February 17, 2006

STATE ACTION

 

NATIONAL ACTION

 STATE ACTION 

Child & Maternal Health: KidCare & Healthy Start Funding
How Healthy is the Governor’s Budget for Uninsured Children, Pregnant Women & Infants? 

Florida’s strong economy enabled Gov. Bush to propose a $70.8 billion budget, and still cut state taxes by $1.5 billion.  Amid such prosperity, some budget elements stand without reason. Among these, the budget reduces KidCare, Florida’s health coverage for low income uninsured children, by $197 million (approx. $138 million in federal dollars and $58 million in state revenue). The budget further ignores the Healthy Start Coalitions’ need for $9.5 million to serve 28,000 more high risk eligible pregnant women to improve birth outcomes. Ironically, the budget does increase funding for  screening -  to fund more at-risk pregnant women who will then be unable to receive Healthy Start services that are already insufficiently funded. Read more and TAKE ACTION

   

Florida KidCare and Other Children's Health Bill Updates   Read more

 

SB 972 passed out of Senate Health Committee with full support. HB 241 has not been heard in committee. Advocates should tell their House  and Senate members to support these bills to allow families with children under age 5 and incomes above 200% of poverty to buy into Title XXI health programs.

 

S 2050 is a new and good bill that would restore coverage for immigrant children and change the local match formula. Contact members of your Senate Delegation to support this good bill.

 

S 310 creates a Universal Health Care Access Plan for Children.

 

SB 1008 and HB 527, Suicide Prevention, create a suicide prevention coordinating council with state plan; Appropriation: $100,000.

Florida Medicaid Reform Update: Adjustments Needed 

Many issues not fully addressed prior to passing HB 3 during the December special session must be revisited now. A policy shift of this magnitude requires safe-guards and protections for beneficiaries in both pilot programs, as well as frequent evaluation and reporting to the Legislature. Read more and TAKE ACTION 
Medicare Part D Dilemmas Remain for Many of Florida’s Low Income Chronically Ill  

 

Fortunately, Florida’s 15,000 Medically Needy beneficiaries below 100% of the federal poverty level, who lost access to their state Medicaid drug subsidy under the Medicare Part-D program were reinstated. Not so fortunate are the thousands of other low income beneficiaries with only slightly higher incomes, between 100-150% of federal poverty level. Officials report that the only way the state can reinstate these beneficiaries is through a change in the 2005 Budget Bill that dropped their Medicaid when the Medicare Modernization Act went into place. Read more and TAKE ACTION 

 

NATIONAL ACTION

 
U.S. Budget Cuts Healthcare for Millions 

 

The Budget Reconciliation Bill, signed into law on February 8, shifts the focus for advocates from Congressional to state action. State advocates will play a critical role in efforts to minimize the harm to people who rely on Medicaid as states begin to implement the mandatory provisions. Florida is already on the "fast track" to implement the changes, since the Medicaid Reform bill for pilot programs is already in place and ready to move this spring. Coming soon will be CHAIN Reaction issues with state strategies and activities for advocates. Meanwhile, a number of our national partner organizations have been closely analyzing the impact of the budget on healthcare.  Read more 

Congress Must Move Quickly on Medicare Part-D Crisis 

 

Congress must fix the Part-D systemic problems immediately to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations, health crises, and deaths.The Medicare Informed Choice Act, S 1841 and S 2203, offer critical protections during the first year of the program and would treat residents in Assisted Living Facilities the same as those in nursing homes by dropping new co-payments for prescriptions. Senator Bill Nelson is a sponsor of both these bills.  Read more and write to Senator Martinez and your Congressional Representative about Medicare Part-D now!

February 17, 2006

 

STATE ACTION

NATIONAL ACTION

STATE ACTION

Child & Maternal Health: KidCare & Healthy Start Funding
How Healthy is the Governor’s Budget for Uninsured Children, Pregnant Women & Infants?   

Florida’s economy, touted as one of the strongest in the nation, enabled Governor Bush to propose a $70.8 billion budget for 2006, and still cut state taxes by $1.5 billion.  Amid such prosperity, some budget elements stand without reason. Among these, the budget reduces KidCare, Florida’s health coverage for low income uninsured children, by $197 million: approx. $138 million in federal dollars and $58 million in state revenue. The budget further ignores the Healthy Start Coalitions’ need for $9.5 million to serve 28,000 more high risk eligible pregnant women to improve birth outcomes - while funding more screening to find at-risk pregnant women who will not be able to receive much needed services.

 

Both programs are sound, vital investments in Florida’s young children, saving money in remedial programs down the road and enabling a future productive society.   Evidence-based research confirms that early prenatal care and health coverage for young children improve health outcomes, yielding children better prepared to succeed in school and reach their full adult potential. These very principles are supported by the administration, and compel the 2006 Legislature to take the lead in providing sufficient funding for KidCare and Healthy Start.

 

ACTION NEEDED ON KIDCARE & HEALTHY START!

 

Contact these key legislature leaders AND all members of the House Health Care Appropriations and Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Committees with the following messages.

Speaker of the House Allan Bense   850/488-1450

Rep. Marco Rubio                         850/487-2290

Senate President Tom Lee             850/487-5229

House Health Care Appropriations Committee list with contact links

Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee with contact links

  • Maintain full funding for Florida KidCare to maximize available federal funding, particularly as Congress prepares to reauthorize the state’s child health insurance programs next year and will gauge the level of state allocations based on the current funding structure.  In previous years Florida has not pulled down their fair share of the federal child health funds.
  • Adopt the Florida KidCare Coordinating Council’s recommendations to restore and fund community coordination, retention, and enrollment for KidCare to achieve the Legislature’s enrollment goal and reach more hard to enroll eligible children; to allow a fixed number of non-Title XXI children to enroll with local funding; to move rule making under the Agency for Health Care Administration, AHCA; and other administrative improvements to streamline a single program. Despite great unmet needs, enrollment continues to decline.
  • To meet the growing needs, especially since progress in improved infant mortality rates has stalled in recent years, the Legislature should appropriate $9.5 million in general revenue for Healthy Start to serve more at-risk pregnant women and improve birth outcomes.

Background: Reasons to fund KidCare and Healthy Start in House and Senate budgets

 

KidCare

 

The number of uninsured children in Florida remains very high. According to the 2004 Florida Health Insurance Study, there are approximately 502,000 uninsured children in Florida; 374,000 of them live below 200% of the federal poverty level, making them eligible for Florida KidCare.

 

KidCare enrollment began to decline when community based education and enrollment outreach activities were cut from the state budget. Intending to reach more eligible children, the Legislature recently reinstated year-round open enrollment and reduced some income verification requirements.  However, too many counties lack the financial resources to find harder to reach eligible children in rural areas or among minority populations, exacerbating health disparities among children. KidCare has many additional barriers and program complexities that discourage parents from applying and cause enrolled children to lapse from the system when they change age or family income.

 

Title XXI enrollment through Healthy Kids, MedKids, and CMS peaked at 336,680 in April, 2004 compared to 186,000 in January, 2006.  The number of uninsured children in the state remains unacceptably high as enrollment declines.

 

Healthy Start

 

Infant mortality is a key indicator of overall community health. Since Healthy Start began in 1991, Florida’s infant mortality rate has declined significantly. In the past 10 years, however, the infant mortality rate has leveled off.

 

In addition, with Florida’s dramatic increase in births, Healthy Start Coalitions are currently able to meet only about 30 percent of the need while the demands for prenatal and infant services continue to increase – because Healthy Start Coalitions’ state funding has remained at the same level for over a decade of providing services to at-risk pregnant women and infants.

 

Healthy Start Coalitions’ outcomes and increased demands have justified the need for $9.5 million in additional funding for the program that provides case management and related risk reduction services to at-risk pregnant women and infants statewide.

 

While the Governor’s budget covers many good projects for maternal and child health, it includes no general revenue dollars to fill the critical gap in support for Healthy Start services to keep pace and serve 28,000 more high risk pregnant women.

 

The Governor’s budget does include $6.8 million for one-time federal funding of projects aimed at improving the health of women, children, and families: $3 million for 10 Healthy Start projects promoting interconceptional health; $1 million to support the DOH Office of Women’s Health; and a well intended $1 million to promote Healthy Start screening and community awareness that will only result in more demands for Healthy Start services that can’t be met without additional resources.

 

Florida KidCare and Other Children's Health Bill Updates

 

SB 972, KidCare bill sponsored by Sen. Nan Rich passed out of the Senate Health Committee with full support. The House bill, HB 241 by Rep. Vana has not been heard in committee. Advocates should continue to tell members of their House  and Senate delegations about these good bills that would allow families with children under age 5, with incomes above 200% of poverty, to buy into the Title XXI health insurance programs.

 

S 2050, Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Act, just introduced by Sen. Peaden, Senate Health Care Committee Chair, is a good bill that would restore coverage for immigrant children and change the local match formula. This is a recommendation from the KidCare Coordinating Council and a child health priority issue for Florida CHAIN. Contact members of your Senate delegation to support this good bill.

 

S 310, Universal Health Care for Children, by Rep. Siplin, creates a Universal Health Care Access Plan for Children; provides legislative findings; definitions for a statewide program to provide medically necessary health services.

