July 10, 2007

In AIDS Education, Message and Messenger Are Key   Assertions and misconceptions on issues related to HIV/AIDS, its spread and how to fight against it seem to be moving to the center of this presidential election cycle. Recognizing the importance among minorities disproportionately affected by the disease, some candidates see the issue as a means to garner attention. But debating AIDS is not an end in of itself. What is clear is that the disease itself is non-discriminatory among gender, racial, ethnic and age lines. Anyone can get it. Accordingly, appropriate educational and information tools must be developed for, and messengers must be effective with different groups at risk to help curb a disease that, advances in treatment notwithstanding, is still as deadly as ever.  (by Andrew Leone, Florida CHAIN)  Read more

Seeking Medicaid Beneficiaries for Consumer Voice   Dr. Agwunobi, secretary for the Agency for Health Care Administration, is moving forward with our request to establish a long overdue Medical Care Advisory Committee. Dr. Agwunobi said that Gov. Crist and his administration are “committed to open communication and transparency in state government” and the creation of this committee “will be another forum for furthering these principles.’’ By federal law, each state must have some type committee comprised of Medicaid beneficiaries and others who advise the state on policy initiatives.  Florida’s committee has not met since 2000. (by Alisa Snow, Florida CHAIN) Read more Medicaid Access Summit Addresses Provider Shortages   The state’s health care chief announced that he’s planning a Medicaid Access Summit to gather input from stakeholders. Dr. Agwunobi, secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration, said the summit is part of his agency’s top mission to address the critical shortage of specialists who serve Medicaid beneficiaries. This provider shortage leaves Medicaid beneficiaries without access to needed health care services. (by Alisa Snow, Florida CHAIN) Read more Advantage Plans Disadvantage Taxpayers, Beneficiaries The government gives private Medicare Advantage plans billions of dollars more in subsidies than it spends on traditional Medicare - 12 percent more per beneficiary than it spends on people covered by traditional Medicare.  These extra payments uselessly divert taxpayer dollars to industry profits – dollars that could be used for the State Children’s Health Program (SCHIP) and improvements to Medicare, and increase the Part B premium for all Medicare beneficiaries. Many seniors are vulnerable to deceptive Medicare Advantage marketing techniques, finding themselves unknowingly in plans that do not meet their needs, and low-income beneficiaries may be particularly targeted. Contact your U.S. Senators and Rep. - it's past time for these plans to compete fairly. (by Andrea Schuver, Florida CHAIN) Read more and TAKE ACTION

	State Budget Cuts In-Home Care for Disabled   Disabled individuals who rely on in-home care will soon see those services reduced or eliminated under the new state budget that takes effect July 1. The state Agency for Persons with Disabilities has notified families of more than 12,000 disabled individuals about the changes. (by Alisa Snow, Florida CHAIN) Read more
	Children and Youth Cabinet to Integrate Continuum of Services The state has a new Children and Youth Cabinet that advocates hope will improve the way Florida’s publicly funded programs collaboratively serve children and their families. Under a new law signed by Gov. Crist, the Cabinet is made up of 15 members, including the governor and secretaries of departments and state agencies that serve children. The Cabinet’s mission is to create a long-term, integrated approach to serving children.   (by Alisa Snow, Florida CHAIN)  Read more Nassau County Requests Delay in Medicaid Reform Patient’s story exemplifies need to wait There is something encouraging about public officials taking their roles as guardians of the public trust seriously. The Nassau County Commission is doing just that and ought to be commended. In a letter, they are pleading with Gov. Crist to delay Medicaid Reform there. The Gov replied, “They can do things well in Nassau County,” and that “he will insist the program be given a chance.” Consumers caught in the additional red-tape and barriers that have so far characterized Reform  may not have that luxury. Take the case of Phillip G., in Broward. (by Andrew Leone, Florida CHAIN)  Read more  Escambia Voters Nix Tax for Uninsured Health Care Access Despite the efforts of AccessEscambia, more than 65 percent of voters in Escambia County voted against a half cent tax to help fund medical services for the working poor in a June 26th referendum. With the rhetoric reaching fever pitch in the days preceding the vote, community organizations behind the proposal, were unable to sway the opinions of those who saw no merit to using sales tax money to fund increased health care access. (by Andrew Leone, Florida CHAIN)  Read more Miami-Dade Report Card Aims to Improve Community Health Some positives found among poor grades Intended as a “call to action” for area health care advocates and policy makers, the inaugural 2007 Miami-Dade County Community Health Report Card subtitled “Health improvement through benchmarking, priority setting and leadership engagement,” assesses how well systems and institutions are meeting residents’ needs. The highest grade was a C+ and Miami-Dade got an F in health insurance coverage. The report  emphasizes the need for all stakeholders - consumers, industry, funders, government and non-profits to mobilize and work collectively to address unmet needs and improve Miami-Dade’s health rankings. (by Andrea Schuver, Florida CHAIN)  Read more Infant Deaths Focus of Jacksonville Community Study   Jacksonville’s high infant death rate will be the focus of a citizen-led study during the coming year. The Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. selected infant mortality in June as its 68th study topic. JCCI is a nonprofit civic organization established in 1975 to improve the quality of life in Northeast Florida. It brings together business and community leaders, area residents, providers and other interested groups to examine key local issues in depth and craft recommendations for community action. (by Carol Brady, Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition)  Read more

