-8799.

2007 Florida Conference on Aging
Aug 13-16 Miami InterContinental Hotel

Outstanding Keynote Speakers, Leadership Academy, Pre-Conference Intensives, Over 50 Workshop Sessions, CEUs for many professions, Registration includes many meals, Single day/full conference registration available

Supported Employment and Benefits Management Training

Sept 27-28 Miami (Registration Deadline – Sept 25)

for Individuals with Disabilities, their Family Members and Support Coordinators. For information, contact 850/386-2022 or diamondw@wilres.com.

Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment

October 12 9:30 am-4:00 pm Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Diagnostic Treatment Ctr

The Cancer Committee of the Jackson Health System and the Univ of Miami Sylvester Cancer Center is hosting this full day educational Town Hall Meeting on focusing on risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survival and new discoveries. Presenters will include Surgeons from the Division of Gynecology Surgery, a Radiation Oncologist, a Geneticist, and other health care professionals. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Reservations can be made by contacting APazos@um-jmh.org or DEvans@um-jmh.org, or by phone at 305/585-6038 (ext. 2). This meeting is free and open to the general public and all medical staff.

REMOVING THE BARRIERS: Training for Trainers to remove health care barriers for women who partner with women

Oct 19 9 am–1pm SunServe, 1480 SW 9^th Ave, Ft. Lauderdale

This training is designed to educate and bring awareness to health care providers about the health care needs of women who partner with women, to improve practitioners’ skills and create systemic change to allow women who partner with women to truly feel comfortable in a health care setting. The training gives tools to dismantle the barriers within practices and/or institutions. RTB certified trainers help providers work to increase their comfort level discussing and develop a common language around sexuality, and create an environment where all their patients, regardless of sexual orientation or behavior, feel comfortable and safe to share information. The training can also be done through a free home study course. For $15, the Oct 19on site training will provide 4 contact hours for physicians, nurses, social workers as well as psychologists, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists. RTB provides 2 contact hours for physicians, nurses, social workers and other medical professionals taking home study. Contact RTBtraining@aol.com

Supported Employment and Benefits Management Training

Nov 15-16 Miami (Registration Deadline – Nov 13)

for Individuals with Disabilities, their Family Members and Support Coordinators. For information, contact 850/386-2022 or diamondw@wilres.com.

Notices

Broward County Launches Prescription Drug Discount Card Program

Broward County has launched a program to help consumers cope with the high price of prescription drugs. The County is making free prescription drug discount cards available under a program sponsored by the National Association of Counties (NACo). The cards may be used by all County residents, regardless of age, income, or existing health coverage, and at any participating retail pharmacy. A national network of more than 57,000 participating retail pharmacies also will honor the NACo prescription discount card, including most chain pharmacies and many independents. Cards can be picked up free of charge at many Broward County government facilities, including parks, libraries, transit facilities, the downtown Governmental Center and the County's four Family Success Centers. For more information, residents can call toll free 1-877/321-2652, or visit NACo's site at https://naco.advancerx.com or visit www.broward.org/humanservices and click on "NACo Rx Program". Unlike many other card programs, there is no enrollment cost or membership fee. The average discount is 20 percent. Cardholders are eligible for higher discounts on a three-month supply of some medications through mail service. Cardholders also can save on pet prescriptions at participating retail pharmacies. The NACo discount card program dovetails with Medicare Part D.

Miami-Dade Summer Jobs for Youth

The Summer Jobs program in Miami-Dade has been approved, funded, bid and has 5 contractors that will be administering the program. Please submit your request/application for students. The program pays the student. There are 950 slots this year in Miami-Dade. Don't miss out on this opportunity to shape the future. The primary recruitment for eligible youth will end on June 23, 2007. Providers are prepared to receive calls and inquiries. Please feel free to contact these agencies on your own or refer them to your clients or customers. North county: Adults Mankind Organization-305/445-8655; Community Coalition-305/887-4140; Private Industry Council-305/512-9012. South county: Richmond Perrine Optimist Club-305/233-9325; We Care of South Dade-305/247-9693.

FLORIDA AUDIO CONFERENCES AND WEBCASTS

STATEWIDE NOTICES

South Florida Cancer Control Collaborative Planning Survey

If you are currently involved with one of the four regional cancer control collaboratives, or if you have participated in the past (since 2001), please take a fifteen minutes to complete this anonymous online survey, preferably by June 22. Your answers will help the Florida Department of Health and leaders of the regional collaboratives understand what contributes to the success of the collaborative, and will help us plan to make them more effective and beneficial to members. In the questionnaire, the term "partnership" refers specifically to the regional cancer control collaborative. We would appreciate your completing the survey before June 22, 2007. It will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Your answers are anonymous. If you have questions, please contact Sue_higgins@doh.state.fl.us.

Local Youth Leadership Initiative

Human Services Coalition (HSC) is partnering with the national nonprofit AmeriCorps program Public Allies to develop young diverse leaders in Miami-Dade County. HSC will kickoff the Public Allies program in October, placing 15 local men and women between the ages of 18 and 30 to work with nonprofits as apprentices for 10 months. During that time, the Allies will participate in leadership and professional skills training and work on a team service project. They will also facilitate community dialogues about local issues. Each Ally will receive full health benefits, a monthly stipend of $1500 and $4,700 at the end of the program to help fund their education. The project is also funded in part by Allegany Franciscan Foundation and The Children’s Trust. HSC will recruit applicants for the 15 positions over the summer and look for partner organizations to host each Ally. For more information about becoming an Ally or hosting one, contact 305-576-5001 x32.

2007 Dwight Allison Fellows Awards Call for Nominations in Palm Beach and Martin Counties

The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties will honor five individuals with Dwight Allison Awards of $5,000. One award will be given to individuals for their work in each of five categories including Health Care. Each fellow will be honored at a luncheon at the Community Foundation on October 25, 2007. Recipients will be selfless individuals involved in community service, who go above and beyond the norm to make Palm Beach and Martin counties better places to live. Contact Rozanne Sonneborn, Program Officer, at 561/659-6800 or rsonneborn@cfpbmc.org with questions.

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

Florida Developmental Disabilities Council’s most popular publication ever has been revised and updated with critical info for any parent or family member of a young child with a developmental disability. The publication is a reliable source of info for parents at the beginning of a new journey. They will learn a new vocabulary, discover advocacy skills they never knew they had, and meet new people who will become important in their life as friends, teachers, doctors, therapists and caregivers. This is a valuable tool to help guide parents in the initial steps of their journey as well as a resource they can visit again and again as they, their child and their families grow through the coming years together. The publication is available in both English and Spanish, as well as in a full color version and a black and white version – both are in Acrobat Reader format (PDF) and available in two sections – Chapters 1 to 5 and Chapters 6 to 10 – for your convenience downloading the publications. For printed or bound copies, call 800-580-7801, or 850-488-4180.

To download First Steps: A Guide for Parents of Young Children with Developmental Disabilities, click here.

Waving Cautionary Flags: Florida’s Experience with Medicaid Reform: Reactions from Doctors and Patients

The latest briefing paper on Florida's Medicaid reform programs shows one out of four physicians are declining to participate and those who remain are seeing fewer patients. View the briefing paper Or view a presentation of the research. (May 2007, Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, released by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, The Community Foundation in Jacksonville and United Way of Northeast Florida)

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

NATIONAL EVENTS & NOTICES

CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

Disparities in Health in America: Working Toward Social Justice

June 23-29 Houston

Health disparities are differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist when specific population subgroups are compared. It is now known that the distribution of health is not at random, but that health is systematically distributed according to different levels of social advantage. This course will examine the biological, environmental, the social and societal factors, including law, health policy, economic and ethics that are fundamental in creating disparities in health.

Big Vision for The Big Sky: Keys To Transformation For Improved Patient Care: Action Learning Lab

June 28-29 Billings MT

Healthcare today must learn how to rapidly transform care delivery by adopting new technology and innovative ideas into daily practices with a focus on improved quality, safety, patient outcomes, and reduced cost. Billings Clinic, a unique Integrated Medical Foundation Model located in a community setting, is emerging as a national leader known for transforming multiple parts of its organization to provide better care. Billings is also known for utilizing information technology and innovative clinical effectiveness strategies to build a regional network that serves both urban and rural needs in four states.

2007 CSTE Annual Conference: Eliminating Health Disparities: Data to Action
June 24-28 Atlantic City, NJ
Abstract proposals are being sought by the Program Planning Committee for the 2007 Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists Annual Conference.

IPHU/PHM Short Course: Promoting Health for All

June 27-30 Atlanta

A short course for people interested in health and equality presented by the International People's Health University together with the People's Health Movement The International People's Health University (IPHU) presents four days of learning and discussion at the first-ever US Social Forum. Each day of the IPHU includes two hours of presentations by faculty followed by two hours of discussion and activities. Afternoons and evenings are free for exploring the hundreds of workshops and presentations at the US Social Forum and networking with other leaders and activists.

Transforming Your Organization through Marketing
July 9-11 Washington, DC

This American Marketing Association 2007 Nonprofit Marketing Conference brings together nonprofit marketing and communications professionals from throughout the United States. The conference will address the ability of good marketing strategy to dramatically improve business outcomes and societal well-being. Participants will be inspired to be agents of change in their organizations.

Health Equity and Environmental Public Health - From Local to Global
July 11-13 Columbus, OH
The NACCHO Annual 2007 Conference will be the year's largest gathering of local public health officials in the United States. This conference will provide a vital and central venue for local health officials and their public health partners to examine strategies, share ideas, and plan actions designed to address issues of health inequity and environmental public health from local to global perspectives.