 

SB 1008 and HB 527, Suicide Prevention, create a suicide prevention coordinating council with state plan; Appropriation: $100,000. By Sens. Lynn and King; and Reps. Gibson; Stansel; Baxley; Bucher; Carroll; Cretul; Gottlieb; Harrell; Jennings; Kendrick; Mahon; Robina; Sobel

 

 Florida Medicaid Reform Update: Adjustments Needed 

 

Many issues not fully addressed prior to passing HB 3 during the December special session must now be revisited. A policy shift of this magnitude requires safe-guards and protections for beneficiaries in both pilot programs, as well as frequent evaluation and reporting to the Legislature.

 

Issues:

  • The Legislature must include additional consumer protections especially for the disabled and elderly Medicaid beneficiaries who are at a greater risk.
  • The comprehensive data collection and subsequent analysis must be conducted by a team of researchers with the expertise to provide high quality objective analysis. 
  • The evaluation must be transparent and readily accessible to Legislators and the public.
  • Provisions of medically necessary services for beneficiaries is not ensured under the reform legislation because the plans have the flexibility to change the amount, scope, and duration of services.
  • Fee-for-service has worked well for certain populations. Efforts to improve fee-for-service coverage and increased fraud and abuse safeguards must be addressed this year.

ACTION NEEDED ON MEDICAID REFORM!

 

Send the following messages to these legislature leaders and members of your delegation:

Speaker of the House Allan Bense       850/488-1450

Senate President Tom Lee                 850/487-5229

House members with contact links

Senate members with contact links

  • Recommend that the proposed pilot evaluations include more key elements now missing from the data collection requirement specified in the Florida Medicaid Reform legislation. 
  • Make this information should regularly available to the legislators and the general public.
  • Protect the current scope, amount, and duration of benefits for all beneficiaries enrolled in the pilot programs.
  • Exempt children in the foster care system and individuals with disabilities from the proposed pilot program expansion.
  • Preserve the array of benefits and medications for individuals with mental illness.

Medicare Part D Dilemmas Remain for Many of Florida’s Low Income Chronically Ill  

Fortunately, Florida’s 15,000 Medically Needy beneficiaries below 100% of the federal poverty level, who lost access to their state Medicaid drug subsidy due to a faulty state computer system, are now reinstated and no longer being denied coverage for anticancer and transplant drugs.  This is good news for some of the very lowest income patients who no longer are being charged the unaffordable 20% co-payments for very expensive medications.

 

Not so fortunate are the thousands of other low income beneficiaries with only slightly higher incomes, between 100-150% of federal poverty level, who thought they,too, would be relieved of out of reach co-pays when the AHCA announced they would be covering the low income dual eligible population under state Medicaid. This crisis continues for about 16,000 fragile and very sick individuals, with little hope for relief in sight.  With incomes from $9,800 to $14,000 a year, they simply do not have the means to pay for many of their cancer or immune suppressant drugs not covered under the new Medicare Modernization Act.

 

Officials report that the only way the state can reinstate these beneficiaries is through a change in the 2005 Budget bill that dropped their Medicaid when the Medicare Modernization Act went into place.

 

ACTION NEEDED ON MEDICARE PART-D IN FLORIDA!

 

The Florida Legislature needs to become aware NOW of this urgent crisis for many transplant patients, people with renal disease, and some cancer patients. 

 

Contact members of your local delegation and ask them to determine how the state can act quickly to  resolve the health crisis for very sick and low-income people caught in the confusion and life threatening situations. Only they can fix this, through changing the 2005 budget bill that dropped Medicaid leaving these vulnerable Floridians in a terrible unintended gap.

House members with contact links

Senate members with contact links

 

NATIONAL ACTION

 

U.S. Budget Cuts Healthcare for Millions 

 

The Budget Reconciliation Bill, signed into law on February 8, shifts the focus for advocates from Congressional to state action. State advocates will play a critical role in efforts to minimize the harm to people who rely on Medicaid as states begin to implement the mandatory provisions. Florida is already on the "fast track" to implement the changes, since the Medicaid Reform bill for pilot programs is already in place and ready to move this spring. Coming soon will be CHAIN Reaction issues with state strategies and activities for advocates. Meanwhile, a number of our national partner organizations have been closely analyzing the impact of the budget on healthcare:

 

National Women’s Law Center has closely examined the budget, in Women and Children Last – Again: An Analysis of the President’s FY2007 Budget. Their analysis looks at how program cuts fall disproportionately on women and their families, especially single mothers and elderly women; highlights how the proposed budget would exacerbate the deficit through proposals for additional tax cuts for the wealthy; and examines proposed budget rules that would cement these warped priorities for years to come.

 

 

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has issued several recent Budget Analysis reports:

 

The Cost and Coverage Impact of the President’s Health Insurance Budget Proposals finds that the Administration's proposals to expand tax breaks for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) would cause a net increase in the number of uninsured Americans. Press Release  Full Report

 

Analysis of Medicaid Provisions in the Bush Administration 2007 Budget explains how most of the budget provisions, both legislative proposals and regulatory changes that the Administration is planning to make without legislative action, will shift Medicaid costs to the state: net federal Medicaid funding cuts equal to $14 billion over the next five years and $35.5 billion over ten years.  These cuts are on top of the significant federal Medicaid cuts ($4.9 billion over five years and $26.5 billion over ten years) enacted as part of the budget reconciliation bill signed into law on February 8.

 

The Administration’s Medicaid Proposals Would Shift Federal Costs to States finds that more than four-fifths of the Medicaid savings proposals in the Administration’s new budget would reduce federal Medicaid expenditures by shifting costs directly to the states.  The proposals would save the federal government $35 billion over the next decade, most of which would represent new costs for states. That likely would lead some states to scale back their Medicaid programs significantly by restricting eligibility and reducing coverage. Full Report  Press Release 

 

Hidden Budget Cuts in Domestic Programs Found in OMB Computer Files Withheld From Public A key finding from this computer run, other OMB documents, and the Center's analysis is that many programs that would be cut only slightly in 2007 (or even expanded) would face significant cuts in 2008-2011.

 

President Greatly Reduced his Health Proposals for Lower-Income Families while Expanding Health Benefits for the More Affluent finds that the size of the health tax proposal for lower-income households has been scaled back by two-thirds from last year, while the health tax proposals disproportionately benefiting high-income households have more than quadrupled in size.

 

Federal Grants to States and Localities Cut Deeply in Fiscal Year 2007 Federal Budget, with state-by-state rankings, finds that the new budget continues to significantly erode grants to state and local governments. This leaves states and localities the option of either curtailing services or increasing their own taxes to compensate for declining federal funds.

 

The President's Budget: A Preliminary Analysis

Congress Must Move Quickly on Medicare Part-D Crisis 

 

ACTION NEEDED ON MEDICARE PART-D IN FLORIDA!

 

Contact Your Member of Congress and U.S. Senator Mel Martinez NOW!

CLICK HERE to write your representative or call through the Capitol switchboard at 1/202-224-3121

CLICK HERE to write to Senator Martinez or call his office at 1/202-224-3041

 

Convey these messages:

  • Extremely fragile, chronically ill, low income people are going without medications because of glitches in the Medicare Part-D transition. The transition’s systemic problems must be fixed immediately, to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations, health crises, and deaths.

  • Urge Senator Martinez to support Senator Bill Nelson’s S 1841, the Medicare Informed Choice Act to expand the six month open enrollment and add protections for beneficiaries; and S 2203 to waive the new co-payment for dual eligible Assisted Living Facilities, ALF residents as it is for the nursing home residents. Urge Congressional Reps to introduce similar bills in the House.

FEATURED PARTNER

 

Florida Institute for Family Involvement

 

 Lindsay Phillips, Business Manager and Family Voices State Coordinator, with friends

 

 

The Florida Institute for Family Involvement (FIFI) is a 501c3 not for profit resource and referral center for children, youth and families with special healthcare needs and mental and emotional disabilities.  Located in Crawfordville, FIFI has a toll free number for families to utilize when they are in need of assistance with an issue.  FIFI assists families by helping them navigate their system of care and providing them with local contacts for issues that they are facing.  FIFI also has a database of family stories that can be shared with media, lawmakers and any other interested parties who need to know the “REAL” issues families face. 

 

Currently, FIFI is helping families to navigate the Kidcare and Medicaid system changes.  FIFI also assists the families in understanding the rule changes and what it is they have to do to remedy their situation.  Should you need to contact FIFI we can be reached at 1-877/926-3514 or visit us online at www.fifionline.org.

 

REAL STORIES 

February 17, 2006

The following was received from Larry & Ruth Hanson of Melbourne, FL through Florida Transplant Survivors Coalition, Inc.

 

I am writing to let you know that we finally received a letter from Cigna stating Larry has been accepted into the program. However, what they told him on the phone and what they are doing are a bit different. We could not get hold of anyone as the lines were so busy. The confusion and frustration is understandable. They were closed I guess for the (New Year)holiday, so that made us wonder what if we would do if we were to have a real emergency. When he did talk to a real person, they never asked what medications he was on in the first place so we would know if they were covered in the first place instead of finding out later.


For example, they told him his medications would cost between $1 to $3 per prescription, without a monthly fee. Now, it is a $5.70 monthly fee. His medications are now $2 to $5 per prescription, with most of them at $5. We were unable to pick up all of his the medications today as we could not afford all them. All his medications are essential, but we got the ones that were the most needed and ones he was out of at the moment. The fees are not really unreasonable, but when you are counting pennies, that amount might as well be thousands of dollars.