 

Federal efforts to increase tobacco tax to help fund the expansion of SCHIP aside, the states cannot wait in the wings while the federal government resolves its own funding issues. Accordingly the Healthy Florida Alliance (HFA) is continuing its work to expand efforts aimed at increasing the state tobacco tax by $1/pack of cigarettes to help fund greater access to health care.

 

A new important partner in these efforts is the Florida Medical Association that in its July 6-8 meeting in Orlando agreed to join the HFA and to lobby in favor of the increased tax.

 

The FMA’s Council on Public Health, whose members include the new Surgeon General of Florida, Dr. Ana Viamonte Ros, unanimously passed a resolution in support of the HFA and its efforts to increase the cigarette tax by $1/pack to increase health care access through Medicaid, Kidcare and the Medically Needy program and to increase physician Medicaid reimbursement rates.

 

Dr. John Lanza, who chairs the Council on Public Health, later presented the resolution to the FMA’s Council on Legislation, the body that determines the group’s lobbying priorities. After discussion that included the feasibility of finding legislative sponsors for the tax measure, the Council on Legislation approved the motion of support to the HFA.

 

Among those on the Legislative council who agree that this was a good time to begin moving on Tobacco Tax legislation as a way to address the State’s budget shortfall, estimated at $1.2 billion this fiscal year, was Council member State Rep. Ed Homan, (Republican, Hillsborough/Pasco). “Even though there are some legislators who have actually signed pledges to never vote in favor of a tax, any tax, this is a good time to at least get the wheels going on this and for the FMA to get on board,” he said.

 

“In a conversation I had with (Florida Medicaid Director) Tom Arnold last year, he told me that if we could raise $257 million for physician reimbursements, the federal matching funds would be enough to cover the Medicaid to Medicare gap we currently have,” he said.

 

Previously, State Sen. Don Gaetz and House Speaker Designate Ray Sansom, speaking to the Council on how to move forward on lobbying efforts, urged the group to consider innovative ways in which to create revenue to fund the Medicaid to Medicare initiative that would raise Medicaid reimbursement rates for physicians to the Medicare levels. “You have friends (in Tallahassee),” said Sen. Gaetz. “Friends tell friends the truth. The budget deficit this year makes it impossible to consider raising the reimbursement rates.”

 

Given these considerations, the fact that the Tobacco Tax would penalize a small portion of the electorate (adults who smoke), and that Florida has not seen a tobacco tax increase since 1990, the FMA agreed that this is as good a time as any to promote the agenda of the HFA and to push for a $1/pack increase in the cigarette tax.

 

Meanwhile, should the Federal Government implement a tobacco tax to help fund SCHIP programs, the HFA will recalculate the cigarette tax revenues necessary to cover its remaining priorities and amend its position statement accordingly.