Global Primary Health Care Strategies
July 21 - Aug 11
The Dept of Health Policy and Management of the Univ. of South Florida College of Public Health, with Jamaican Southern Regional Health Authority offers this graduate field course in Treasure Beach Jamaica. The course will cover strategies for providing access to health care services for disadvantaged rural populations as a part of its focus. The 3 credit course will be coupled with an hour of field practicum credit for a total of 4 semester hours of credit. Mornings will be spent in the field in the Black River Health District on projects that will feed into afternoon class sessions. The 4 credit program, including tuition, lodging, field travel, course materials, pickup and return to Montego Bay airport and 12 dinners will cost $3500 for both Florida and out of state participants. Airfare is extra.

ACHI’s 2008 Spring Training for Health Champions

Session Proposals Due: Aug 3

Conference Dates: March 5-7, 2008 Atlanta

Topic Tracks: Minimizing Chronic Disease: Strategies for Social Determinants; Maximizing Coverage: Proven Programs and Innovative Proposals; Harnessing Data: Health Assessments to Health Outcomes; Delivering Community Benefit: Management Tools and Community Strategies (co-sponsored by Catholic Health Association and VHA, Inc.); Breaking Silos: Public Health and Health System Partnerships

Women of Color: Addressing Disparities, Affirming Resilience, and Developing Strategies for Success - Minority Women's Health Summit
August 23-26 Washington DC

7th Annual Diversity Challenge at Boston College: Race and Culture Intersections in Scientific Research and Mental Health Service Delivery for Children, Adolescents, and Families
October 2007
Presentations should focus on developments in research, professional practice, education or social justice initiatives as they pertain to promoting the mental health and redressing the mental health disparities for racial and ethnic minority children, adolescents, and families. Researchers, practitioners, educators, medical service providers, employee assistance personnel, government agencies, spiritual healers, and providers of community services are encouraged to submit proposals.

SOPHE 58th Annual Meeting - Partnerships to Achieve Health Equity
Oct 31–Nov 3 Alexandria, VA
Abstracts are now being accepted online for workshops, symposia, oral presentations, and posters for Society for Public Health Education's 58th Annual Meeting. SOPHE is pleased to be partnering with CDC's Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program and Eta Sigma Gamma for its 40th Annual Meeting. Sub-themes include health systems change; social determinants of health and transdisciplinary approaches to health education; health communications, health literacy and technology; cultural competence in bridging differences, and; evaluation and dissemination of evidence-based approaches. For more information, contact lvillejo@mdanderson.org

Creating a Culture of Wellness

Nov 27-29 Washington, DC

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will host this 2007 National Prevention and Health Promotion Summit. This groundbreaking event will unite health professionals, business entrepreneurs, and government leaders at all levels who are dedicated to health promotion, chronic disease prevention, health preparedness, birth defects, disabilities, genomics, and wellness.

AUDIO AND WEB EVENTS

Big Vision to Practical Action: Community Engagement and Data Tools for Health Improvement Campaigns (ACHI)

June 21

Greg Vigdor, President of the Washington Health Foundation, will share how they created the largest civic engagement project for health in the history of Washington State. Also, view a demonstration of custom web tools that engage individuals in learning about and tracking their own personal weight, nutrition, water intake, sleep and miles logged. See how WHF's web tools educate and provide a personal space for people to record, better understand and change their health habits. And learn how your community can gain access at no charge to these tools for your own health improvement campaign. This session is enhanced with a live web interface for the demonstration. The discounted member registration is $50; non-member registration is $100.

Hospitals, Language, and Culture: Exploring Cultural and Linguistic Services in the Nation's Hospitals

June 21 1:00-2:30 pm ET audio-conference

The Institute for Diversity in Health Management presents Amy Wilson-Stronks, MPP, principal investigator of the Joint Commission's recent study, Hospitals, Language, and Culture: A Snapshot of the Nation, as she discusses the work's findings. Funded by the California Endowment, this study was designed to better understand the challenges faced by our nation's hospitals as they attempt to address the varied and unique needs of their diverse patient populations. Ms. Wilson-Stronks will explore study recommendations as they pertain to hospitals, researchers, and the Joint Commission.

Does Racism Make Us Sick?

June 25 2:00-4:00pm EDT

This 13th Annual Summer Public Health Research Videoconference on Minority Health will be broadcast with a live audience from the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History at UNC Chapel Hill and can also be viewed via the Internet (webcast).

Ascension Health’s 5 Steps to 100% Access Audio-conference

June 26 12:00 noon ET

The 5 Steps to 100% Access © model is a strategy for local areas to achieve 100 percent access to healthcare for a community's uninsured. The model is experienced-based, with an impressive record of results.

Community Benefit as a Business Strategy - co-sponsored by VHA (ACHI)

July 19 (1:00 pm CT, 2:00 pm ET)

Evaluating the Impact of Community-based Programs to Build Support (ACHI)

Aug 16 1:00 pm CT, 2:00 pm ET

NOTICES

2007 Innovation in Prevention Awards

Nomination deadline: June 29

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is now accepting nominations for the Awards, which seek to identify and celebrate organizations that have implemented innovative and creative chronic disease prevention and health promotion programs.

Rx CONSUMERS!

You may be eligible to get a payment from one of three prescription drug class action settlements.

Claims Deadlines are approaching fast!

Three nationwide class action lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies recently settled. Consumers & third party payors (insurance companies, union health & welfare funds) that paid for part or all of the cost of these drugs may be eligible to get payments from these settlements. For information on specific drugs, and a flyer to distribute, visit www.floridachain.org/class action.htm.

CAMPAIGNS & INITIATIVES

Healthy Child Campaign

Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) have made tremendous progress in improving children’s health insurance. Yet nine million children in America, almost 90% living in working households and a majority in two-parent families, are still uninsured. Millions more are underinsured. As Congress prepares to consider reauthorization of SCHIP in 2007, there is a special opportunity for our nation and leaders in all parties to take the next logical, incremental, smart and achievable step to ensure health and mental health coverage for all children in America as a significant down payment on health coverage for all. Because of this, the Children's Defense Fund proudly endorses the All Healthy Children Act (S. 1564/HR 1688). Over 1,000 organizations have signed on. Has yours? Learn more. Click here to TAKE ACTION and for toolkits.

A Healthier US Starts Here: CMS Prevention and Wellness Initiative

This spring and summer, as part of the "A Healthier US Starts Here" initiative the US Department of Health and Human Services and CMS will join with local officials and partners, to raise awareness of the importance of preventing chronic disease and illness, promote Medicare preventive benefits and provide information about how beneficiaries can take action to maintain and improve their health.

New Coalition, Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, Launched

Any serious policy proposal that aims to improve health care in America and control rising health care expenditures must address chronic disease. That’s why a broad group of patients, providers, community organizations, business and labor groups, and health policy experts has joined together to form the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) – a national, bi-partisan coalition committed to raising awareness of the policies and practices that save lives and reduce health costs through more effective prevention and management of chronic disease.

Health Care for America
The Economic Policy Institute has released a progressive Health Care for America plan, a proposal for guaranteed, affordable health care for all Americans building on Medicare and employment-based insurance. Institute for America has announced a nationwide effort to discuss and debate how to get good health care coverage for all Americans while controlling spiraling health care costs. The Institute is collaborating with the Medicare Rights Center and a network of citizen action groups to foster public forums and internet discussion groups designed to create a groundswell of public support for action on health care for all. Many of these groups were active in the successful grassroots movement to stop President Bush’s plan to privatize Social Others are working to pass innovative state health care coverage plans.

AARP Divided We Fall Campaign
AARP has launched a new campaign that seeks to focus the 2008 presidential election on health care and financial security issues.

The Medicare Private Health Plan Monitoring Project

Medicare Rights Center has launched this to capture the experiences of people who have signed up for a Medicare HMO, PPO, PFFS plan or any of the other types of Medicare Advantage plans. Are you getting the medical care you need? Has your doctor or hospital dropped out of your plan’s network? Is it costing you more than you expected? Were you misled into joining a plan? Are you locked-in to a plan that no longer meets your needs? Please tell your private health plan story so they can bring your story to Capitol Hill.

August

Cataract Awareness Month: August
American Academy of Ophthalmology
(415) 447-0213
eyemd@aao.org www.aao.org/eyemd

National Immunization Awareness Month: August
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(800) 232-2522
npiinfo@hmhb.gov www.cdc.gov/nip/

September

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month: September
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(800) 729-6686
info@samhsa.gov www.recoverymonth.gov

National Cholesterol Education Month: September
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Health Information Center
(301) 592-8573
nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/cholmonth

National Sickle Cell Month: September
Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc.
(800) 421-8453
scdaa@sicklecelldisease.org www.sicklecelldisease.org

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: September
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
(888) OVARIAN (682-7426)
nocc@ovarian.org www.ovarian.org

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month: September
National Prostate Cancer Coalition
(888) 245-9455
info@fightprostatecancer.org www.fightprostatecancer.org

National Suicide Prevention Week: September
American Association of Suicidology
(202) 237-2280
info@suicidology.org www.suicidology.org

STOP A Suicide Today Day: September 10
Screening for Mental Health, Inc.
(781) 239-0071
AKeliher@MentalHealthScreening.org www.stopasuicide.org

National Farm Safety & Health Week: September 16-22
National Education Center for Agricultural Safety
(888) 844-6322
halversc@nicc.edu www.nsc.org/necas

Reye's Syndrome Awareness Week: September 16-22
National Reye's Syndrome Foundation
(800) 233-7393
nrsf@reyessyndrome.org www.reyessyndrome.org

Take a Loved One for a Check-up Day: September 18
Office of Minority Health
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(800) 444-6472
info@omhrc.gov www.healthgap.omhrc.gov

Hearing Aid Awareness Week: September 30 - October 6
International Hearing Society
(734) 522-7200
acmarkey@ihsinfo.org www.ihsinfo.org

October

"Talk About Prescriptions" Month: October
National Council on Patient Information and Education
(301) 656-8565
ncpie@ncpie.info www.talkaboutrx.org