These charges are coming out of our food money, Social Security. We do realize we are NOT alone in this situation and there are so many people who are worse off than we are. We are not complaining to you, just asking for your help in this matter and trying to find out what we need to do. Who do we talk to? What do we do about this plan? We knew things were going to be difficult but hopefully managable with this Medicare/Medicaid issue. We thought we had a good amount of research done looking for the right plan for us. Apparently, we must have been wrong.


We are having enough issues without worrying whether or not we will even be able eat or not. Again, with everything else going up, we can't help wonder if we will be on the streets. We need to pay utilities, like electric, for the lights obviously, but for his oxygen machine, and the fridge to keep his FLOLAN and Procrit chilled.


We currently have our daughter living with us who had a baby December 21st. She is not working because she is on leave, and she does not have insurance except Medicaid. We are supporting her and the baby at this time.


We are barely getting by paying the basic utitilies and you know they are all going up. We do not have luxuries, and not it seems food and medications might become a luxury.


I do work, but being a teacher assistant, I barely make do, and if there is not school, I am not getting paid. That is my job and I chose it, but still, we have always managed to scape by. It is harder and harder to do since this new program started.


Larry was in the hospital (Mayo) in Jacksonville for two weeks in December. He did not feel well when he came home, but tried to get things straightened out with this Cigna. His health issues have not permitted him the strength and time to deal with all of these insurance plans and medication issues at once. We think we are doing okay, and then find out we are worse off and no one seems to know what is going on. Being immunosuppressed, he has to have his medications, and even if he wasn't, like everyone else who has health issues, everyone needs the medications.


On Friday the 6th, he was admitted to the hosptial here in Melbourne. He came yesterday the 13th. Again, he has so many health issues and is so challenging, they sent him home and suggested he go back to Mayo! However, they sent him home with a new prescriptions and we are wondering if they will be covered and if not, how will we afford them.


With all of his health issues, two liver transplants, two rare lung diseases, heart surgery, alternating between Picc lines and a Hickman that is keeping him alive with the FLOLAN, we sure have had our hands full. I am sure you have quite a few health issues of your own and understand our situation well.


We thank you for your time, and forgive me us for running on so long. I know you are very busy taking care of things for everybody else and trying to help people like us.


We pray all is going well for your health and your issues as well. Please stay in touch. Waiting to hear from you. God bless you and thank you so much for your time and help.

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 RECENT HEALTH ARTICLES

 February 17, 2006 

 

STATE ISSUES

 

Kids insurance application can be done online

Families wanting to apply for the state's health insurance program for children can now apply online. Florida Healthy Kids has redesigned its Web site at www.healthykids.org to allow people to apply electronically for the KidCare programs, which include Healthy Kids, Children's Medical Services and MediKids. (2/16/06, Daytona News-Journal) More

 

Poor struggle to get mental health care

In the jostle for Northeast Florida's limited mental health care resources, it is often the uninsured and poor who find themselves elbowed out by those who have the means to pay. (2/15/06, Florida Times-Union) More

 

Number of Fla. children taking anti-psychotic medicines nearly doubles

The number of Florida children taking anti-psychotic medicines paid for by Medicaid has almost doubled in five years, prompting the state to investigate who is prescribing the drugs and whether they are necessary. (2/14/06, South Florida Sun-Sentinel) More

 

Medicaid Restores Subsidy For Drugs
TAMPA - Florida Medicaid mistakenly dropped about 15,000 low-income cancer and transplant patients from a drug-subsidy program six weeks ago, the Agency for Health Care Administration said Friday. AHCA sent notices to pharmacies statewide Friday afternoon saying Medicaid will immediately resume paying the 20 percent "co-insurance" for  anticancer and transplant drugs that has been denied since Jan. 1, when  the Medicare prescription drug plan was launched. The state said it will reimburse patients and pharmacies. (2/11/06, Tampa Tribune) More

 

Publix to open walk-in health clinics

Publix is planning to open clinics by April in some of its supermarkets so that people can get treated for minor ailments. Sick people will soon be able to get their flu bugs and earaches treated at some Publix stores by nurse practitioners. (2/7/06, Miami Herald) More

 

Boca medical association launches in-office medication program 

For Boca Raton cardiologist Philip Oranburg, his previous method of prescribing medication was much like other doctors-writing a prescription to be filled at a local drugstore. Through the current partnership he has with Boca-based American Association of Dispensing Practitioners (AADP), Oranburg can now dispense cholesterol or high blood pressure medications at his own office. (2/7/06, Boca Raton News) More

 

Florida's 'health-care hurricane'

First came the hurricanes. Frances and Jeanne destroyed Vicki Jodun's Port St. Lucie mobile home, where she'd lived about 10 years, forcing her into a trailer provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. At the end of August, she and her husband moved into a manufactured home in Okeechobee — "the cheapest thing we could find." Then came Part D. Less than a month after the new Medicare prescription-drug program took effect, the 40-year-old who has had two kidney transplants, takes 30 or more drugs and suffers from sleep apnea, diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure and a chronic pain disorder, found herself asking: "Do I get my pills or do we pay our mortgage?" (2/3/06, Palm Beach Post) More

 

Increase in nursing-home aides not budgeted

TALLAHASSEE - Advocates for the elderly have been calling on the state for several years to require more nurses' aides in nursing homes. They're the people who do the chores that make life there bearable: turning patients to avoid bed sores, helping...

(2/3/06, Ocala Star-Banner) More

  

Close the hole in the safety net

Florida policymakers prudently capitalized on the new federal Medicare drug benefit last year by eliminating a state-funded Medicaid program that provided medicines to tens of thousands of citizens. Unfortunately, their well-intended attempt to save...

(2/2/06, Ocala Star-Banner) More

 

Bush offers $71 billion budget, $197 million in cuts to KidCare

Touting Florida's financial health as he prepares to leave office, Gov. Jeb Bush released a $70.8 billion budget proposal Wednesday that would boost spending on education and environmental programs -- while also making hefty tax cuts. These include a $197 million in cuts to KidCare, which provides medical insurance for children in working families who can't afford private health insurance and make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. (2/2/06, Daytona Beach News-Journal) More

 

Governor's final budget plan adds up to biggest; Cuts in taxes, KidCare and Medicaid are part of the proposal (2/2/06, Palm Beach Post) More

 

NATIONAL ISSUES

 

Medicare Part D Enrollment Numbers

Of the 14.3 million enrolled in a Part D drug benefit, at most 3.2 million have drug coverage for the first time, 4.5 million in Medicare Advantage plans likely have better drug coverage than before, and 6.2 million generally have worse coverage than before (2/06, Medicare Rights Center). More

 

Medicare-Plan Enrollment is Still Challenging for Seniors, Poll Shows

According to a new WSJ Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll, most older adults who have enrolled in a Medicare drug plan say they found it difficult to choose a plan (60 percent) and difficult to understand the benefits (63 percent).   Once enrolled in a plan, 25 percent of older adults found the plan difficult to use. (2/15/0,6 Wall Street Journal). More

 

CMS summarizes retroactive Medicare changes under budget bill   

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released a “fact sheet” summarizing how it will implement Medicare provisions of the budget reconciliation bill that are retroactive to Jan. 1. For example, the legislation reinstates hold-harmless payments for outpatient services for rural hospitals with 100 or fewer beds, as well as higher payments for physician services. CMS said it is developing a way to reinstate any payments that were reduced to the rural hospitals, and will reprocess at the higher rate any physician claims from January that have already been paid. The legislation also continues the suspension on new Medicare provider numbers to physician-owned limited-service hospitals for six months or until CMS releases a final strategic plan on physician investment in limited-service hospitals, whichever is sooner. (2/13/06, AHA News Now)  More

 

FY 2007 Budget Proposal Would Eliminate Six HHS Programs

The FY 2007 budget proposal that President Bush announced last week would eliminate six Health and Human Services (HHS) programs, including a community services grant that offers employment, housing, nutrition and healthcare for low-income individuals; and a CDC grant that funds chronic disease prevention, immunization, injury reduction programs and sex-offense prevention programs.  More

 

Battle Brews Over Legislation in States That Requires Businesses to Subsidize Health Insurance

Businesses like Wal-Mart that are subject to recent legislation requiring them to cover more of their workers are fighting back with lawsuits, reports the Christian Science Monitor. (2/10/06, Christian Science Monitor) More

 

Shifting Costs and Risk to Individuals Is the Focus of the Bush Administration's Health Reform

Shifting costs away from the government is a "consistent theme" of the health reforms proposed by the Bush administration, and health savings accounts (HSAs) are the cornerstone. (2/10/06, CongressDaily) More

  

Bush Signs Bill That Will Slow Medicaid Growth

Contending that curtailing programs such as Medicare and Medicaid is necessary for federal "fiscal sanity" and to control a record budget deficit, President Bush signed legislation to slow entitlement spending. (2/9/06, Washington Post) More 

 

Democrats offer changes for 'botched' Medicare drug law

Calling the government's implementation of the Medicare drug law "botched and bungled," key Senate Democrats said Wednesday they would offer changes to make it less confusing. While acknowledging there have been "some problems," Dr. Mark McClellan, head of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, defended his agency's handling of the program and said he expected most issues to be resolved by mid-April. (2/9/06, Palm Beach Post)  More

  

Bush trims Medicaid, Medicare; says more change is needed

President Bush signed a measure Wednesday that trims Medicaid and Medicare spending over the next five years, but he said Congress must make bigger changes as baby boomers retire. (2/9/06, Gainesville Sun) More