 

(submitted by Andrew Leone, Florida CHAIN)

 

To learn more about the Healthy Florida Alliance and the campaign to increase the cigarette tax by $1/pack to help fund increased health care access, visit www.healthyfloridaalliance.org

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SCHIP Sign on to Maximize SCHIP Coverage Children's Defense Fund Spearheads Healthy Child Campaign   TAKE ACTION NOW! Click here to email your U.S. Rep and Senators, send a letter to the editor, sign on your personal and organization’s support, and download toolkits. 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. Every 47 seconds another child is born without health insurance – 1,839 every day. This year Congress can and must stop this atrocity.   As Congress prepares to consider SCHIP reauthorization 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 has spearheaded a campaign for the All Healthy Children Act (S 1564/HR 1688).   Of 58 House co-sponsors, three are from Florida: Reps. Brown, Hastings, and Meek. Urge other Members of Congress and Senators Nelson and Martinez to sign on as well.   More than 1,100 prominent faith, public official, education, health and social services providers and child advocacy groups and leaders. Have you and your organization?    These supporters believe the principles of the Healthy Child Campaign must be included in any federal child health legislation enacted by Congress this year: All children and pregnant women should be guaranteed health coverage and access to timely health care regardless of where they live. Children and pregnant women should receive all medically necessary services to ensure they survive and thrive. Enrollment should be simplified and streamlined so it’s easy for children and pregnant women to get health coverage and keep it. All children and pregnant women should be guaranteed health coverage and access to timely health care regardless of where they live. We would not be fighting the current KidCare battle with the Florida Legislature if the All Healthy Children Act was in place today!  In Florida, email: Karen Woodall, CDF Florida Coordinator, and Linda Merrell, CDF Florida Consultant TAKE ACTION NOW! Click here to email your U.S. Rep and Senators, send a letter to the editor, sign on your personal and organization’s support, and download toolkits. Click here to learn more about the Healthy Child Campaign from Children's Defense Fund Be ONE in a Million: SIGN THE SEIU PETITION NOW!    Tell Members of Congress:   "We need to fix our broken healthcare system and ensure quality, affordable healthcare for every man, woman, and child in America. Let’s start with our children.   "There are 9 million uninsured children in America. They have no access to regular checkups, their parents struggle to afford doctors’ visits when they are sick, and they often go without care." Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is committed to collecting a million signatures, delivering to Congress a clear call for necessary Health Care Reform.  Click here to sign the petition online.  Or, click here to print out your own copy of the petition to share with family and friends.  Be ONE in a Million! On June 25, 600 members of SEIU Healthcare - the just launched national healthcare union representing one million healthcare workers - headed to the Capitol to hold Congress accountable. SEIU Healthcare members stood up for improving quality care for all, and in particular urged Congress for $50 billion in additional funding for SCHIP. Members of Congress received first-aid kits as a reminder that band-aid approaches to healthcare solutions are not enough. Click here for more information about SEIU's health care reform campaign.   (Submitted by Lisa Tilson, SEIU Florida)     Tell Congress: Keep Your Promise  on Children’s Health Insurance Kids hear it all the time from their parents: when you make a promise, you keep it. We expect the same from our elected officials.    Earlier this year Congress passed a budget that promised millions of American children that if they got sick or hurt they could get the care they need.  The budget pledged $50 billion in new money to fully fund SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) - the amount necessary to provide vital health coverage to uninsured kids.    Now, some members of Congress are signaling they will delay the progress of the SCHIP legislation and back away from fully funding this program.  Call your Senators & Representative at 1-800-828-0498 or send them an email and tell them to pass SCHIP fully funded. In a few days, the Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing that will determine the content of the SCHIP bill in Congress. In the meantime, our opponents are mobilizing.    The Bush Administration, undermining the needs of our children and families, released dramatically skewed figures earlier this week that vastly underestimated the number of kids eligible for SCHIP.    Additionally, Big Tobacco (who fear cigarettes will be taxed to create funding for SCHIP) is starting to pour resources into defeating the measure.    Unfortunately for them, they have vastly underestimated the American people when it comes to the health of our children.    Take a minute to contact your Senator and Representatives right now.     The Bush Administration's erroneous figures and political tactics are at the expense of millions of uninsured kids. Let's not let politics derail health care for our children.    (Thanks to Families USA for this alert)

 

When It Comes to AIDS Education, the Message and the Messenger Are Key

 (Submitted by Andrew Leone, Florida CHAIN)

 

Seeking Medicaid Beneficiaries for Consumer Voice

 

Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, secretary for the Agency for Health Care Administration, is moving forward with our request to establish a long overdue Medical Care Advisory Committee.