Healthy Lung Month: October
American Lung Association
(800) LUNG-USA (586-4872)
info@lungusa.org www.lungusa.org

Let's Talk Month: October
Advocates for Youth
(202) 419-3420
tom@advocatesforyouth.org www.advocatesforyouth.org

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month: October
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Board of Sponsors
nbcamquestions@yahoo.com www.nbcam.org

National Family Sexuality Education Month/Let's Talk: October
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
(212) 541-7800
education@ppfa.org www.plannedparenthood.org

National Child Health Day: October
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Maternal and Child Health Bureau
(301) 443-2170
www.mchb.hrsa.gov

NDSD Mental Health Screening TM: October 11
Screening for Mental Health, Inc.
(781) 239-0071
ndsd@mentalhealthscreening.org www.mentalhealthscreening.org

National Mammography Day: October 19
American Cancer Society
(800) ACS-2345 www.cancer.org

Respiratory Care Week: October 11
American Association for Respiratory Care
(972) 243-2272
marketing@aarc.org www.aarc.org/resources/rc_week/

November

American Diabetes Month: November
American Diabetes Association
(800) DIABETES (342-2383)
askada@diabetes.org www.diabetes.org

Diabetic Eye Disease Month: November
Prevent Blindness America
(800) 331-2020
info@preventblindness.org www.preventblindness.org

Lung Cancer Awareness Month: November
Lung Cancer Alliance
(800) 298-2436
info@lungcanceralliance.org www.lungcanceralliance.org

National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month: November
Alzheimer's Association
(800) 272-3900
info@alz.org www.alz.org

National Family Caregivers Month: November
National Family Caregivers Association
(800) 896-3650
info@thefamilycaregiver.org www.thefamilycaregiver.org

National Healthy Skin Month: November
American Academy of Dermatology
(888) 462-DERM (3376)
mediarealtions@aad.org www.aad.org

National Hospice Palliative Care Month: November
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
(703) 837-1500
jradulovic@nhpco.org www.nhpco.org

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month: November
(877) 272-6226
information@pancan.org www.pancan.org

Prematurity Awareness Month: November
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
(888) MODIMES (663-4637)
askus@marchofdimes.com www.marchofdimes.com

Prematurity Awareness Day: November 13
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
(888) MODIMES (663-4637)
askus@marchofdimes.com www.marchofdimes.com

Great American Smokeout: November 15
American Cancer Society
(800) ACS-2345
www.cancer.org

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Awareness Week: November 18-24
(888) 964-2001
iffgd@iffgd.org www.aboutgerd.org

December

World AIDS Day: December 1
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
unaids@unaids.org www.unaids.org/en/default.asp

June 21, 2007

New listings, in order of submission deadlines

2007 State Partnership Grant Program to Improve Minority Health

Application deadline: July 11

The purpose of The Grant Program is to facilitate the improvement of minority health and elimination of health disparities by addressing data needs, partnership development, systems development, health areas (e.g., asthma, CVD/heart disease and stroke, adult immunization, infant mortality, mental health, and obesity/overweight), and/or workforce diversity.

2007 Community Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities

Application deadline: July 11

The purpose of the Demonstration Grant Program is to improve the health status of targeted minority populations by eliminating disparities. Through this FY 2007 announcement, the OMH is continuing to promote the utilization of community partnerships with locally grounded, grassroots organizations to develop and/ or implement promising practices and model programs targeting minority communities that focus on: Health education promotion, disease risk reduction and increased access to and utilization of preventive health care and treatment services.

Community Access to Child Health Planning Funds Program
Application deadline: July 31

The Community Access to Child Health (CATCH), a national program of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is designed to improve access to health care by supporting pediatricians and communities that are involved in health initiatives for children. The CATCH Planning Funds Program provides grants for pediatricians to develop innovative, community-based initiatives that increase children's access to medical homes or to specific health services not otherwise available. Planning project activities must lead to sustainable child health initiatives that increase access to care, especially for underserved children, and address health disparities among children.

CDC Procurement and Funding Opportunities

Application deadline: Aug 1

The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to develop and apply evidence based practices with national business and occupational health organizations and their constituencies. Our mutual goals are to protect health, prevent disease and disability, and promote healthy behaviors with regard to a variety of disease areas, health conditions, and potential natural or man-made threats, disasters or emergencies.

Continuing listings, in order of submission deadlines

2007 Dwight Allison Fellows Awards Call for Nominations in Palm Beach and Martin Counties

Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility

Application deadline: June 22

The Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (MRHFP, referred to as the Flex Program) is an ideal mechanism for improving and sustaining access to appropriate healthcare services of high quality in rural America, supporting conversion of small rural hospitals to critical access status, helping develop rural health care networks, and strengthening and integrating rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS). It will facilitate the development of model community-based rural collaborative systems of care in all grantee states.

Aging and Disability Resource Center Initiative: Integrating Access to Long-Term Care

Application deadline: June 29

In FY 2003, the Administration on Aging (AoA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) formed a historic partnership to launch the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) demonstration grant initiative. AoA and CMS share a vision to have Resource Centers in every community serving as highly visible and trusted places where people of all ages can turn for information on the full range of long-term support options and a single point of entry to public long-term support programs and benefits.

Supporting Innovation in Health and Health Care
Deadline: July 10
The Local Initiative Funding Partners Program (LIFP) is a partnership program between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and local grant-makers to fund promising, original projects to significantly improve the health of vulnerable people in their communities.

Improving the Health of Immigrant and Refugee Communities
Deadline: July 13
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Vulnerable Populations Portfolio is accepting grant proposals for new community-based approaches to health and healthcare problems faced by immigrants and refugees in the US. The program seeks projects that address how health and social systems can accommodate the unique needs of different and changing immigrant and refugee populations; how communities can engage in helping immigrants and refugees maintain and improve their health; and what strategies can overcome barriers that immigrants and refugees face when trying to access health and social services. To be considered, proposals must address ways for improving the health of new residents by linking social factors – language skills, significant cultural differences, education, and poverty -- to health outcomes. The foundation is interested in projects that focus on helping new populations integrate into their communities, and is especially interested in providing support to organizations outside the formal network of healthcare providers such as grassroots organizations, faith-based organizations, and advocacy organizations. Applicants may be either public entities or nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. Grants of up to $300,000 (maximum grant award) for up to three years will be available. The program will fund eight to ten projects for 2007.

Improve the Physical, Mental, Emotional & Spiritual Welfare of Children

Deadline: July 15

American Legion Child Welfare Foundation Grants to Help Children fund proposals that aim to contribute to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual welfare of children through innovative organizations and/or their programs designed to benefit youth. Maximum Award: $70,000. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations.

Improve Children's Dental Health
Deadline: July 17
The American Dental Association Foundation has issued a Request for Proposals to help improve children's oral health. Established by the ADA Foundation to prevent childhood tooth decay, the Harris Fund annually provides grants of up to $5,000 to educational and preventative programs designed to improve children's dental health. In 2007, the program will award up to $300,000 in grants. Community-based not-for-profit organizations in the US or its territories are eligible to apply. Examples of qualified oral health promotions include dental health education conducted at schools, health fairs, and social agencies via mobile dental clinics or outreach programs; dental health education programs in conjunction with preventive programs such as fluoride and dental sealant application programs; oral health and nutrition education materials designed for parents and/or dental professionals; instruction in the proper use of oral-care products; and development of public-service announcements (PSAs) to increase awareness of and appreciation for proper childhood oral care.

Disruptive Innovations in Health and Health Care

Application deadline: July 18

A competition has been launched to find disruptive innovations that could dramatically reshape the health and health care marketplace. The online competition, "Disruptive Innovations in Health and Health Care-Solutions People Want," is sponsored by the Pioneer Portfolio of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and uses a unique open source competition model developed by Changemakers, an initiative of Ashoka that promotes enterprising solutions to social problems. The Competition expects to attract entrepreneurs from within and outside of the health care field whose ideas might lead to new services, tools and choices that consumers want-but are currently out of reach because of cost, complexity, or because the right idea hasn't surfaced.

NCMHD Community-Based Participatory Research Initiative in Reducing and Eliminating Health Disparities: Intervention Research Phase; RFA-MD-07-003

Letter of Intent deadline: July 31 (not required)

Application deadline: Aug 31

The goal of this NIH funding is to support disease intervention research in reducing and eliminating health disparities using community-based participatory research that is jointly conducted by health disparity communities and researchers.

WHO Foundation: Women Helping Others
Deadline: second Tues of Sept
The WHO Foundation: Women Helping Others supports grassroots nonprofit organizations in the United States and Puerto Rico serving the overlooked needs of women and children. Specific projects and programs addressing health, education, and social service needs are the Foundation's priority. To qualify for funding a nonprofit organization must have been incorporated for a minimum of three years prior to application. Preference is given to organizations with an operating budget of $3 million or less. Visit the website listed above for more information.

Health & Society Scholars

Deadline: Oct 12

This Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program is designed to build the nation's capacity for research, leadership, and policy change to address the broad range of factors that affect health. Its goalis to improve health by training scholars to rigorously investigate the connections among genetic, behavioral, environmental, economic, and social determinants of health; and to develop, evaluate, and disseminate knowledge and interventions based on integration of these determinants. Scholars must have completed their doctoral training by the time of entry into the program and be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its territories. Up to 18 scholars will be selected for two-years with annual stipends of $83,000 in year one and $86,000 in year two.

Changes in Health Care Financing and Organization

Deadline: Rolling

Changes in Health Care Financing and Organization, a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, supports policy analysis, research, evaluation, and demonstration projects that provide policy leaders timely information on health care policy and financing issues. The current Call for Proposals is intended to support projects that examine significant issues and interventions related to health care financing and organization and their effects on health care costs, quality, and access. An additional emphasis is on projects that 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.