 

Curing Our Public Health System

Last week, in his State of the Union address, President Bush bemoaned spiraling medical costs - and rightly so. What he didn't say was that 99 percent of US healthcare dollars are spent on treating and curing disease, and only 1 percent on preventing disease. That logic is backward - and the president's proposed 2007 budget makes matters even worse. (2/11/06, Boston Globe) More  

 

OPINION: Retail Industry Leaders Lash Out
Retail leaders turned to the editorial pages to explain why they think the problem of the uninsured does not reside with large employers, 98 percent of which provide health insurance.
( 2/8/06, Orlando Sentinel)

 

Kentucky Bill Would Require Cultural Training for Health Workers

A state bill just introduced would require health-care providers to be trained in "cultural competency," or how to effectively treat patients of other cultures. The bill is designed to reduce health disparities between minorities and whites.  Cultural competency would be part of the curriculum in schools of medicine, nursing and dentistry, as well as other institutions that train health-care providers; also, practicing doctors, nurses, dentists and other health-care providers would need to take continuing education courses in cultural competency. (2/3/06, Courier-Journal) More

 

Traditional Risk-Factor Scoring Misses One-Third Of Women Vulnerable to Coronary Heart Disease

Cardiac CT scans recommended for some groups of women

Traditional risk-factor scoring fails to identify approximately one-third of women likely to develop coronary heart disease (CHD), the leading cause of death of women in the United States, according to a pair of reports from cardiologists at Johns Hopkins. (2/14/06, Women's Health Professional) More

 

Panel Recommends Warnings for Ritalin and Other Stimulants

Advisers for the F.D.A. today recommended warning labels for drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. (2/9/06, New York Times) More  

 

Initiative by Large Employers to Offer Coverage to Uninsured Workers Falters

National Health Access, a "bold initiative" from a coalition of 60 of the nation's largest employers that was designed to cover more than one million uninsured working Americans, has had a "rocky start." (2/8/06, Wall Street Journal) More

 

Practical strategies can help cure the health-care crisis

As our nation faces a health-care funding crisis -- in both the public and the private sectors -- large retail employers such as Wal-Mart have become a convenient villain. In Florida, retailers account for one of every five jobs in the state, so by sheer virtue of their size, retail companies are an easy target. Let's try and set the record straight. Retailers are handling rising health-care costs the same as other employers are -- as best they can. For any business, employee retention is a major factor for success. Companies will even increase benefits to compete with other employers if they can afford it.There's no question that this is becoming harder to do. (2/8/06, Orlando Sentinel) More

 

Low-Fat Diet Does Not Cut Health Risks, Study Finds

A large study has found that a low-fat diet has no effect in reducing the risk of getting cancer or heart disease. (2/8/06, New York Times) More

HDHPS Appeal to Healthy, Wealthy, Tax-Wise
Federal employees enrolled in high-deductible health plans were likely to be younger, more highly paid, and enrolled as individuals, according to a Government Accounting Office report. The GAO examined federal employees' participation in 14 HDHPs in 2005, the first year such plans were offered. Plan deductibles ranged from $1,100-$2,500 for individuals and $2,200-$5,000 for family plans. Each high-deductible plan was coupled with a tax-exempt health savings account. (2/7/06, Benefitnews.com) More   

Election-Year Politics Imperil Bush Budget

President Bush's budget is barely a day old, but it already faces dire prospects in Congress. It's a blueprint better suited for an odd-numbered year. Odd-numbered years are when Congress typically takes on difficult budget issues. During even-numbered years, when lawmakers have to face the voters, they don't like to vote for things like cuts to Medicare, food stamps, farm subsidies and education. "I can't believe that there's a will to cut $36 billion out of Medicare," said Sen. Tom Harkin (2/7/06, AP News) More

 

Houston Hospital Leader Calls for Overhaul of Health Care System

Addressing reporters today in a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, the chief executive of Houston's Memorial Hermann Healthcare System said the U.S. health care system must move away from "small incremental changes" if health care is to remain affordable and accessible. (2/7/06, AHA News Now)  More

 

Tapestry: Demographics and Health Care

It should not be news to anyone that the United States has a diverse population; although our practice has not always been as pure as our posturing, we have traditionally prided ourselves on this aspect of our society. However, current and projected patterns of demographic change are more complex than they were historically, and the implications for the health care system are profound. (2/7/06, H&HN) More 

 

Groups call for more public health funding

A broad group of 412 public health and health care organizations, including the AHA, urged the president and Congress in a letter last week to increase discretionary funding for public health in the fiscal year 2007 budget by $1 billion plus an appropriate inflation factor, in addition to the administration's anticipated funding increase for pandemic flu preparedness. They said the increase is needed to restore more than $1 billion cut last year from public health programs, many of which continue to struggle in response to sharply increased demands in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and to accommodate new program initiatives. (2/6/06, AHA News) More

 

Bush Budget Plan Would Cut Many Programs That Support Charities;

White House Offers Some Charity Tax Breaks

The $2.8-trillion budget that President Bush sent to Congress on Monday would seek to stimulate charitable giving through an array of tax incentives, but it would also cut many federal programs on which charities rely. (2/6/06, Chronicle of Philanthropy) More

 

School Systems Face Health Care Squeeze

As more teachers look ahead to retirement, many are finding themselves having to choose between health care and other basic needs. Benefits they took for granted, such as health care, are becoming prohibitively expensive, both for them and their school districts. In a few cases, high costs and large numbers of retirees threaten to limit or cut off health benefits altogether, even in places where contracts negotiated long ago assured lifetime benefits. (2/6/06, USA Today) More

 

Rival Visions Led to Rocky Start for Drug Benefit

It was clearly intended to be a transformational moment in American politics: At a center for the elderly in Allentown, Pa., on Sept. 5, 2000, George W. Bush, then a presidential candidate, paid tribute to one of the signature... (02/2/06, New York Times) More

 

Federal Costs Dropping Under New Medicare Drug Plan

Federal spending on the new Medicare drug benefit will be 20 percent lower than expected this year because beneficiaries are choosing prescription drug plans with lower premiums, the Bush administration said Thursday. (2/2/06, New York Times) More 

 

Portable Insurance, Health Savings Accounts Debated

In President Bush's vision of America's health care future, people would have high-deductible insurance they take with them from job to job and tax-free health savings accounts to help pay for medical care. People would shop for the best quality and price because they would be responsible for a greater share of their medical expenses. (2-2-06, USA Today) More 

 

Congress Reauthorizes Grants for State High-Risk Insurance Pools

Congress has approved legislation extending federal funding for state high-risk health insurance pools through 2010. Passed unanimously by the Senate yesterday and the House Dec. 17, H.R. 4519 provides $15 million in fiscal year 2006 for seed grants to states without high-risk pools and $75 million a year through FY 2010 to offset operational losses for existing high-risk pools. (2/2/06, AHA News Now) More

 

Health Proposals Outlined by Bush in the State of the Union Are Analyzed

Newspapers examined whether consumer-directed health care, particularly health savings accounts (HSAs), would lead to lower health costs and fewer uninsured. (2/2/06, USA Today) More

 

House Passes Bill to Cut Entitlements, Including Sharp Cuts to Medicaid

A "contentious" budget-cutting bill that would save nearly $40 billion over five years and that passed narrowly in the House is the first one in almost a decade that attempts to slow the growth of entitlement programs, in large part through Medicaid cuts. (2/2/06, Washington Post) More

 

Fiscal discipline on the backs of the needy

OUR OPINION: REJECT BUDGET BILL IN FAVOR OF MORE SENSIBLE SAVINGS

The so-called Deficit Reduction Act is a prime example of how good intentions become laws that favor special interests at the expense of vulnerable populations that don't have high-priced lobbyists. This budget bill (S 1932) should have included more-sensible spending cuts, called for by the Senate, in both Medicare and Medicaid. Instead, lawmakers chose House provisions that promise greater hardship for needy beneficiaries and higher costs for local communities. (2/1/06, Miami Herald) More

 

President Bush Vows to Reduce Health Care Costs

In his State of the Union address, President Bush promised to use market-based reforms to lower health costs and help people afford the insurance they need. However, the health care and energy proposals that "had been heavily promoted in the run-up" to the address did not match the size and scope of his new initiative to increase basic scientific research and train more math and science teachers. (2/1/06, Washington Post) More

 

Return to Top

HEALTH ADVOCACY RESOURCES

February 17, 2006 

Note: New Resources are posted at the beginning of each section below.

 

FLORIDA CHAIN WEBSITE RESOURCES UPDATE

GRANTS

ORGANIZATIONS AND SERVICES

MANUALS, GUIDES, AND TOOLKITS

TECHNOLOGY AND AUDIO VISUAL RESOURCES

     Audioconferences and Webcasts

     Web Sites, Web Features

     Videos

PERIODICAL

REPORTS AND STUDIES

     New Listings

     Florida Reports

     Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIPS

     Health Insurance, Health Costs, Healthcare Reform

    Other Health Issues

 

 FLORIDA CHAIN WEB SITE RESOURCE UPDATE

 

The Florida CHAIN web site now includes resource information in Spanish. To access, click here.

 

A Top Ten Insider's Guide to Legislative Advocacy

Jack Levine, President of Advocacy Resources, offers "how-to" tips on effective strategies for legislative and congressional advocacy by "folks who are not at the Capitol every day." He advises us to understand the value of speaking up on public policy matters, and that "responsible advocacy is the heartbeat of a representative democracy." To access the Guide, click here.