 

In a June 1 letter to Florida Legal Services, Dr. Agwunobi said that Gov. Charlie Crist and his administration are “committed to open communication and transparency in state government” and the creation of this committee “will be another forum for furthering these principles.’’

 

By federal law, each state must have some type of medical care committee that is comprised of Medicaid beneficiaries and others who advise the state on Medicaid policy initiatives.

 

Florida’s committee has not met since 2000. Since that time, AHCA has made a number of significant changes to its Medicaid program, including the implementation of Medicaid Reform in five counties.

 

AHCA officials have expressed concern about finding Medicaid beneficiaries to sit on the committee. Dr. Agwunobi asked in his letter for names of beneficiary members to sit on the committee. So as to keep a record of consumer nominees and avoid possible future claims that none were to be found, the names of potential participants can be submitted to Anne Swerlick of Florida Legal Aid at anne@floridalegal.org.

 

(Submitted by Alisa Snow, Florida CHAIN)

 

 

Medicaid Access Summit Addresses Provider Shortages

 

The state’s health care chief announced that he’s planning a Medicaid Access Summit to gather input from stakeholders.

 

Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration, said the summit is part of his agency’s top mission to address the critical shortage of specialists who serve Medicaid beneficiaries. This provider shortage leaves Medicaid beneficiaries without access to needed health care services.

 

He specifically cited provider shortages in the following areas: orthopedic surgery, general dentistry, pain management, neurology and dermatology.

 

Agwunobi will encourage stakeholders and organizations around the state to attend the conference, which will take place in either August or September. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

 

Agwunobi made his comments at the annual Medicaid Policy and Research Conference hosted by the Florida Center for Medicaid and the Uninsured, University of Florida.

(Submitted by Alisa Snow, Florida CHAIN)

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Medicare Advantage Plans Disadvantage Taxpayers and Many Beneficiaries

 

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TAKE ACTION NOW!

Congress must listen to the voices from across the country whose stories call for cutting the overpayments and holding plans accountable for their actions. Tell your senators and representative it's time to stop the overpayments and insist that private plans compete fairly.

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The government gives private Medicare Advantage plans billions of dollars more in subsidies than it spends on traditional Medicare. According to Congressional Quarterly HealthBeat News last week, “The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, the Congressional Budget Office, and Medicare’s own actuaries have reported that the government pays private plans an average of 12 percent more per beneficiary than it spends on people covered by traditional Medicare.” Families USA indicates that this “amounts to a grand total of $54 billion in overpayment from seniors and taxpayers over the next five years.”

 

These extra payments uselessly divert taxpayer dollars to industry profits – dollars that could be used for the State Children’s Health Program (SCHIP) and improvements to Medicare, and increase the Part B premium for all Medicare beneficiaries.

 

While touted by insurance companies as particularly beneficial to low-income beneficiaries, these plans don't seem to have come through as such.  Families USA reports that “The insurance industry has? argue[d] that minorities and low-income seniors would be disproportionately affected if Congress stops giving them windfall payments. The truth is, minorities in Medicare are several times more likely to receive coverage through traditional Medicare than through private Medicare Advantage plans.” Low-income seniors who do enroll in Advantage plans are particularly hurt by plans that do not cover services they need, and by the higher cost sharing some plans charge for chemotherapy and other medicines and services compared to traditional Medicare Part B.

 

Many seniors are vulnerable to deceptive Medicare Advantage marketing techniques, finding themselves unknowingly in plans that do not meet their needs, and low-income beneficiaries may be particularly targeted. The overpayments to Advantage plans have “served[ed] as a perverse incentive for insurance companies and agents to aggressively market their products without regard to seniors’ health and financial well-being,” reported U.S. House Energy and Commerce Chairman John D. Dingell, at a June 28^th Subcommittee hearing on the issue.