United Healthcare Children's Foundation Helps Underinsured Children
The Foundation offers support for children nationwide with assistance grants for medical services not fully covered by health insurance. Parents and caretakers can apply for up to $5,000.00 for health care services that will help improve their children's health and quality of life. Eligible children must be 16 or younger. Families must meet economic guidelines, live in the U.S. and be covered by a commercial health insurance plan. Examples of the types of medical services covered by include speech therapy; physical therapy and psychotherapy; medical equipment such as wheelchairs, braces, hearing aids and eye-glasses, and orthodontic and dental treatments. The Foundation has helped more than 375 families and provided nearly $1 million in financial assistance

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.

June 21, 2007

Florida CHAIN Website Resources

Organizations and Services

Manuals, Guides and Toolkits

Technology and Audio Visual Materials

Audioconferences and Webcasts

Media Programming

Web Sites, Web Features

Videos and Films

Periodicals and Books

Reports and Studies

New Listings

New Listings: Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP

New Listings: Federal Budget

New: Health Insurance, Health Care Costs

New: Health Equity Issues

New: Other Health Issues

Florida Reports

Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP

Federal Budget/Health Care

Health Insurance, Health Costs, Health Care Reform

Health Equity Issues

Other Health Issues

FLORIDA CHAIN WEBSITE RESOURCE UPDATE

Florida CHAIN has advocacy tools available online.

Florida CHAIN has updated its website to include more comprehensive and organized information on Medicaid Reform. Click here to view our fact sheet, PowerPoint, and Medicaid Roundtable video clips. Other available resources include Georgetown studies on Medicaid Reform and contact information of members of the Medicaid Reform Advocates Coalition.

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

ORGANIZATIONS AND SERVICES

Newly posted resources are at the top of the list.

Refugee Health Information Network

RHIN is a national collaborative partnership, managed by refugee health professionals, whose objective is to provide quality multilingual, health information resources for those providing care to resettled refugees and asylees. RHIN places its greatest emphasis on identifying, collecting, and making quality available materials that have been produced in refugee languages. Sources of these materials include federal, state and local public health agencies; national organizations; health care agencies; community-based organizations; academic institutions and international organizations. RHIN also strives to identify news and events, as well as other information resources useful to health providers serving refugees.

The Prescription Project

This project is led by Community Catalyst in partnership with the Institute on Medicine as a Profession. Funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Project seeks to eliminate conflicts of interest created by industry marketing by promoting policy change among academic medical centers, professional medical societies and public and private payers. In addition the Project will advance state and national level policy solutions. The Project will sponsor a wide range of activities to achieve its goals, including research and policy analysis; national and community-based forums; outreach to the media; and meetings with key decision-makers, including deans of medical schools, health care administrators, business leaders, policy makers and consumers. These include the Prescription Project Weekly Reader, a readable, relevant way to keep members and friends of the Project informed about what is happening at the intersection of medical conflict-of-interest issues and prescription drugs.

A Healthier US Starts Here: CMS Prevention and Wellness Initiative

New Coalition, Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, Launched

IPUT, Informed Parents United Together: Advocating for Universal Education and More!

This nonprofit agency works at an individual local network level to educate parents
and increase their advocacy for Inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in General Education environments. Check out the IEP Tool Box.

Together Rx Access

is a prescription savings program sponsored by 10 pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer. It provides savings on a wide range of prescription products at the pharmacy counter to eligible patients without prescription coverage. For more information, call 1-800-444-4106

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance
is a service sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry that offers a single point of access to more than 475 patient prescription assistance programs, including more than 180 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. For more information, call 1-888-4PPA-NOW

Medicare Rights Center (MRC) has an Rx Hotline for Nonprofit Professionals as one component of its comprehensive independent source of health care information and assistance for older adults and people with disabilities. It helps with understanding or explaining the Medicare prescription drug benefit to clients. Call RxHelp, a national hotline dedicated for nonprofit professionals serving the Medicare population, operated from 10 am to 6 pm EDT. Dial 877/RXHELP-0 (877/794-3570).Other 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. To help you understand your Medicare health plan choices, the Medicare Rights Center offers Medicare Interactive (MI), a web-based Medicare counseling tool.

Training Alliance for Communities of Color
This website is from 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). Their mission 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.

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

MANUALS, GUIDES, TOOLKITS

Newly posted resources are at the top of the list.

Helping Pediatric Practices Implement Parental Depression Screening
A new online manual helps pediatric clinicians successfully screen parents for depression, discuss with them the impact depression can have on their children, and refer parents for counseling. Rates of major depression peak during women's childbearing years. Research has shown that maternal and paternal depression can affect parenting behaviors and, ultimately, harm children's health and development. Because pediatricians have frequent contact with parents, they have opportunities to screen for depression and intervene when necessary. Accumulating data about the adverse effect of parental depression on child health, development, and behavior have provided an impetus among pediatric practices for changing clinical care.

The Basics of Medicare and Medicaid
The primers help explain Medicaid and Medicare, including an overview, how they work, who they serve and how they are funded. The Medicare primer is new, and the Medicaid primer has been updated with the most current information (Kaiser Family Foundation, "The Basics of Medicare and Medicaid," (3/19/07, Kaiser Family Foundation)

Medicare Rights Center Part D appeals manual
This free, comprehensive, easy-to-understand guide is for advocates who help people with Medicare get the drugs they need.This 25-page manual offers a complete overview of the entire appeals process, real-life case examples from MRC's Client Services department, a glossary of important Part D appeals terms, a sample appeals protocol for advocates, and links to important resources and documents. All in consumer-friendly language

Five Guidelines for Developing Customer-Friendly Websites
This new Covering Kids & Families publication is intended to help state agencies and other organizations do a

better job of helping people find information on the Web about Medicaid, SCHIP and other government services by producing a customer-friendly site.

Amigos en Salud Online Disparities Toolkit
Pfizer has created a free toolkit to help community health centers reduce racial health disparities. The program, called Amigos en Salud/Friends in Health, involves training community health workers to be a bridge between minority communities and the healthcare system.

Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities: A Quality Improvement Initiative in Medicaid Managed Care ToolkitCenter for Health Care Strategies
The toolkit examines the experiences of a workgroup - comprising 10 Medicaid health plans and a state primary care case management association - that adopted strategies to identify and address racial and ethnic health disparities in birth outcomes and immunizations, asthma care and diabetes care. (January 2007)

New/Updated Resources Medicare Drug Plan Resources
In advance of the 2007 Medicare drug plans open enrollment period beginning Nov. 15, Kaiser Family Foundation has issued a series of new and updated resources based on ongoing research including consumer surveys:

Updated fact sheet providing state-specific data about Medicare drug plan options for 2007, including stand-alone drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans, and information on premiums, gap coverage, and availability to beneficiaries who qualify for full low-income assistance.

Updated Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit fact sheet, with a revised estimate that 4 million people will be affected by the coverage gap in 2006, as well as current enrollment and low-income subsidy participation and updated Medicare per capita drug spending.

Updated Talking About Medicare online consumer guide, reflecting 2007 benefit changes, to help people with Medicare and their families understand options and make decisions based on their personal situations; includes information about financial assistance for those with limited incomes, supplemental insurance options, and Medicare Advantage.

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

Families USA is offering 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.

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

Hospitals, Language, and Culture: Exploring Cultural and Linguistic Services in the Nation's Hospitals

June 21 1:00-2:30 pm ET audio-conference

Big Vision to Practical Action: Community Engagement and Data Tools for Health Improvement Campaigns (ACHI)

June 21

Does Racism Make Us Sick?

June 25 2:00-4:00pm EDT

Ascension Health’s 5 Steps to 100% Access Audio-conference

June 26 12:00 noon ET

Community Benefit as a Business Strategy -co-sponsored by VHA (ACHI)

July 19 (1:00 pm CT, 2:00 pm ET)

Evaluating the Impact of Community-based Programs to Build Support (ACHI)

Aug 16 1:00 pm CT, 2:00 pm ET

A Future Vision for Well-Child Care: Re-thinking the "Who, What, and Where' of Preventive and Developmental Services

This is a new Commonwealth Fund E-Forum E-Forum offering synched slides and audio from a presentation by David A. Berman, M.D., of Stanford University. In the talk, identifying important new trends in well-child care, such as advanced access to care, and describing how pediatricians might redesign their office systems to better address preventive care needs. (5/10/07, Commonwealth Fund)

Health Status Disparities in the United States

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars’ Global Health Initiative has posted a webcast of their event held on April 4.

Learn how to get Durable Medical Equipment (DME) at home

Check out MRC’s latest educational web seminar, online now, for your convenience. Learn about when Medicare covers medical equipment to help you at home, and the best way to get it. Register online to view this audio-visual presentation.

Today's Topics In Health Disparities - Is the U.S. Making Progress in Reducing Disparities in Health Care Access and Quality?
This discussion provides an overview of key findings in the 2006 National Healthcare Disparities Report. Panelists focus on evidence showing the areas in which racial and ethnic disparities in health care have narrowed and discuss interventions that may explain some of the gains achieved. In Video Podcast Transcript (3/2/2007, Kaiser Family Foundation Broadcast Studio)

Media Programming

ABC Series Looks at Uninsured Kids
An ABC "World News" feature looked at the tragic costs paid by uninsured children and their families who cannot afford private coverage but make too much to qualify for Medicaid.

Web Sites, Web Features & Databases

Newest postings are listed at the top of State and National Web Resources sections below

State Web Resources

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

Summary of health-related bills passed by the 2007 Florida Legislature

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

Statehealthfacts.org Updates Data on Medicaid & SCHIP Coverage for Children
Statehealthfacts.org has updated information on eligibility levels for children in Medicaid and SCHIP and parents and pregnant women in Medicaid using survey data from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU). The latest information on Medicaid and SCHIP enrollment practices for pregnant women and children and renewal practices is also now available. Overall SCHIP spending for FY 2006 and Federal SCHIP spending data from FY 1998 through FY 2006 are also now available. Recent additions to the site include new information on children's demographics and health insurance status from analysis of the Census Bureau's March 2005 and 2006 Current Population Surveys. These additions include the distribution of children by race/ethnicity, the distribution of children by citizenship status, and health insurance coverage among low-income children living near poverty.