 

Florida Healthy Start Coalition presentation

This educational presentation received many favorable comments from the House Health Appropriations Committee chair and members. It demonstrates how Healthy Start improves birth outcomes, saving Florida funds on expensive hospital care and reducing infant mortality rates. Healthy Start has not received an increase in state allocations since it began in 1991, and is requesting a first ever appropriation of $9.5 million to serve more than 28,000 additional eligible families. To view the presentation click here. 

GRANTS

 

HIV/AIDS Prevention Grants Program to reduce risk behaviors associated with HIV/AIDS among Native Americans and African American and Hispanic women. Deadline is Feb. 27.  Contact Lillie Brown, (202) 293-7330, fax (202) 293-2352. 

 

Finding Answers and Leading Change

Brief proposals due: March 16, 2006  Full proposals due: July 20, 2006

These two new Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national programs test and disseminate potential solutions to the poorer quality of health care that patients from certain racial and ethnic backgrounds are more likely to receive. These programs are key parts of the Foundation's effort to improve the quality of health care for all Americans, especially for vulnerable populations known to experience substandard care. 

 

2006 Regional Community Health Grants Program

The Aetna Foundation will fund philanthropic initiatives focused on the following health care issues: Childhood Health, Obesity (including diabetes)and Oral Health, and Depression.

 

American Heart Association, Clinton Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to Help Schools Create a Healthier Environment for Nation's Students

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation has announced a new collaboration with schools to create environments that foster healthy lifestyles and prevent overweight and obesity among students. The Alliance works to address the issues that contribute to childhood obesity and to inspire all young Americans to develop lifelong healthy habits. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation awarded the Alliance $8 million to support the Healthy Schools Program.

 

 

ORGANZATIONS AND SERVICES

 

Medicare Rights Center (MRC) is a comprehensive independent source of health care information and assistance for older adults and people with disabilities. Multiple services include: a telephone hotline that gives answers to Medicare questions or help securing coverage and getting health care; a database of case advice by topic; education and training to raise awareness and provide tools on benefits and rights, for beneficiaries and those who work with them; public policy work  to bring consumer voices to the national debate on health care reform; and communications with local and national media outlets. New electronic newsletters include weekly consumer and professional versions of Dear Marci featuring basic health tips, Medicare coverage advice, health plan reminders, and links to vital health care resources on the Internet; and biweekly Medicare Watch  with up-to-date health care policy news and changes in Medicare benefits and rules, Medicare Q&As and hotline cases.

 

The Long-Term Care Champions Network is seeking to raise public awareness on this important issue, and needs your help. There is no cost to join the Champions Network; they just want to hear your story.  If we continue to let Congress ignore this issue, our financial and health security could be jeopardized. For more information, click here.

 

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. They provide early intervention and resource support for people in times of personal and family crisis through education, referrals, affirmation, advocacy, collaborative planning and problem solving. To become part of their database, click here.

 

Client-Centered HIV Prevention Counseling, Testing and Referral

Marco Meneses, Planned Parenthood Community Health Educator in West Palm Beach, has completed this course and the course and is available to speak on the topic in Spanish. Call 561/641-0640.

 

MANUALS, GUIDES, TOOLKITS

 

Families USA is offering a new resource, Making Public Programs Work for Communities of Color: An Action Kit for Community Leaders, from its Minority Health Initiatives Department. The kit provides community leaders with information, tools, and resources to engage in health advocacy and improve the health and well being of their communities. Emphasizing the importance of public programs in reducing racial and ethnic health disparities, the kit contains: a summary and statistics of racial and ethnic health disparities and the role public programs can play in reducing them; an overview of Medicaid (and SCHIP) and Medicare, including their relationships to communities of color; fact sheets on improving health coverage for racial and ethnic minority groups; state and local case studies on health advocacy; advocacy tools including a powerpoint presentation, and lists of organizations and publications. Contact: 202/628-3030 or rpanares@familiesusa.org.

 

2005-2006 Marketing and Public Relations Tool Kit now available

Healthy Kids asks users to please forward updates on items used, including how they were used, numbers distributed and feedback on effectiveness. Call center staff need to be aware of any efforts so they know which items are out in each community and are prepared to address questions. To make changes or additions to any design or use the trademarked logos or phone numbers, prior approval is required to ensure that accurate information is distributed. Send requests to floyda@healthykids.org or fax to 850/224-0615.

 

Learning Resource Center at the Public Health Foundation

This newly designed site allows the user to keep track of orders with a personalized account, tell a colleague about a book or video, sign up to receive notices of new products, and write reviews. Notable materials include Spanish for the Healthcare Worker--Beginning and Intermediate.

 

The Schooled in Asthma Web site now offers a wide range of free tools & resources. The site is a project of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) with funding from the CDC to develop, implement, and evaluate a training program encouraging pediatricians to incorporate evidence-based asthma management guidelines with school health concepts and practices. 

 

CDC HPV Resources

CDC posters and brochures in English and Spanish for the general public are now available for free online ordering at  (see bottom of publication list). CDC's HPV Resource Guide for health care providers is also available. CDC’s patient booklet What you Should Know about Your Pap and HPV Test Results is in testing and will be available on for order or download soon.

 

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.

 

Turning the Tide: Why Acting on Inequity Can Help Reduce Chronic Diseases, a tool kit now available from the Public Health Agency of Canada's Atlantic Regional Office, is designed to support the use of the document, The Tides of Change: Addressing Inequity and Chronic Disease in Atlantic Canada; A Discussion Paper. The package was produced for use by community organizations in examining their work and policies and contains a variety of hands-on resources for use in presentations and group discussions. 

 

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched a Spanish version of their online nutrition guide, MyPyramid: Steps to a Healthier You. MiPirámide: Pasos Hacia Una Mejor Salud to make it easier for Spanish-speaking Americans to access information about healthy lifestyles and to personalize that information for their own benefit.

 

A Spanish translation of the Resource Guide to Mental Health Services of Palm Beach County is now available. The guide, published by the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Palm Beach County, provides information to mentally ill persons and their families and is being distributed to people in the Hispanic community who need it. For more information, call NAMI at 561/588-3477.

 

Trends and Indicators in the Changing Health Care Marketplace is an online chartbook that presents up-to-date information on key health care marketplace trends. The chartbook highlights national health expenditures, health care spending and costs, employee and retiree health coverage, HMO enrollment, hospital data, and public views on topics such as managed care, medical errors, and quality information.

 

APA Help Center Now Offers Psychology Materials in Spanish 

Access free Spanish language materials on mental health issues at the American Psychological Association's (APA) online help center.

My Bright Future Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Guide for Adult Women

US Department of Health and Human Services' HRSA guide

 

Health Literacy Style Manual

The Covering Kids & Families (CKF) National Program Office at the Southern Institute on Children and Families commissioned the MAXIMUS Center for Health Literacy to develop The Health Literacy Style Manual. The report is a resource for developing and improving applications, notices and other print materials related to government programs. It includes examples from real programs and can be used to make materials more client-centered, increasing consumers’ capacity to find and understand health information and services and to make informed health-related decisions.

 

TECHNOLOGY AND AUDIO/VIDEO RESOURCES

 

Audio Conferences and Webcasts

  

Friday, February 24th, at 12:00 PM Eastern Time, Families USA will hold a Conference call on Medicaid and the many harmful provisions of the '06 Budget.  This will be an excellent opportunity for us to specific questions, and  to learn how the changes to Medicaid contained in the budget will play out in each state. RSVP here.

A free webcast on HPV Vaccination: Rationale to Implementation will air on March 7, 2006. This webcast is a presentation of the Cincinnati STD/HIV Prevention Training Center, in collaboration with the Denver STD/HIV Prevention Training Center. It is intended primarily for clinicians who treat patients at risk for STDs. For more information and registration, visit http://stdptc.uc.edu/hpv.htm.

 

Consumer Driven Health Care Initiatives and Medicaid, call toll-free: 877-919-4059; Pass code: 88373800#  

Two background documents mentioned on the call are also available:   

A fact sheet on the ramifications of Florida’s Medicaid waiver proposal on children.

A paper on the substantial out-of-pocket medical expenses Medicaid beneficiaries incur.

 

Acts of Charity: Charity Care Strategies for Hospitals in a Changing Landscape

April 20, 2006   Based on a survey and other analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, this ACHI audio conference will convey up-to-date information about the fast-moving subject of charity care in the context of community benefit.  Join it to learn about the current state of practice, and to hear and discuss recommended strategies. 

 

Dental Care Access and Prevention Strategies

May 18, 2006  ACHI audio conference

 

Operation Access: Providing Donated Outpatient Surgery to Uninsured People

June 15, 2006   ACHI audio conference

 

 

Web Sites, Web Features & Databases

 

Florida Kids insurance application can be done online

Families wanting to apply for the state's health insurance program for children can now apply online. Florida Healthy Kids has redesigned its Web site at www.healthykids.org to allow people to apply electronically for the KidCare programs, which include Healthy Kids, Children's Medical Services and MediKids. (2/16/06, Daytona News-Journal) More

 

Interactive Tools on Medicaid

The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured presents the State Medicaid Fact Sheets and the Medicaid Benefits Online Database, two interactive tools featuring the latest key data, information and services provided for each state’s Medicaid program. Both tools allow for easy access to the data which can then be printed, saved and emailed.