 

Reports of deceptive marketing for Medicare Advantage plans have surfaced throughout the country.  Congressional Quarterly HealthBeat reported from the hearing that witnesses described,  “Misleading sales and marketing practices of some Medicare Advantage plans run the gamut, from signing up beneficiaries without their consent or knowledge to sales agents misrepresenting themselves as employees of Medicare — and even of the White House.”

 

Some beneficiaries have been shown false credentials or titles on agents’ business cards. Other beneficiaries have been told they would lose their Medicare benefits if they did not sign onto a plan, or were offered incentives including cash, trips, or televisions. 

 

Insurance commissioners are unable to take action against these insurance companies, which are under the jurisdiction of CMS. While both insurance companies and CMS claim to be addressing the problems, advocates for beneficiaries and insurance commissioners are skeptical.  Lee Harrell, Mississippi’s deputy commissioner for insurance, “said his office has received more complaints about Medicare Advantage plans than for any other insurers, including homeowners’ claims filed after Hurricane Katrina,” reported HealthBeat News.

 

(Submitted by Andrea Schuver, Florida CHAIN)

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TAKE ACTION NOW!

Congress must listen to the voices from across the country whose stories call for cutting the overpayments and holding plans accountable for their actions. Tell your senators and representative it's time to stop the overpayments and insist that private plans compete fairly.

 

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More information:

 

Families USA has just issued a special report, Whose Advantage? Billions in Windfall Payments Go to Private Medicare Plans. Their Power Point presentation on Medicare Advantage delivered to the Congressional TriCaucus (the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus) is also available online. 

 

Read stories submitted by beneficiaries, family members, counselors, caseworkers, and insurance sales agents to Medicare Rights Center’s Medicare Private Health Plan Project in the past two months.

 

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State Budget Cuts In-Home Care for Disabled

Disabled individuals who rely on in-home care will soon see those services reduced or eliminated under the new state budget that takes effect July 1.

 

The state Agency for Persons with Disabilities has notified families of more than 12,000 disabled individuals about the changes, according to a June 23 article by the Associated Press. The article noted that 14,000 persons were already on the waiing list.

 

The agency is reducing services because it has a $156 million deficit – even though the same agency reported last year that it had a budget surplus. Critics say that “faulty accounting” made it look like the agency had extra money, according to the news article.

 

The Legislature stepped in and made some changes to the agency. For example, legislators put limits on the amount of in-home care that individuals can receive. The Associated Press article listed supported living coaching, personal care assistance, residential rehabilitation, therapeutic massage and psychological assessment as services that will be eliminated or reduced.

 

The article indicated the agency’s bureau chief for home and community-based services said that enough services will be maintained for clients to live in the community.

 

But advocates for the disabled say that these are the very services that keep individuals out of more expensive group homes or assisted-living facilities.

 

(Submitted by Alisa Snow, Florida CHAIN)

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Florida's New "Children and Youth Cabinet" to Integrate Continuum of Services 

 

The state has a new Children and Youth Cabinet that advocates hope will improve the way Florida’s publicly funded programs collaboratively serve children and their families.

 

Under a new law signed by Gov. Charlie Crist, the Cabinet is made up of 15 members, including the governor and secretaries of departments and state agencies that serve children.

 

The Cabinet’s mission is to create a long-term, integrated approach to serving children. 

 

“The Legislature finds that all state agencies and programs that touch the lives of children and youth must work in a coordinated and comprehensive fashion, with an emphasis on providing a continuum of services that benefit children from prenatal care through programs supporting successful transition to self-sufficient adulthood,’’ the Children and Youth Cabinet law reads.

 

The Cabinet concept originated at the first ever Children’s Summit that took place October 2006 in Orlando. More than 1,000 child advocates, organizations, community leaders, parents and policymakers attended. The summit was jointly sponsored by the Florida Senate and House of Representatives.