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

New Web Tool Provides Samples of Report Cards on Health Care Quality

With rising interest in information about the quality of care delivered by health care providers, HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has developed a new Web tool demonstrating a variety of approaches for health quality report cards. The new Health Care Report Card Compendium is a searchable directory of over 200 samples of report cards produced by a variety of organizations. The samples show formats and approaches for providing comparative information on the quality of health plans, hospitals, medical groups, individual physicians, nursing homes, and other providers of care.

National Cancer Institute Spanish Web Site

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has launched a new Web site, cancer.gov en español tailored to the needs of the U.S. Hispanic/Latino community. The Web site is completely in Spanish and is one of the latest tools developed by the NCI in its efforts to address cancer health disparities. It is intended to meet the needs of Hispanic/Latino cancer patients, their families and health care providers, who are either Hispanic/Latino or serve such patients.

Consumer Health Information for You and Your Family
Keeping up with the latest consumer health information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just got easier. FDA has a new Web page to provides comprehensive and timely consumer information. A free monthly e-newsletter, FDA Consumer Health Information will alert consumers to content contained on the page.

Facing Race 2007

The Applied Research Center (ARC) and COLORLINES Magazine have made various resources from their conference available on the ARC Web site, the ARC blog, and on the Facing Race wiki

US Racial Disparities Update

Kaiser Family Foundation issued a new data update that shows the percentage of whites, African Americans, and Hispanics in all 50 states and the District of Columbia that are uninsured, enrolled in Medicaid, and living in poverty. The data also provide a quick glance at disparities in rates of infant mortality, diabetes-related mortality, and AIDS cases between these racial and ethnic groups.

Faith Based Efforts and Resources

Families USA has posted a new page on the Minority Health Initiatives section of the Web

site with links to various to encourage faith leaders to become involved in health care advocacy.

Factline: Tracking Health in Underserved Communities
This website is sponsored by the National Library of Medicine and Meharry Medical College that highlights health disparities in underserved communities. Factline presents information about health disparities faced by women, members of minority groups, the elderly and others. The focus of the website is two-fold: presenting significant findings from scholarly research in public health on the subject of health disparities and providing bibliographic references to the literature in which these findings are established. The framework for the research is Healthy People 2010.

New Database for Medical Language Access
The Medical Leadership Council on Cultural Proficiency has unveiled a first-of-its-kind database designed to assist physicians and others in providing improved language access and culturally competent health care. With more than 350 initial entries, the searchable, internet-based, free-to-the-public database includes contact information for interpreters, nonprofit organizations, hospitals, public health departments and others that provide health information and services in languages other than English. Users, including physicians, nurses, social service workers, patients and the general public, can search for listings by county, by language, or by type of service.

Fact Sheets on Medicare, Long-Term Care Spending; Medicaid; Long-Term Spending Data
Fact sheets, Georgetown University Long-Term Care Financing Project: The Georgetown University Long-Term Care Financing Project has released two new fact sheets on Medicare and long-term care and Medicaid policy that aims to protect the incomes and resources of spouses of nursing home residents who are trying to enroll in Medicaid. The project also has updated its 2005 national long-term care spending estimates. (February 2007, Georgetown University Long-Term Care Financing Project)

2007 Federal Poverty Guidelines Now Available
The Southern Institute on Children and Families has made available the 2007 Federal Poverty Guidelines. Compiled from the 2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines, these guidelines provide income levels for families at 50%, 100%, 125%, 133%, 150%, 185% and 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Information is provided for the continental United States and separately for Alaska and Hawaii.

Women's Health Insurance Coverage Fact Sheet
As the cost of health insurance continues to rise, women in particular may face difficult challenges affording coverage because they are disproportionately low-income and can have poorer access to employer-based insurance. This fact sheet describes the major sources of health insurance coverage for women ages 18-64, including employer-sponsored insurance and Medicaid. It provides information on the more than 17 million women who are uninsured and summarizes the major policy challenges facing women in the health insurance sector. (Feb 2007, Kaiser Family Foundation)

Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health
The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) presents the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health. This resource is a no-cost, easy-to-use website that puts national, state, and regional survey findings right at your fingertips. You'll find: interactive data search tools; personalized technical help by email or telephone and information and examples to help you use data more effectively.

Metropolitan Quality of Life Data
Diversitydata.org allows visitors to explore how metropolitan areas throughout the U.S. perform on a diverse range of social measures via a dataset of socioeconomic indicators in the form of tables, thematic maps, and customizable reports. The data cover various racial/ethnic, income and nativity groups. Multiple data sources have been used to show data for numerous domains such as housing opportunities, economic opportunities, residential integration, and health.

New Online Medical Dictionary Reference Tool

MediLexicon International Limited, corporate owners of Medical News Today, was pleased to announce on Nov. 11 the launch of a new medical dictionary tool. This dictionary search is a joint collaboration between MediLexicon and Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, who have provided the data.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 and Films

Sicko

Opening with profiles of ordinary Americans whose lives have been disrupted, shattered, or ended by health care catastrophe, Michael Moore's new film makes clear that the crisis doesn't only affect the 47 million uninsured citizens—millions of others who dutifully pay their premiums often get strangled by bureaucratic red tape as well. After detailing just how the system got into such a mess (the short answer: profits and Nixon), we are whisked around the world, visiting countries including Canada, Great Britain and France, where all citizens receive free medical benefits. Finally, Moore gathers a group of 9/11 heroes – rescue workers now suffering from debilitating illnesses who have been denied medical attention in the US. He takes them to a most expected place, and in addition to finally receiving care, they also engage in some unexpected diplomacy. Opens June 29.

Collateral Damage: Bad Medicine in Tennessee
In 2005, when Governor Phil Bredesen of Tennessee announced he would reform his state’s Medicaid program,

people took him at his word. Little did they know that Bredesen’s idea of reform meant cutting 190,000 people off the program almost overnight. The size and speed of the cuts were unprecedented; the suffering they caused was immeasurable. The sickest, neediest people were denied medical care while the nation sat by and watched, and the Governor boasted to other heads of states about his success reigning in the rising cost of health care. This intense, moving film exposes the injustice that occurred in Tennessee and its implications for Medicaid cuts nationwide. In the richest nation in the world, where people die every day because they lack access to health care, the disparities revealed in this film are chilling.

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

PERIODICALS AND BOOKS

States in Action: A Bimonthly Look at Innovations in Health Policy

This Commonwealth Fund bimonthly newsletter describes innovative state health programs from across the country. It is intended to help policymakers, administrators, and researchers as they work to stretch health care dollars and meet the needs of their residents.

Kaisernetwork.org Coverage of the 2008 Presidential Election

Throughout this election season, kaisernetwork.org will provide extended coverage of health care issues addressed by the presidential candidates.

The Handbook of Inequality and Socio-economic Position: Concepts and Measures

This Handbook is the definitive resource for anyone wishing to quickly look up and understand key concepts and measurements relating to socioeconomic position and inequalities. A range of key concepts is defined and measures of socioeconomic position and inequality described. Alphabetical listings, cross-referencing, graphs and worked examples, references to Web and other sources of further information, all contribute to making the Handbook both engaging and accessible for a wide audience.

The Healthy Heart Handbook for Women '07 - 20th Anniversary Edition

This 122-page, full-color edition of the Healthy Heart Handbook for Women provides the most recent information on women's heart disease and practical suggestions for reducing risk. (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Preterm Birth: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention

The increasing prevalence of preterm birth in the United States is a complex public health problem that requires multifaceted solutions. Preterm birth is a cluster of problems with a set of overlapping factors of influence...Many of these factors co-occur, particularly in those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged or who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups. (online)

Wellness Program Management Yearbook, Third Edition

The key ingredients for successful programs, comparative statistics, best practices in workplace wellness programs, how you can motivate your employees, "real-world" management methods, new and emerging trends in health promotion and disease prevention and what other companies are doing.

Primer to Action: Social Determinants of Health

This is a resource for health professionals, lay workers, volunteers and activists to explore how the social determinants impact chronic disease. It is intended to help you navigate through barriers in your organization or group and offer concrete 'primers' to get you going with action to increase access to the social determinants for yourself, your family, and those with whom you work. It focuses on six key determinants of health: income, education, employment, housing, food and inclusion. (Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse, March 2007, 36-pg pdf)

Managed Medicare and Medicaid Factbook: 2007

The all-new, completely updated Factbook features expanded coverage of the overhauled Medicare program, including new payment rates for MA plans and information on implementation of new programs, including comprehensive information on Medicare Part D, with a listing of PDPs and comparison of their benefit structures. This edition also includes updated information on the plans, enrollment data, information on new special needs plans and demonstration projects, and updated payment and capitation rates.

FDA Consumer Health Information

Keeping up with the latest consumer health information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just got easier. FDA has a new free monthly e-newsletter to alert consumers to content contained on its new Web page Consumer Health Information for You and Your Family

Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved

Special issue: The Public Health Implications of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma (Volume 18, Number 2, May 2007)

Sick: The Untold Story of America's Health Care Crisis--and the People Who Pay the Price

Cohn, a senior editor at The New Republic, researched and wrote the book as part of his 2002 Kaiser Media Fellowship. The book weaves a series of originally reported narrative stories with a history of health insurance and a close-up look at the business of medicine in America. It ends by examining proposals for reform and comparing America’s health care system to some systems abroad. Susan Dentzer, senior health correspondent at the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, will moderate a discussion of the issues raised in the book with Cohn, and Michael Cannon, director of Health Policy Studies at the Cato Institute.