 

2006 Federal Poverty Guidelines

The Southern Institute on Children and Families, National Program Office for Covering Kids & Families has made available the 2006 Federal Poverty Guidelines. Compiled from the 2006 HHS Poverty Guidelines, these guidelines provide income levels for families at 50%, 100%, 125%, 133%, 150%, 185% and 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.

 

Primer on Low-Income Working Families

Many low-income working families live one health crisis or job setback away from catastrophe. Some barely make ends meet despite "playing by the rules," and more than 9 million working families with children lead this precarious existence. Yet, we know little about their dynamics. This Urban Institute web feature provides a foundation for better understanding this at-risk population.

 

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

 

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.

 

Ask Me 3

Learn about Health Literacy and its impact on patients. This website also provides the three most important questions that consumers should ask their doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.

 

Videos

 

Public Health Foundation Media Resources

Several publications and videos related to minority health are now available through the Public Health Foundation's (PHF) online bookstore. Topics include: breastfeeding promotion in minority communities, epidemiology of diabetes, social determinants of health, neighborhoods and health disparities, as well as introductory Spanish for the healthcare worker. For a full list of resources on minority health, go to PHF's Learning Resource Center, click here. 

 

Free Resource: Community Outreach Home Health and Hospice Videos 

Ministry Home Care, a Wisconsin–based home health and hospice provider, has created two acclaimed videos for community and professional education, as well as patient/caregiver information. They demonstrate the impact home-based care can have on the lives of individuals.  When Home Is Where You Want to Be...Home Health Care, winner of the silver Telly Award, reviews options when anticipating rehabilitation from a surgical or medical procedure, or recovery from illness.  Recipient of the bronze Telly Award, Hospice...Because Every Moment Matters provides a clear, concise overview of today's hospice program—including holistic services, philosophy of care, and capabilities of specially trained professionals and volunteers.  To order and learn details, write to info@ministryhomecare.org 

 

 

PERIODICALS

 

The National Center for Health Education (NCHE) is happy to share with you our January/February '06 issue of the NCHE Growing Healthy Youth, Parents and Communities (YPC) newsletter. This issue features back-to-school information, activities and resources, as well as current health research, heath education resources, funding opportunities, upcoming events, and NCHE news.   

 

Kaiser Family Foundation is writing a weekly Medicare Q&A column that is being distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune News. The column answers questions from readers related to the new Medicare drug benefit.  

REPORTS AND STUDIES

New Listings

 

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities recent Budget Analysis reports:

 The Cost and Coverage Impact of the President’s Health Insurance Budget Proposals finds that the Administration's proposals to expand tax breaks for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) would cause a net increase in the number of uninsured Americans. Press Release  Full Report

 

Analysis of Medicaid Provisions in the Bush Administration 2007 Budget explains how most of the provisions in the budget, which include both legislative proposals and regulatory changes that the Administration is planning to make without legislative action, will shift Medicaid costs to the state: net federal Medicaid funding cuts equal to $14 billion over the next five years and $35.5 billion over ten years.  These funding cuts are on top of the significant federal Medicaid cuts ($4.9 billion over five years and $26.5 billion over ten years) enacted as part of the budget reconciliation bill signed into law on February 8.

 

The Administration’s Medicaid Proposals Would Shift Federal Costs to States finds that more than four-fifths of the Medicaid savings proposals in the Administration’s new budget would reduce federal Medicaid expenditures by shifting costs directly to the states.  The proposals would save the federal government $35 billion over the next decade, most of which would represent new costs for states. That likely would lead some states to scale back their Medicaid programs significantly by restricting eligibility and reducing coverage. Full Report  Press Release 

 

Hidden Budget Cuts in Domestic Programs Found in OMB Computer Files Withheld From Public; documents provided by the Office of Management and Budget omitted information about proposed funding levels for discretionary programs after 2007. But these proposal cuts for 2008-2011 — against which the cuts proposed for 2007 pale by comparison — have now come to light. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has assembled information on the proposed cuts (or increases) for all domestic program categories for years from 2008-2011, using Administration computer runs that were not widely distributed and a series of tables scattered throughout the OMB budget documents. In addition, a key OMB computer run detailing proposed program-by-program cuts for discretionary programs for each year after 2007 — which the Administration never intended to release — has surfaced. A key finding from this computer run, other OMB documents, and the Center's analysis of them is that many programs that would be cut only slightly in 2007 (or even expanded) would face significant cuts in 2008-2011.

 

President Greatly Reduced his Health Proposals for Lower-Income Families while Expanding Health Benefits for the More Affluent finds that the size of the health tax proposal for lower-income households has been scaled back by two-thirds from last year, while the health tax proposals disproportionately benefiting high-income households have more than quadrupled in size.

 

Federal Grants to States and Localities Cut Deeply in Fiscal Year 2007 Federal Budget, with state-by-state rankings, finds that the new budget continues to significantly erode grants to state and local governments. This leaves states and localities the option of either curtailing services or increasing their own taxes to compensate for declining federal funds.

 

The President's Budget: A Preliminary Analysis

 

Administration Defense of Health Savings Accounts Rests on Misleading Use of Statistics

This brief report from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities examines three specific claims regarding Health Savings Accounts that the President and other Administration officials have made in recent days.

 

New State-By-State Data on Medicaid and SCHIP's Success in Reducing the Coverage Gap for Children

Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families reports the surprisingly positive trends in coverage for children, largely due to Medicaid (and to a lesser extent, its smaller companion program, SCHIP), that provide affordable health insurance coverage to children in low-income families. However, there is significant variation across the states. The Center analyzed trends in the uninsured rate of all children low-income children since 1996/1997, the era when states aggressively began improving coverage. Tables   Methodology

 

Disease Management and Workplace Wellness

The Wellness Program Management Yearbook, Third Edition, a desk reference for wellness and health promotion professionals has been published. Compiled by the editors of Wellness Program Management Advisor, the monthly newsletter for workplace wellness professionals, this yearbook provides results of exclusive wellness management research, benchmark information, new program ideas, strategies, tips and checklists crucial for today's successful wellness program. 

 

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

 

Health and Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2005

The National Survey of Children's Health, conducted (by the National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC) for the first time in 2003, addresses multiple state and national aspects of child health as well as aspects of the family and the neighborhood that can affect children's health. 

 

Low-Income Children in the United States: National and State Trend Data, 1994-2004

After nearly a decade of decline, the number of children living in low-income families has been steadily increasing since 2000. This data book provides national and 50-state trend data on the characteristics of low-income children over the past decade: parental education, parental employment, marital status, family structure, race and ethnicity, age distribution, parental nativity, home ownership, residential mobility, type of residential area, and region of residence. 

 

Health Care Reform: 2006 Perspectives

In his annual address to the nation, President Bush outlined a number of health reform strategies. The Commonwealth Fund-supported research provides perspective on approaches to addressing the issues of health care costs, quality and coverage, and details promising innovations to help the U.S. move toward a truly high-performance health care system. 

 

Kaiser Health Poll Report: Findings on 2006 State of the Union Address and Health Care

A new poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation examines what the public took away from President Bush's State of the Union address, finding that the health messages in the speech have yet to register with most Americans. Despite extensive news coverage both before and after the speech giving information about the President's proposals for expanding the use of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), seventy-one percent of adults have not heard the term "health savings account."

 

Is Technological Change In Medicine Always Worth It?

This report examines Medicare costs and survival gains for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during 1986-2002. As before, researchers found that overall gains in post-AMI survival more than justified the increases in costs during this period. Since 1996, however, survival gains have stagnated, while spending has continued to increase. Regions experiencing the largest spending gains were not those realizing the greatest improvements in survival. Factors yielding the greatest benefits to health were not the factors that drove up costs, and vice versa. (2/7/06, Health Affairs)

 

Few Hospitals Use Patients' Race, Ethnicity and Language Data to Improve Quality of Care

Health care stakeholders urge all U.S. hospitals to use patient data to improve the quality and consistency of care their patients receive.  The study was conducted by the National Public Health and Hospital Institute with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 

 

Cover California's Kids: Three New Reports Highlight Optimal Outreach and Enrollment Strategies

New research finds that while California has made strides in expanding health coverage to children of low-income families, improving the confusing and onerous enrollment process of health insurance programs is needed to reach the significant number of kids who remain uninsured. The Path to Accessing Health Coverage finds that more uninsured kids would have health coverage if there were a single point of entry for children who may be eligible for different health programs for low-income children. Reaching Out and Reaching In: Understanding Efforts to Identify and Enroll Uninsured Children into Health Insurance Programs examines and assesses the different methods used to identify and enroll kids in health coverage programs, recommending that a variety of outreach methods and strategies are needed. Increasing Enrollment and Retention in Children's Health Insurance Programs Through Trained Assistors finds that a standardized, comprehensive approach to training would improve the ability of Certified Application Assistors (CAAs) to help parents get and keep their kids enrolled in public health coverage programs.

 

Close-Knit Neighborhoods May Help Prevent Children from Becoming Overweight

Adolescents living in close-knit neighborhoods where adults provide social support – such as watching out for youngsters and seeking to correct their misbehavior – are just half as likely to be overweight or nearly overweight as other children, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

 

Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environment Chemicals

CDC's analyses of environmental toxins have found very high levels of DDT and other pesticides in surveyed Mexican-Americans, about twice that of African-Americans, and three times that of whites.