 

Sen. Nan Rich and Rep. Loranne Ausley filed the Cabinet legislation, which passed unanimously in the Senate and the House

 (Submitted by Alisa Snow, Florida CHAIN

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REAL STORIES FROM FLORIDA HEALTH CARE CONSUMERS

 

Nassau County Requests Delay in Medicaid Reform

Colon cancer/AIDS patient’s story exemplifies need to wait

 

There is something encouraging about public officials taking their roles as guardians of the public trust seriously. The members of the Nassau County Commission are doing just that and ought to be commended for it. In a letter made public this week, they are pleading with Gov. Crist to be allowed to delay implementing Medicaid Reform in their county. “Give us a chance to catch up," said Commissioner Mike Boyle as quoted in the Florida Times-Union. "We've received a double whammy. For a relatively small county, we have quite a list of state-mandated programs we have to deal with. We're trying to work out a new budget based on the property tax program, and now they've given us Medicaid reform."

 

Officials in the other two counties just added to the Medicaid Reform pilot, Clay and Baker, are also nervous, though not moved to the same extent. In the same article, (see http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/070507/met_182304061.shtml) Dennis Markos, chief executive of Baker County Medical Services and the top administrator for Ed Fraser Memorial Hospital, a nonprofit charity medical center in Macclenny said he is “against the reform project because it will funnel public money to Medicaid HMOs instead of helping poor people, and that he will not sign the contracts required to work with Medicaid HMOs at his hospital.”

 

According to the Times-Journal, the Governor’s response thus far has been, “Don’t assume doom?. They can do things well in Nassau County. I think the reform is responsible,” and that “he will insist the program be given a chance.”

 

Consumers caught in the additional red-tape and barriers that have so far characterized Reform in the counties where it has been rolled out, may not have that luxury. Take the case of Phillip G., in Broward.

 

When Philip (who is blind and has HIV) developed colon cancer, he didn’t realize that his problems were only just beginning. Philip was on MediPass when he had colon surgery to remove a carcinoma. Following the procedure, he was placed in the care of two specialists, an oncologist and a gastroenterologist, so that he wouldn’t have to undergo chemotherapy.

 

One day, Philip received a letter from AHCA telling him that because CenterOne (where he had been receiving care) was closing down, he would be transferred into a Provider Service Network as part of the Medicaid Reform plan. Philip was dismayed because neither of his specialists was listed with the PSN he was assigned to. As he was still within the time frame that allowed him to change plans without restrictions, Philip attempted to do so.

 

Being blind, Philip requested a home visit from a choice counselor to go over the different plans but the visit was denied to him so Philip had to hire a service to take him to visit with a choice counselor who ended up reading his 12 choices to him. * 

 

After he finally decided on a new plan and thinking that would be the end of it, Philip began to have to deal with “computer glitches” that still kept him out of the plan he chose for another 5 months. 

 

Although one may want to share the Governor’s optimism in principle, one can also understand why “computer glitches” and recovering from colon cancer while suffering from AIDS may not make for the best combination. “I thought I would have a nervous breakdown,” said Philip of the experience.  

 

 

Note: Florida CHAIN contacted ACS, the company responsible for providing choice counseling under Medicaid Reform. Though acknowledging that early on in the process some telephone center counselors may have given inaccurate information, Scott Ettaro, Field Counselor supervisor, provided the company’s official position on the matter: “Our goal is to empower consumers to take an active role in their health care decisions.  To accomplish that goal we offer individual/home visit sessions to ensure beneficiaries receive timely, unbiased, and adequate information about their health care options.  It is our policy to make available all written materials in appropriate alternative formats for beneficiaries who are visually impaired, hearing impaired, or unable to read so they, too, can make an informed choice of the health plan and benefit package that best meets their needs.  We are very serious about providing excellent customer service to all beneficiaries and will reiterate to our counselors the importance of ensuring that each and every beneficiary has an opportunity to receive Choice Counseling in the most appropriate and accommodating way possible.”

 

(Submitted by Andrew Leone, Florida CHAIN)

Florida CHAIN Seeks Stories

Miami-Dade Report Card Aims to Improve Community Health

Some positive efforts found among poor grades

Intended as a “call to action” for area health care advocates and policy makers, the inaugural 2007 Miami-Dade County Community Health Report Card was released at a June 22nd press conference. Subtitled “Health improvement through benchmarking, priority setting and leadership engagement,” the report assesses how well systems and institutions are meeting residents’ needs.