Pocket Guide on Cultural Competence
The Intercultural Cancer Council recently unveiled the latest 121-page edition of the “Pocket Guide,” Cultural Competence in Cancer Care: A Health Care Professional’s Passport, giving health care professionals a systematic approach for interacting with multicultural and economically disadvantaged cancer patients and their families. It highlights the influences of culture, geography, socioeconomic status and geography on the health behaviors of the rural poor and the five largest racial/ethnic groups in the U.S.: African Americans, Latinos/Hispanics, American Indians and Alaskan Natives, Asians and Asian Americans, and Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Island Populations. To improve the cultural competency of physicians and other health professionals, the guide provides a primer on the culturally appropriate behaviors and attitudes toward cancer prevention and control that differ by multicultural and socio-economic status of patients. This includes common verbal and nonverbal communications, such as shaking hands, looking the patient in the eye, how far to sit or stand from the patient and the use of touch. The guide can be purchased for $6.00 per copy plus shipping charges by contacting 1.877.243.6642 or downloading the order form.

REPORTS AND STUDIES

New Listings

New Listings: Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP

Survey: Americans Overwhelmingly Support Tobacco Tax Increase to Expand Children’s Health Coverage

Broad Support Exists Irrespective of Party Affiliation, Gender, Race, Age, and Other Demographic Factors

A recently released poll reveals that American voters strongly support a large per-pack increase in the federal cigarette tax to expand health coverage to America’s uninsured children. By a more than two-and-one-half to one ratio (70 percent versus 27 percent), support exists for a 30-cent increase in per-pack cigarette taxes to pay for “health care coverage to uninsured children.” Significantly, that support is nearly identical (67-28 percent) for a 75-cent per-pack increase dedicated to the same purpose. Support for a 75-cent tobacco tax increase to expand health coverage for children is overwhelming irrespective of party affiliation, gender, race, age, and other demographic factors. (June 2007, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids)

Can Incentives for Healthy Behavior Improve Health and Hold Down Medicaid Costs?

A growing number of states are providing financial incentives to encourage Medicaid beneficiaries to obtain preventive services and combat problems like smoking and obesity. This paper explores whether there is evidence that these approaches will work and whether they are cost-effective for states. The paper explains that few rigorous studies have been conducted to see whether incentives achieve these goals. Those studies that have been conducted suggest that economic rewards may increase preventive care when combined with other interventions. However, no studies indicate that incentives are effective against smoking or obesity — complex problems requiring more substantial assistance. (6/1/07, Center on Budget and Policy and Priorities)

Simplifying Medicaid Can Reduce Children’s Hospitalizations

New research indicates that increasing the continuity of children’s Medicaid coverage reduces subsequent hospitalizations for chronic health conditions like asthma or diabetes. Improving the continuity of Medicaid coverage through what is known as “12-month continuous eligibility” can improve children’s health and avert unnecessary hospitalization costs. By showing that continuous coverage actually improves children's health outcomes and can avoid costs for states, this research provides a strong argument for adopting the option of continuous eligibility for children in Medicaid. (6/11/07, Center on Budget and Policy and Priorities)

Medicaid Spending Growth Moderating, Survey Says

Based on the budget recommendations of the nation's governors, Medicaid spending will grow by 5.8 percent in fiscal 2008, down from an expected growth rate of 6.6 percent in fiscal 2007, according to a new survey. (June 2007, Commonwealth Fund)

States Experience Budget Surpluses In Part Because Of Lower Medicaid Spending Growth

More than 40 states have budget surpluses this year, in part because of reductions in Medicaid spending growth, which has decreased from an annual rate 11% to about 7% within the past few years. Higher-than-expected tax increases and growth in local economies also contributed to the state budget surpluses, which have reached their highest level since 2000. Many states plan to use budget surpluses to address expensive, long-term problems, such as the issue of the uninsured. According to a report from the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers, two-thirds of governors have plans to expand access to health insurance in fiscal year 2008, in large part through expansions of public programs and employer mandates. (6/11/07, New York Times)

60% Of Physicians Would Limit Number Of New Medicare Patients If Scheduled Payment Cut Is Enacted
The AMA has launched a $2 million lobbying campaign against a scheduled 10% cut in Medicare reimbursements to physicians. The cut is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2008, in accordance with the Medicare physician payment formula known as the sustainable growth rate. Congress has blocked scheduled SGR cuts each year since 2002. As part of AMA's campaign, the group released a survey of nearly 9,000 doctors showing that if the payment cut went into effect: 60% of doctors would limit the number of new Medicare patients they accept; More than two-thirds would defer the purchase of needed information technology in 2008; 50% would reduce their staff; and 14% would stop treating patients entirely. (June 2007, AMA)

CBO Examines Medicare Physician Payments

Much of the spending growth in Medicare physician services is due to an increase in the volume and intensity of physicians' services rather than the result of changes in Medicare's payment rates, a Congressional Budget Office analysis concludes. (June 2007, Commonwealth Fund)

Factors Underlying the Growth in Medicare's Spending for Physicians' Services
This report analyzes growth in compensation for physician services as part of an expanding effort by CBO to identify rising costs in federal health programs and recommend policy changes that may curb these trends. (June 2007, Congressional Budget Office)

New Listings: Federal Budget

New Listings: Health Insurance, Health Costs

Health Costs to Rise

Health care costs are estimated to increase by 11.2% for preferred provider organization (PPO) plans, 10.9% for health maintenance organization (HMO) plans, 10.8% for point of service (POS) plans and 10.7% for consumer-driven health (CDH) plans, according to a recent report from Aon Consulting. The increases are expected to occur within the next 12 months and are due to a growing patient demand, an older U.S. population, poor lifestyle choices, increased medical technology and hospital costs and an upswing in the use and price of prescription drugs. (6/13/07, Benefit News)

Immigrants in the U.S. Health Care System: Five Myths That Misinform the American Public

This report examines five common misconceptions about the effects of documented and undocumented immigrants on the U.S. health care system that have led to laws that restrict services for immigrants. The report discusses why the trends are false and makes recommendations to policymakers for immigrant health care reform. (6/7/07, Center for American Progress)

New Listings: Health Equity Issues

Confronting Disparities While Reforming Health Care: A Look at Massachusetts
Health disparities exist through a complex interplay of different social and environmental factors; because of this it is important to tackle the problem of disparities from as many angles as possible. This case study describes efforts in Massachusetts to ensure health disparities were addressed in the state’s moves toward universal health care coverage. It also discusses how important policy can be as a tool in fighting health disparities, and points out the critical need to include a disparities agenda in broader health reform efforts. (June 2007, Minority Health Initiatives Department at Families USA)

Heart Attack Treatment Differs by Race: Fewer Procedures, More Deaths for African-Americans

After heart attacks, African-Americans get less open-heart surgery and fewer artery-unblocking procedures -- and are more likely to die -- than whites. The finding comes from a contemporary analysis of the medical records of more than 1.2 million Medicare patients aged 68 and older. All of the patients had first heart attacks between 2000 and 2005. (6/12/07, WebMD Medical News)

New Study Shows Hospital Care in America Today is Separate but Not Equal

A small number of hospitals care for the majority of elderly African-American patients in America. The study also clearly shows that hospitals with high concentrations of minority patients provide modestly inferior care in pneumonia for all its patients. (6/12/07, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Archives of Internal Medicine)

Women Less Likely than Men to Receive Appropriate Outpatient Care

Women with heart disease and diabetes are less likely to receive several types of routine outpatient medical care than men who have similar health problems. While previous research has shown that women less frequently receive expensive medical care such as angioplasty for heart disease, few studies have evaluated gender disparities for routine care in managed care settings. (5/1/07, RAND)

The Case for Inclusion: An Analysis of Medicaid for Americans with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

It does not matter if a state is large or small, rich or poor, or has high or low taxes in order to best serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through Medicaid programs. What matters is how a state acts and what is achieved, concludes a comprehensive report on the performance of state Medicaid programs in the United States. Each state's program was evaluated for its effectiveness. (2007, United Cerebral Palsy)

2006 National Healthcare Disparities Report

The (NHDR) tracks disparities in both quality of and access to health care in the United States for both the general population and for AHRQ's congressionally designated priority populations.

Health Disparities and Prevention: Racial/Ethnic Barriers to Flu Vaccinations

This study employed the Health Belief Model to examine influenza vaccination rates in five racial ethnic groups to identify modifiable determinants of vaccination by race/ethnicity. (6/4/07, Medscape Today)

Community Center Programs Improve Diabetes Care

Many improvements in diabetes care occurred during the first 4 years of the Diabetes Health Disparities Collaborative (HDC) program, a national improvement initiative conducted in community health centers. According to authors of the study, published in the current issue of Health Services Research, these improvements will be cost-effective in the long run. (6/6/07, Reuters Health)

Birth Weight Affects Adult Health And Success
Birth weight has significant and lasting effects, a new study finds. Weighing less than 5.5 pounds at birth increases the probability of dropping out of high school by one-third, reduces yearly earnings by about 15 percent and burdens people in their 30s and 40s with the health of someone who is 12 years older. (June 2007, National Institute on Aging)

New Listings: Other Health Issues

Aiming Higher: Results from a State Scorecard on Health System Performance

Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System released the first-ever comprehensive comparison of health system performance in all 50 states. Aiming Higher: Results from a State Scorecard on Health System Performance ranks states on 32 performance indicators of access, quality, avoidable hospital use and costs, equity, and "healthy lives." (6/13/07, Commonwealth Fund)

Tracking Healthy People 2010 Revised

The original volume included detailed technical information on how the data for the objectives are derived, the major data issues affecting the interpretation of the statistics, and information on the primary data sources used to monitor the Healthy People 2010 objectives. For the 2007 revision of Tracking Healthy People 2010 the information on data issues, technical specifications, and major data sources has been updated to reflect changes since November 2000.