 

Mississippi's 'Heart Man' Examines Links Between Race and Disease
From now until 2014, researchers will follow 5,302 black residents of three Mississippi counties,observing their lives and how their heart health is related to their environment.  Participants will receive periodic medical examinations and referrals for care when problems are detected. The ultimate aim of the $54 million investigation, Dr. Taylor said, "is to gain the information we need to stop an epidemic of cardiovascular diseases within the African-American community." (2/7/06, New York Times)

 

Florida Reports 

 

Florida KidCare’s web site now has these two reports for pdf download: Florida KidCare Statewide Enrollment Trend, Title XXI Enrollment and Major Program Changes.

 

 

Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIPS

 

Medicare Modernization Act: An Early Look at Medicare Drug Plan Options for Connecticut’s Medicare Beneficiaries states, “For example, four of the ten ‘worst’ plans for the person with schizophrenia did a better-than-average job covering the medications of the prototype senior. As such, the review highlights that the best plan for an individual often is a highly specific function of the particular medication needs” (CT Health Fdn., Dec. 2005)

 

Quality of care in for-profit and not-for-profit health plans enrolling Medicare beneficiaries, a recent Harvard study in the Dec. 2005 American Journal of Medicine, found that enrollees in Medicare + Choice for-profit health plans received significantly lower-quality care than those in not-for-profit Medicare + Choice plans in all four areas examined: breast cancer screenings, diabetic eye exams, beta-blockers administered after heart attack, and follow-up after hospitalization for mental illness, even after adjustment for socio-economic, demographic and health plan variations. (Medicare + Choice was renamed Medicare Advantage in 2004). 

 

A special report on Medicaid, by the Pew Center on the States, seeks to analyze the real-world experiences of states, highlight examples of what works and what doesn't, and inform a crucial policy debate that will affect the lives of millions of Americans. Federal policy has encouraged enrollment of Medicare beneficiaries in health plans, the majority of which are for-profit plans.  

 

In Quality of care in for-profit and not-for-profit health plans enrolling Medicare beneficiaries, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Harvard Medical School report their findings that not-for-profit health plans provided significantly higher quality of care to enrollees than for-profit plans on four important clinical services; breast cancer screening, diabetic eye examination, beta-blocker medication after heart attack and follow-up after hospitalization for mental illness.

 

Mathematica gives good marks in its report to Congress on the State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIPs) that offer health care coverage to children in families with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level and beyond. In almost all areas examined – outreach, enrollment and access to services – the programs are succeeding. In the 10 states studied, programs were put in place quickly, and overall, families were satisfied with the ease of enrolling children, many of whom remained enrolled for 12 months, depending on the state.

 

Most studies of health coverage expansion policies focus on their potential national impact. Variations in the Impact of Health Coverage Expansion Proposals across States finds that federal strategies have greatly varied effects on different states. This report examines the variability among states with regard to economic characteristics, health care markets, and numbers of uninsured.

 

Some contend that Medicaid has stretched beyond its original purpose of providing a safety net for the poor and has evolved into an asset shelter for the rich. Medicaid’s Coverage of Nursing Home Costs: Asset Shelter for the Wealthy or Essential Safety Net? reviews the empirical evidence and finds that asset transfers are not significant contributors to Medicaid costs now, and implementing policies designed to further limit them is unlikely to significantly reduce Medicaid costs.

 

Beginning in January 2006, open enrollment period limitations (also known as enrollment lock-in provisions) will restrict the number of times (and the times of the year) that Medicare beneficiaries can change health plans. Estimating Medicare Advantage Lock-In Provisions Impact on Vulnerable Medicare Beneficiaries examines Medicare managed care enrollment and disenrollment of vulnerable beneficiaries from 1999 to 2001 to estimate the impact of these upcoming restrictions.

 

Beginning in 2006, 42 million elderly and disabled Medicare beneficiaries will have access to prescription drug coverage through Part D of the Medicare program, including an estimated 14.4 million beneficiaries who will be eligible for low-income subsidies. Low-Income Assistance under the Medicare Drug Benefit provides an overview of the drug benefit and the low-income subsidies, including participation and eligibility.

 

With discussions on restructuring Medicaid occurring in state capitols and Washington, DC, two new reports provide the latest data on how much of Medicaid's spending is used to cover mandatory versus optional populations and services. The issue paper, Medicaid: An Overview of Spending on "Mandatory" vs. "Optional" Populations and Services, offers a brief summary of the data and a discussion of the practical implications of policy changes. The background report, "Medicaid Enrollment and Spending by ‘Mandatory’ and ‘Optional’ Eligibility and Benefit Categories” (same page) offers a more detailed examination of the methodology and results.

 

Financing for the nation’s health care safety net is fragmented, and providers must knit together resources from many different funding sources to cover the costs of providing a broad range of services. Stresses to the Safety Net: The Public Hospital Perspective describes those sources of revenue, documenting that nearly 40 percent of all safety net revenues come from Medicaid.

 

Over the past few years, a number of states have implemented new or increased existing out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries in their Medicaid, SCHIP, or other public programs. Increasing Premiums and Cost Sharing in Medicaid and SCHIP: Recent State Experiences reviews the key findings from this activity, including the impact on enrollment in public coverage programs, on providers, and on access to care.

 

In January 2006, Medicare will begin providing coverage for outpatient prescription drugs, and many low-income beneficiaries will have to meet both an income and asset test to receive assistance. Low-Income Subsidies for the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit: The Impact of the Asset Test estimates that in 2006, 2.37 million low-income Medicare beneficiaries will not qualify for subsidized coverage because they will fail the asset test. The report also examines how the low-income asset test works and the characteristics of people likely to be excluded.

 

 

Health Insurance, Health Costs, Healthcare Reform

 

State of the States: Finding Their Own Way on Health Coverage, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program that works with states to expand health insurance coverage, today issued its latest annual "State of the States" report, summarizing strategies states are implementing or considering to expand health coverage.

 

The Center for American Progress and American Progress Action Fund have a new initiative to help build momentum around health care reform and to support progressive policymakers committed to with SEIU's Americans for Health Care, they fielded a national poll to create and test health care messages with the public. In brief, the public believes the health care system is broken and understands that policymakers have failed to address this issue. With American families feeling increasingly helpless in the face of skyrocketing

costs and stagnant wages, they are hungry for real reform. Click here for the poll results, executive summary and more.

 

Rising Out-of-Pocket Spending for Medical Care: A Growing Strain on Family Budgets

Since the late 1990s, accelerated growth in health care spending has translated into increased burdens on family budgets. In 2001–02, an average of 13 million families per year had direct out-of-pocket (OOP) costs equal to or exceeding 10 percent of family income. When premium costs are added into the equation, even more families are devoting a substantial share of resources to health care expenses. From the Commonwealth Fund. 

 

Health Coverage for Aging Baby Boomers

Rising out-of-pocket health care costs and sluggish wage growth threatens workers' ability to save for retirement. This is particularly true for adults ages 50 to 64, or "baby boomers," whose per capita health care expenditures are more than twice those of younger adults. In this January 2006 published analysis of The Commonwealth Fund Survey of Older Adults, the authors explore the extent and quality of health insurance coverage for baby boomers in the workforce. Among their key findings: older adults have high rates of chronic health conditions; many have unstable insurance coverage; those who have low income, individual coverage, or no insurance spend a substantial share of their income on coverage and health care and have reduced access to care.

 

A recent Urban Institute report, Lowering Financial Burdens and Increasing Health Insurance Coverage for Those with High Medical Costs, reviews evidence that the health care system is doing a poor job of ensuring care for those who most need it and offers options for subsidizing health care coverage for high-cost, high-risk populations. 

 

Young adults are one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the U.S. population without health insurance. They often lose coverage under their parents' policies at age 19 or when they graduate from high school or college. The updated Rite of Passage: Why Young Adults Become Uninsured and How New Policies Can Help suggests several policy changes that could extend coverage to uninsured young adults.

 

Between 2000 and 2003, the number of Americans without health insurance coverage grew by 5 million, with nearly the entire increase attributed to a decline in employer-sponsored coverage. A Shared Responsibility: U.S. Employers and the Provision of Health Insurance to Employees explores the characteristics of workers who do not receive coverage from their own firms; examines how health care costs are spread across workers, employers, and the government; and recommends policy options to expand and strengthen employer-sponsored coverage.

 

In addition to the 45 million uninsured adults in the United States, another 16 million adults were underinsured in 2003, meaning their insurance did not adequately protect them against catastrophic health care expenses. Insured But Not Protected: How Many Adults Are Underinsured? explains that underinsured adults are almost as likely as the uninsured to go without needed medical care and to incur medical debt. (Full article available with subscription.)

 

 

Other Health Issues

 

Healthy Food, Healthy Communities: Improving Access and Opportunities Through Food Retailing

An often-ignored cause of obesity and poor health is a lack of access to good, healthy food. Residents in low-income communities have limited options for healthy eating and often resort to buying unhealthy foods at corner stores or fast food outlets. This new California Endowment PolicyLink report, Healthy Food, Healthy Communities: Improving Access and Opportunities through Food Retailing, shows how low-income communities are accessing healthy, affordable food in their neighborhoods. 