(Submitted by Andrea Schuver, Florida CHAIN

Infant Deaths Focus of Jacksonville Community Study

Jacksonville’s high infant death rate will be the focus of a citizen-led study during the coming year. The Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. selected infant mortality in June as its 68^th study topic. JCCI is a nonprofit civic organization established in 1975 to improve the quality of life in Northeast Florida. The organization brings together business and community leaders, area residents, providers and other interested groups to examine key local issues in depth and craft recommendations for community action.

“Jacksonville’s infant mortality rate has been a red-flag issue for our community’s quality of life for years,” said JCCI Executive Director Skip Cramer. “It’s been studied extensively as a medical issue, yet for 15 years the trend line has continued to climb. This time we need to look at it as a community issue.”

For more information, visit the JCCI website at www.jcci.org.

(Submitted by Carol Brady, Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition)

 

 
New listings, in order of submission deadlines

The Case Foundation: Make It Your Own Social Action Awards

Brief application deadline: Aug 8
The mission of the Case Foundation is to achieve sustainable solutions to complex social problems by investing in collaboration, leadership, and entrepreneurship. The Foundation’s Make It Your Own Awards challenge individuals to join together to create innovative ideas and solutions that can lay the groundwork for long-term social change. The awards will be presented to passionate individuals, or individuals working with local organizations, who develop ideas to transform their communities. Twenty finalists will each receive a $10,000 grant to help make their ideas into reality. The final four (chosen by the votes of the online community) will receive an additional $25,000 grant. The top 100 finalists will get $100 from the Case Foundation to jump-start their ideas.

Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida Winter Grant Cycle 

Deadline: Sept 14

The mission of the Blue Foundation is to enhance access to quality health-related services for Floridians, with a particular focus on the uninsured and underserved. The foundation strategically focuses grant allocations toward philanthropic, community-based solutions designed to improve program capacity and reduce barriers to access. A priority focus for 2007 is to maximize impact in community-based health clinics and outreach services. This focus will help to address the vast challenges associated with providing access to and lasting outcomes connected with populations presently not receiving effective health-related prevention or treatment services. The greatest percentage of the Blue Foundation funding will be to identify, nurture, and sustain such activities to benefit underserved and uninsured populations. For the 2007 grant cycles, requests will generally be considered for proposals from $10,000 up to $100,000. Multi-year commitments of up to three years may be made.

Tobacco Policy Change: A Collaborative for Healthier Communities and States
Application deadline for planning grants: Sept 14

Application deadline for implementation grants: March 14

Tobacco Policy Change: A Collaborative for Healthier Communities and States, a national initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, provides resources for local, regional, and state-based organizations and tribal groups to advocate for effective policies that decrease tobacco use and exposure. This initiative is issuing a special solicitation that will build on previous success in attracting new partners whose constituencies are most directly affected by tobacco use and exposure. Grantees are expected to apply their advocacy skills and experience to advance tobacco and other public health policies in their communities. Organizations from Florida are among those able to apply.

Identifying and Reducing Diabetes and Obesity Related Health Disparities within Healthcare Systems

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), issued by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, solicits Research Project Grant (R01) applications from institutions/ organizations conducting research designed to identify healthcare system factors leading to disparate diabetes and obesity health outcomes.

Continuing listings, in order of submission deadlines

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.

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.

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. 

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.

 

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.

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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

 

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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.

 

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ORGANIZATIONS AND SERVICES

 

Newly posted resources are at the top of the list.

 

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. Through referrals by organizations, more than 260,000 people in Florida have received assistance with their prescriptions medicines. They have launched a national campaign to raise awareness about the importance of SCHIP and its reauthorization, including a website and TV and print ads. They also have updated their FAQs and Fact Sheet to include SCHIP.

 

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

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.

 

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

 

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.

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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.

 

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TECHNOLOGY AND AUDIO/VIDEO RESOURCES

 

Audio Conferences and Webcasts

 

Dated events listed chronologically; standing webcasts listed last 

      

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

 

Coverage to Supplement Your Medicare

Need Coverage to Fill the Gaps in Medicare? Check out Medicare Rights Center’s latest free educational web seminar.