Institute Urges Extensive Smoking Deterrents

There are 440,000 deaths a year from tobacco use and $89 billion annually in smoking-related health costs, the influential Institute of Medicine said yesterday in a report that called for several new measures to further drive down tobacco use...the report calls for state and local governments to ban smoking in malls, restaurants and virtually all other public indoor settings, and for the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the marketing, packaging and sale of tobacco products. The panel also recommended raising excise taxes on cigarettes by as much as $2 a pack and developing a federal plan to gradually reduce the amount of nicotine in cigarettes so that they are no longer addictive. (5-14-07, Washington Post)

Increased Smoking May Be Linked to Asthma Epidemic

More adults, especially women, are smoking these days and their secondhand smoke may be contributing to the asthma epidemic among children in the United States, results of a study suggest. "This is the first study to suggest, and provide evidence consistent with the hypothesis that the parallel increase in smoking, especially among women who are primary caregivers, may explain the increase in asthma in children via increased exposure to ETS (environmental tobacco smoke) over time." (5/28/07, Reuters Health)

Child Health and Safety in Canada, the United States and Mexico

From the Growing Up in North America series, this report provides reliable and up-to-date data by tracking 58 different indicators of health and safety. It also examines emerging trends and threats facing the continent's 250 million young people.

Florida Reports

Waving Cautionary Flags: Florida’s Experience with Medicaid Reform: Reactions from Doctors and Patients

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

Miami-Dade and Monroe County 2006 Health Profiles
Health Council of South Florida has released downloadable Health Profiles that provide answers to 10 commonly asked questions about county demographics, health needs, and resources.

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

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)

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.

Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP

New Resources on Children and Family Health Coverage

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reauthorization debate is focusing on the role of Medicaid and SCHIP in covering uninsured children, while a renewed interest by states in expanding coverage to the rest of their uninsured residents is fueling even broader discussion. To focus on these key health policy issues, the Kaiser Family Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) has released several new resources. The new materials include: State Coverage Initiatives for Children (Map and State by State Descriptions); Enrolling Children in Medicaid and SCHIP: Insights From Focus Groups With Low-Income Parents; E-Health Snapshot: Harnessing Technology To Improve Medicaid and SCHIP Enrollment and Rentention Practices; SCHIP Turns 10: An Update on Enrollment and the Outlook on Reauthorization From the Program's Directors; Impacts of Medicaid and SCHIP on Low-Income Children's Health; Family Coverage Under SCHIP Waivers; Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Care for Low-Income Non-Citizen Children; Insurance Coverage of Children by Race/Ethnicity and Poverty Level, 2005: National and State Level Estimates; Webcast of Event (5/16/06, KFF)

Rural Children Increasingly Rely on Medicaid and State Child Health Insurance Programs for Medical Care
Despite a recent flurry of reports on health insurance coverage for children, virtually none of them has examined the unique situation of rural families where one-fifth of all of our nation’s poor children live...Enrollment in SCHIP and Medicaid is 6 percentage points higher for rural children than for urban children. Given the deteriorating job situation in many parts of rural America, the availability of public-sector health insurance for the families of low-income workers is even more important in rural areas[.] (Spring 2007, Carsey Institute)

Covering Kids & Families: Promising practices from the nation’s single largest effort to insure eligible children and adults through public health coverage.
The Covering Kids & Families (CKF) National Program Office at the Southern Institute on Children and Families is pleased to release a report featuring CKF statewide and local coalition promising practices related to the CKF strategies of outreach, simplification and coordination, and includes process improvement examples from CKF project participation in the Southern Institute’s Eligibility Process Improvement Collaboratives. (April 2007, CKF)

Children’s Health Coverage: States Moving Forward

This new report confirms that state governments are taking strong steps to strengthen and expand children’s health coverage, but quick supportive action by Congress is critical to the success of these efforts. It highlights actions in 29 states and the District of Columbia. (May 2007, Georgetown Center for Children and Families, with Pico Network)

Curbing Medicare Overpayments To Private Insurers Could Benefit Minorities And Help Expand Children's Health Coverage

The budget resolutions approved by both the House and the Senate include up to $50 billion for expanded Medicaid and SCHIP coverage for millions of uninsured low-income children, provided these costs are offset. A proposal under consideration in Congress would help finance this expansion of children’s coverage by reducing the substantial overpayments to private health insurance companies that participate in Medicare. To defend these overpayments, private insurers claim that low-income and minority beneficiaries rely disproportionately on them for supplemental coverage. In fact, such beneficiaries are far more likely to get supplemental coverage through Medicaid. Moreover, at least half of the overpayments go to industry profits and expenses, not benefits. The overpayments also harm the 35 million people in regular Medicare by raising their premiums and weakening the program’s long-term finances. Reducing the overpayments and reinvesting the savings in better health care for low- and moderate-income seniors, people with disabilities, and children would produce a significant gain in health coverage for minorities as well as low-income Americans. (5/10/07, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities)

CBO Report Says SCHIP Moved Children from Private to Government Insurance

Enacted as title XXI of the Social Security Act in 1997, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) provides health insurance coverage for uninsured children living in families with income that is modest but too high for them to be eligible for Medicaid. This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) paper—prepared at the request of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee—summarizes the key features of SCHIP, provides information on historical trends in enrollment and federal spending, summarizes the evidence on the effects of the program on children’s insurance coverage, and discusses key issues that are likely to arise as the Congress considers reauthorization of the program this year. In keeping with CBO’s mandate to provide objective, impartial analysis, this paper makes no recommendations. The government's creation of a health insurance program for children in 1997 has caused them to leave—or lose—private insurance, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported. But the reasons for the phenomenon are unclear. It is unavoidable if Congress hopes to reduce the nation's rate of uninsured children. (5/10/07, CQ HealthBeat Article) (May 2007, Congressional Budget Office)

Improving the Medicare Part D Program for the Most Vulnerable Beneficiaries
Prescription drug coverage became available under Medicare for the first time in 2006 under Medicare Part D—the most significant change in government health care programs in 40 years. While it offers the potential for improved access to needed medications for millions of Americans, Part D has had both successes and challenges. With the program now in its second year, researchers have the opportunity to learn from experiences and strengthen the program, particularly as it affects the frailest, sickest, and most vulnerable beneficiaries. Although 13.2 million beneficiaries are eligible for a low-income subsidy to help pay for premiums and medication copayments, 3.3 million of this group are not enrolled in Part D and not receiving the subsidy. This report discusses some of the challenges vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries face in using Part D and makes specific recommendations, like using simpler, more standard procedures and ensuring that needed counseling support is provided. (5/24/07, Commonwealth Fund)

Chartbook of Medicare Part D Usage

The Medicare Part D drug benefit transition process has been hindered by a lack of information on how Medicare beneficiaries use drugs and what constitutes effective and efficient utilization. This chartbook was prepared, using from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, to fill this information gap and establish a baseline comparison. It examines patterns of prescription drug utilization among Medicare beneficiaries for beneficiaries with a selected set of conditions, including hypertension, heart failure, diabetes, and depression, prior to Part D. (5/9/07, University of Maryland)

Medicare Advantage In 2006-2007: What Congress Intended?

As congressional scrutiny of Medicare private fee-for-service plans increases, a new study suggests the plans are not worth the additional costs to beneficiaries and the Medicare program. (5/15/07, Commonwealth Fund)

Implications of Part D for Mentally Ill Dual Eligibles: A Challenge for Medicare
A new analysis has identified specific barriers faced by patients with psychiatric disorders who tried to fill prescriptions during the first four months of the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit program. The study also quantified serious adverse events that resulted and states that significant access problems continue. The new analysis, "Medication Access and Continuity: The Experiences of Dual-Eligible Psychiatric Patients during the First Four Months of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit," is based upon the first systematic, nationally representative survey of "dual-eligible" patients - those who were eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. (May 2007, American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP), the official journal of the American Psychiatric Association)

Medicare Advantage Plans Don't Deliver

As the debate heats up over chopping Medicare payments to managed care plans, critics of those plans are charging that they don't deliver what they promise and so shouldn't be paid more than providers in traditional Medicare. (5/11/07, CQ HealthBeat)

Federal Budget/Health Care

Health Insurance, Health Costs

Health Insurance Status

Statehealthfacts.org has updated more than 50 health coverage topics to reflect a recent correction made by the U.S. Census Bureau to the March 2005 and 2006 Current Population Surveys. Health coverage data for key populations - the nonelderly, adults, children, and people living in poverty – have all been updated.(Kaiser Family Foundation)

New Resources on Children and Family Health Coverage

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program reauthorization debate is focusing on the role of Medicaid and SCHIP in covering uninsured children, while a renewed interest by states in expanding coverage to the rest of their uninsured residents is fueling even broader discussion. Several new resources were released in conjunction with the Kaiser Family Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured briefing on state coverage trends and initiatives. (May 2007, Kaiser Family Foundation)

A Perfect Opportunity for Health Reform

A confluence of forces provides an almost perfect opportunity for health reform this year. Not the perfect reform, perhaps, but one that would significantly improve a sadly flagging system. The only obstacle—a big one—is politics. (5/24/07, Urban Institute)

Employees Worried Over Health Care Costs

Troubled by escalating health care costs, more Americans are making the link between good heath and lower medical bills, according to a new survey from HR consulting firm Watson Wyatt. For instance, 61% of workers realized that staying healthy could reduce their deductibles and co-payments, and about 60% took steps to improve their health. (5/29/07, Benefit News)

How Employers Can Help Create a High Performance Health System

As the largest collective purchasers of health insurance, employers can and should drive the fundamental health system reform our country needs—and that Americans want. And the good news is that employers want to play this role. In launching the Coalition to Advance Health Care Reform a few weeks ago, the Safeway CEO Steve Burd said, "As major employers, we are engaging in one of the most crucial domestic policy debates of our time—fixing our nation's health care crisis, reducing out of control costs and ensuring every American has affordable health care." (5/21/07, Commonwealth Fund)