 

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)

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Media Programming

 

ABC Series Looks at Uninsured Kids

 ABC World News has just completed a series of stories on the crisis of the nine million children in America, highlighting the various barriers that keep families from being able to get and keep health insurance for their children. You can view videos of the series, plus an interview with Children’s Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman: "Some Kids Die in Insurance Gap;" "Children's Defense Fund's Take;" "Red Tape and Bureaucracy in Health Care;" "Kids Go Uninsured as Politicians Argue"

 

Videos and Films

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

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

Identifying Widely Covered Drugs and Drug Coverage Variation Among Medicare Part D Formularies

Medicare Part D formularies vary widely, which can result in clinicians unknowingly prescribing drugs that are either not covered or require a high co-payment. Tseng and colleagues reviewed Part D formularies in California and Hawaii to determine how often 75 drugs in 8 treatment classes were "widely covered" by 90% or more of formularies at co-payments of $35 or less without prior authorization. The authors report that coverage for the 75 drugs ranged from 7% to 100% (mean, 69%). With the exception of angiotensin II receptor blockers, each drug class was represented by 1 or more widely covered drugs at a low co-payment in each formulary. Ninety-four percent of widely covered drugs were generic. (6/20/07, JAMA)

Curbing Medicare Overpayments to Private Insurers Could Benefit Minorities and Help Expand Children's Health Coverage

A proposal under consideration in Congress would help finance an expansion of children's health coverage by reducing the overpayments to private health insurance companies that participate in Medicare. Insurance companies are waging an aggressive campaign to defend these overpayments, arguing that low-income and minority beneficiaries rely disproportionately on the private health plans in Medicare and that the overpayments are used to provide extra benefits not available through regular Medicare. This report argues that just the opposite may be true. (5/14/07, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

New Listings: Federal Budget

New Listings: Health Insurance, Health Costs

Study Finds 1.8 Million Veterans Are Uninsured

The ranks of uninsured veterans have increased by 290,000 since 2000, said the Harvard Medical School professor who presented her findings yesterday before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. About 12.7 percent of non-elderly veterans -- or one in eight -- lacked health coverage in 2004, the most recent year for which figures are available, she said, up from 9.9 percent in 2000. Veterans 65 and older are eligible for Medicare. (6/21/07, Washington Post)

Health Insurance Inflation Is Slowing Down

PricewaterhouseCoopers...forecasts that preferred provider organizations, health maintenance organizations, point of service plans and exclusive provider organizations will see a 9.9% average spike in price next year, while consumer-driven health plans are looking at a 7.4% increase. In 2007, PPOs witnessed an 11.9% price increase, while HMOs, POS plans and EPOs jumped 11.8%, and CDHPs climbed 10.7%. (6/21/07, Employee Benefit News)

Nonprofit Hospitals Dollar-Strapped

As health-care costs rise and the American population ages, nonprofit hospitals in the U.S. are struggling to make financial ends meet, a new report says. Some of that struggle is a result of fewer philanthropic dollars, says the report, "Nonprofit Hospitals in America: Lives, Jobs and Philanthropy," which was released by Changing Our World and on Philanthropy. (6/19/07, Philanthropy Journal)

Health Insurance across Vulnerable Ages: Patterns and Disparities from Adolescence to the Early 30s

Young adults have the lowest rate of insurance coverage of any age group. This report finds that the safety net of public programs that cover adolescents disappears in young adulthood, leaving young adults vulnerable. Moreover, for low-income individuals, this problem often persists into their 30s because premiums in the private market are too high. (5/5/07, Pediatrics)

 New Listings: Health Equity Issues 

Closing the Divide: How Medical Homes Promote Equity in Health Care

Differences in Severity-Adjusted Pediatric Hospitalization Rates Are Associated With Race/Ethnicity

This report describes the disparities between minority and white children in hospitalization rates after emergency room visits. (6/6/07, JAMA)

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

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

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Election 2008

Health care remains the top domestic issue that the public wants presidential candidates to address, trailing only Iraq on the public's overall priority list, according to the latest in a new series of tracking polls on health care and the election. (June 2007, Kaiser Family Foundation)

Florida Reports

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 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

Health Insurance, Health Costs

Health Equity Issues

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.