Leading by Example: Leading Practices for Employee Health Management

This publication details successful approaches by CEOs of 18 companies—from giants like Caterpillar and Intel Corporation, to firms like Buffalo Supply, a medical equipment supplier in Colorado with fewer than two dozen employees—on programs and measures to improve employee health and productivity. “These companies demonstrate a primary shift in focus from the cost of health care to the total value of health,” said Partnership for Prevention President John M. Clymer, who acknowledged the support of U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue and Gerald L. Shaheen, Group President at Caterpillar Inc. and Chairman of the Board of Directors at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. (U.S. Chamber of Commerce)

U.S. Adults Would Support a Measure for Employers to Insure all Employees

Half of all U.S. adults with health insurance coverage worry that their expenses will be so high that they won’t be able to afford it. Just as many worry that their coverage will be drastically reduced or eliminated because of costs; one in five adults worries a great deal about these issues. Three in four U.S. adults support a variety of initiatives to expand insurance coverage. (5/8/07, Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll)

From ‘Soak the Rich’ to ‘Soak the Poor’: Recent Trends in Hospital Pricing

The gaps between rates charged to self-pay patients and those charged to other payers are much wider than they were in the mid-1980s, and they make it increasingly more difficult for some patients, especially the uninsured, to pay their hospital bills. (May 2007, Health Affairs)

Ethicist: Health Care System is 'a Mess'

The U.S. health care system is "a dysfunctional mess" and politicians who insist otherwise look ignorant, according to a medical journal essay by a prominent ethicist at the National Institutes of Health. "If a politician declares that the United States has the best health care system in the world today, he or she looks clueless rather than patriotic or authoritative," Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel wrote in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association. (May 2007, JAMA)

Milliman Medical Index

The Milliman Medical Index 2007 (MMI) measures average medical spending for a typical U.S. family of four covered by an employer-sponsored health insurance program...According to the MMI, average total medical spending for our typical family of four increased by 8.4% from 2006 to 2007. The total 2007 medical cost for a typical American family of four is $14,500. As medical costs have increased, employees have paid a correspondingly higher amount through out-of-pocket cost sharing. [20pg pdf] (May 2007)

Eighty-Five Percent Of Americans Say Taking Care Of Mental Health Is As Important As Physical Health
Today, more than ever, Americans are confronted with challenges to their mental and physical wellbeing -- whether resulting from a national or personal tragedy or a genetic cause -- and more people are concerned with safeguarding their mental health. Yet, a survey released today by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) finds that while 85 percent of Americans strongly agree that taking care of their mental health is as important as taking care of their physical health, only 24 percent say they know a great deal about treatments that exist for mental illnesses. The survey also finds that the majority of Americans, including 78 percent of adults with children in the home, say they play a major role in caring for their family's mental health. But, only 37 percent say they understand the causes of mental illnesses "very well." (May 2007, American Psychiatric Assn)

A Public Health Challenge

A new report provides recommendations, immediate actions and resources for designing a cohesive system to attend to the public’s health. (5/1/07, HH&N)

Health Equity Issues

From Awareness to Action: Stakeholders’ Strategies to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities

presents the results of a multi-year study. It describes steps taken by national and community stakeholders, as reported in individual consultations, to act on awareness of the existence of health gaps between minorities and the total population. Stakeholders have taken action to address racial/ethnic health disparities in a variety of ways, including use of institutional leverage; policy advocacy; research and programs; partnership/coalition-building; information dissemination; and community engagement and empowerment. SHIRE also examined external and internal factors that contributed to organizational decisions and assessed the value of frequent workshops and conferences focused on health disparities. Recommendations include the need to make the “business case” for eliminating health disparities; to continue and accelerate efforts to collect racial, ethnic, and primary language data by both public and private entities; and to consider new strategies to bring about universal health care as a prerequisite for the attainment of health parity and equity. (March 22, 2007, SHIRE, funded by Commonwealth Fund)

Issue Brief: Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

Efforts to reduce the disturbing levels of racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care in the United States will continue to fall short unless the complex interplay of social, physical, and organizational influences is better understood and addressed through collaborative, interdisciplinary actions. Complex factors operating at the levels of individuals, interpersonal networks, organizations, communities, and society influence disparities in health and health care. Both race and socioeconomic status play important roles. Action in four major arenas is likely to have the most impact: 1) Individual socioeconomic circumstances; 2) Physical and cultural community environment; 3) Personal management of health; 4) Health care financing and delivery. The four arenas for policy action are a useful starting point, but disparities will not be eliminated by addressing these arenas one at a time. Instead, solutions will require multidisciplinary actors and cross-sector collaboration. (Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy)

Resident Physicians' Preparedness to Provide Cross-Cultural Care: Implications for Clinical Care and Medical Education Policy

In a national study of resident physicians in their final year of training, few residents reported feeling unprepared in a general sense to care for patients from racial and ethnic minorities and from diverse cultures. Yet far more felt unprepared to care for patients with specific cultural characteristics, including those who mistrust the U.S. health care system or who have health beliefs or practices at odds with western medicine. This gap in perceived levels of preparedness indicates shortcomings in graduate medical education that need to be addressed. Recommended reforms include integration of cross-cultural training into curricula (both during and after medical school) in accordance with standard principles, the appropriate training of faculty (to ensure useful instruction, as well as mentors and role models), and the mandatory and formal evaluation of residents' cross-cultural communication skills. (May 2007, Commonwealth Fund)

Bad Health Care, Deficient Welfare Keep Americans Short

For decades, it has been clear that average European heights have been increasing while those on the other side of the Atlantic have not. But why? A new study says it might have to do with health care and the social net. (5/22/07, Des Spiegel)

News Stories on Health Care Disparities Often Put Burden on Patient

Newspapers are increasing their coverage of racial differences in health care, but the bottom line on who bears the responsibility for health disparities varies widely from story to story, according to a recent study. Mixed messages and an emphasis on patients' roles rather than health care system shortcomings could affect public support of federal health care programs, the authors suggest. (5/20/07, Medical News Today)

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: An International Update on the Comparative Performance of American Health Care

Despite having the most costly health system in the world, the United States consistently underperforms on most dimensions of performance, relative to other countries. This report—an update to two earlier editions—includes data from surveys of patients, as well as information from primary care physicians about their medical practices and views of their countries' health systems. The U.S. health care system ranks last or next-to-last when compared with five other nations surveyed. (5/15/07, Commonwealth Fund)

National Health Law Program (NHeLP) Resources

Language access continues to be a significant barrier to health care for individuals with limited English proficiency. Over 23 million individuals—almost 9 percent of the population—speak English less than “very well” and likely need assistance communicating in the health care arena. In an attempt to provide tools for health care providers and others, NHeLP has released a series of reports outlining promising practices for providing language services in health care settings. In mid-April, the National Health Law Program and the American College of Physicians released Language Services for Patients with Limited English Proficiency: Results of a National Survey of Internal Medicine Physicians. Other resources include Providing Language Services in State and Local Health-Related Benefits Offices: Examples from the Field, which outlines how state and local benefit offices can provide language services and Language Services Resource Guide for Healthcare Providers which offers information on how to provide language services including translator agencies, training programs, and health care symbols.

Innovations in Building Consumer Demand for Tobacco Cessation Products and Services
Increasing demand for evidence-based cessation products and services—particularly in underserved low-income and racial/ethnic minority populations where tobacco use is highest and treatment use is lowest—is a challenge that will require bold thinking, innovation, changes in practices and new approaches that start with the consumer perspective. This report summarizes six core strategies to build demand for proven tobacco cessation products and services. (May 2007, National Tobacco Cessation Collaborative)

Key Facts: Race, Ethnicity and Medical Care, 2007 Update

This updated quick reference source on health disparities presents the best available data and analysis, ncluding data on the uninsured and access to care by race/ethnicity as well as information about the isproportionate effect that specific conditions such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and asthma have on racial and thnic minority populations in the U.S. New in the 2007 Key Facts are demographic data on the racial/ethnic minority population in each state and the U.S. territories. This edition of Key Facts also includes data from the National Healthcare Disparities Report, examining changes in health care disparities over time. (Jan 2007,

Kaiser Family Foundation)

America's Health Rankings: A Call to Action for People and their Communities
The United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention?, have released this 2006 edition, to stimulate public conversation concerning health in our states, as well as provide information to facilitate citizen participation. Participation in all elements is encouraged: personal behaviors, community environment, clinical care and public and health policies. Florida's rank among states went from 40 in 2005 to 41 in 2006.

Other Health Issues

Although the birth rate among adolescent girls has been steadily declining over the last decade, the United States continues to have the highest teen pregnancy and birth rates in the industrialized world. In 2004, childbearing among adolescent girls in the US cost taxpayers an estimated $9.1 billion. (May 2007, AHRQ Statistical Brief)

Health, United States, 2006
This 30th report on the health status of the nation is submitted by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to the President and Congress of the United States in compliance with Section 308 of the Public Health Service Act. The 559-page report was compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics served in a review capacity. The Health, United States series presents national trends in health statistics. Each report includes an executive summary, highlights, a chartbook, trend tables, extensive appendixes, and an index. Contents include: Fertility, Natality, Life Expectancy and Mortality; Health Behaviors, Status, Risk Factors, Determinants and Measures; Health Care Access, Utilization, System Influences, Expenditures, Resources and Personnel; Health Insurance Coverage and Payors; Uninsured Population; Age, Race and Ethnicity and Poverty; Alcohol and Drug Use; Physical Activity and Limitations; Dental Care and Access; and a Special Section on Pain. (November 2006, HHS, CDC, NHCS)

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

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