 

Disparities in Health Analyzed

A group of Pitt researchers and directors traveled to Washington last week to take part in a conference on racial and ethnic disparities in health and healthcare. "This conference represents Pitt coming to the nation's capital to create a partnership with the federal government on an effort we launched in 2001," said Stephen Thomas, director of Pitt's Center for Minority Health. The summit had been held in Pittsburgh for the past five years, where it was only able to hold 300 participants. This year, more than 2,000 clinicians, physician researchers, public health professionals and practitioners attended.

 

Ethnic and Racial Differences May Affect Lung Cancer Risk 

African Americans and Native Hawaiians are more susceptible to lung cancer from cigarette smoking than are whites, Japanese Americans, and Latinos, according to the results of a large cohort study published in the January 26 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

 

These have recently been added to the web site of Fletcher Allen Health Care in Alliance with the University of Vermont (FAHC): Rural Hispanics at a Glance A 2005 report by the USDA's Economic Research Service and Review of Pesticide Education materials for Health Care Providers Providing Care to Agricultural Workers Evaluates the medical resources available to providers

   

  STATE HEALTH EVENTS AND NOTICES

February 17, 2006

 

NORTH FLORIDA

 

Duval County Medicaid Reform Recipient/Advocate Workshop

Tuesday, February 28, 2006  9 am to 12 pm, Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront.  For more information, contact: 850/413-9662 or faganl@ahca.myflorida.com

 

Walk for the Minds of America

Tuesday, April 4 in Tallahassee

NAMI Florida is holding this event to raise awareness about mental illness and to raise funds for NAMI. For more information, call 850/671-4445 or 877/626-4352.

 

 

CENTRAL FLORIDA

 

Approaching Advocacy: Success Stories of Central Floridians

March 1, 2006, 11:45 am - 1:30 pm including lunch   Rollins College, Winter Park

Learn how you already have what it takes to be an advocate. Hear three colleagues share their successful approaches to advocacy. Get a jumpstart on the legislative session. $25 Philanthropy Center Members, $50 Non-members. For more information click here

 

Medicare Part D - “The Storm is Here”

March 7, 2006,  9:00 am – 4:15 pm  First Presbyterian Church of Orlando

Free of charge; $9 for lunch with drink.

For attorneys and other advocates interested in Elder Law, Aging, and recent changes in Medicare and Medicaid law and benefits. Interactive, informal training for beginning and advanced learners. This Program normally qualifies for Continuing Legal Education Credits in Florida.  Register online; walk-ins welcome. For information call 850/385-7900 or 904/768-8561, or  email Layne@floridalegal.org or Sharon@floridalegal.org

 

National Council on  Disability

March 13–14, 2006, at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. This meeting is open to the public and free of charge. For more information, contact Mark Quigley at 202-272-2004 or 202-272-2074.    

 

Forging Connections, Creating Seamless Health Care for Children & Their Families 

March 14-16 in Orlando

National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality's 5th Annual Forum for Improving Children's Health Care aims to build will for improvement by highlighting successful evidence-based models and interventions and creating a community of dedicated professionals, policymakers, and payers working to transform health care for children. For details, click here. 

 

Advocacy Jump Start 2006-2007: Conquer Your Fears & Become An Advocate

APRIL 6, 2006, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Rollins College, Winter Park

The Public Policy Director of the Minnesota Council on Nonprofits, and noted author on nonprofit advocacy, will host a full day of mini-sessions designed to conquer advocacy fears and introduce you to the public policy process. At lunch, Walt Disney World’s V. P. of Government Relations will discuss who currently holds power, from both a conservative and liberal viewpoint, and the best way to convince these players that your issue is worthy of support. Philanthropy Center Members: $100 workshop, $25 lunch; Non-members $200 workshop, $50 lunch. Board members may attend any or all sessions for free, when accompanied by a staff member. For more information click here

 

 

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA

 

 

Citizens' Health Care Working Group Miami Community Meeting

March 9, 2006, 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm  Grand Bay, Coconut Grove
The Congressionally appointed Citizens' Health Care Working Group has been charged with listening to and learning from the American public at large about concerns with the nation’s health system. They are holding community meetings to listen to communities about their local concerns, as well as to solicit recommendations to help shape national health policy. Register for the Miami meeting. For more information click here.

Community Health Fair Celebrates Black History Month
Saturday, February 18, Miami Dade College Medical Center Campus. In collaboration with several community-based organizations, the College is hosting its first ever Community Health Fair as part of the Black History Month celebration. In addition to many free medical screenings and health information, there will be food, Steel Band music and an African Marketplace. Free bus transportation (courtesy of Miami Dade Transit) is available from several locations. For more information, click here or call 305/237-4209.

Public Meeting on Medicaid Eligibility (Belle Glade)

Wed., Feb. 22, 2006, 10 am to 12 noon, Belle Glade City Hall

DCF will gather information and comments on the eligibility determination process for Medicaid benefits based on age or disability, including nursing home care.  The process includes the electronic web based application, referrals, notices and communication with staff. The meeting is not intended to address eligibility criteria such as income and asset limits, or service issues such as access to prescription drugs. For additional information, or special accommodations for disability, contact:  Kathie Beeson at 561/837-5660

 

Town Hall Meeting on Voluntary Pre-K, School Health, and Medicare/Medicaid Reform 

February 25, 2006, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm, Miami Edison Middle School. Several confirmed speakers include State Rep. Yolly Roberson and Children's Trust Fund President David Lawrence. For more information:305/754-4683 (Susana Mauri)

 

Public Meeting on Medicaid Eligibility (Delray Beach)

Mon., Feb. 27, 2006, 10 am to 12 noon, DCF Service Center, 1845 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach

DCF will gather information and comments on the eligibility determination process for Medicaid benefits based on age or disability, including nursing home care.  The process includes the electronic web based application, referrals, notices and communication with staff. The meeting is not intended to address eligibility criteria such as income and asset limits, or service issues such as access to prescription drugs. For additional information, or special accommodations for disability, contact:  Kathie Beeson at 561/837-5660

 

Public Meeting on Medicaid Eligibility (WPB)

Tues., Feb. 28, 2006, 10 am to 12 noon, DCF, Elisha Newton Dimick Bldg., 111 S. Sapodilla Ave., WPB

DCF will gather information and comments on the eligibility determination process for Medicaid benefits based on age or disability, including nursing home care.  The process includes the electronic web based application, referrals, notices and communication with staff. The meeting is not intended to address eligibility criteria such as income and asset limits, or service issues such as access to prescription drugs. For additional information, or special accommodations for disability, contact:  Kathie Beeson at 561/837-5660

 

Broward County Medicaid Reform Recipient/Advocate Workshop

Wednesday, March 1, 2006   9 am to 12 pm, Nova Southeastern University, Huizenga School of Business, Carl DeSantis Building Auditorium 1124

For more information, contact: 850/413-9662 or faganl@ahca.myflorida.com

 

Broward County MediPass Provider Medicaid Reform Workshop

Wednesday, March 1, 2006  6 pm to 9 pm, Nova Southeastern University, Huizenga School of Business, Carl DeSantis Building Auditorium 1124

For more information, contact: 850/413-9662 or faganl@ahca.myflorida.com

 

Medicare Part D - “The Storm is Here”

March 8, 2006, 9:00 am – 4:15 pm  Florida  International University, North Miami 

Free of charge; $9 for lunch with drink. For attorneys and other advocates interested in Elder Law, Aging, and recent changes in Medicare and Medicaid law and benefits. Interactive, informal training for beginning and advanced learners. This Program normally qualifies for Continuing Legal Education Credits in Florida.  Register online; walk-ins welcome. For information call 850/385-7900 or 904/768-8561, or  email Layne@floridalegal.org or Sharon@floridalegal.org

 

Third Annual NARSAD Palm Beach Scientific Symposium

on research related to psychiatric disorders

Saturday, March 11, 2006  8:30 am – 12:30 pm  Palm Beach County Convention Center, West Palm Beach

Free admission. Learn about the latest research developments in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and related mental illnesses, including genetics, medication, alternative treatments. CEUs for LCSWs, LMHCs, RN/LPNs RSVP 800/257-0944.

 

Exhibitors Needed for Hip Hop 4 Health Fairs in Miami-Dade

Saturday, February 25th   11 AM to 2 PM, Horace Mann Middle School, 8950 NW 2 Avenue (Tentative site)

Saturday, April 29th   11 AM to 2 PM, South Miami Middle School, 6750 SW 60 Street

Saturday, May 20th   11 AM to 2 PM, Health Fair at a central location within Miami-Dade County

Hip Hop 4 Health is an outreach effort to help middle school kids get health screenings and information to lead healthier lives. Four health fairs also featuring entertainment will target students, their families and the surrounding communities in underserved areas of Miami-Dade County. Social service and healthcare agencies are invited to participate in these fairs at no cost. Contact Hilda Mitrani at hildamitrani@comcast.net or 305-992-3475.

 

Symbolic Community Walk for Brain Disorders

Sunday, April 9, 2006  8:30 am, Dreher Park in WPB

Walk to end stigma; promote healthy minds & healthy families; provide growth of programs for children, adolescents and adults with brain disorders as well as their caregivers; and educate and unify the community to foster awareness and understanding. For registration or more information: debbyp2@bellsouth.net

 

SoundBytes Opens Store in Ft. Lauderdale Office of League For The Hard of Hearing

This catalog, web and retail-based company, specializing in providing assistive equipment for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals and agencies that serve them, has opened a new location at the League for the Hard of Hearing 2800 Oakland Park Blvd., Suite 306. A portion of each sale will be donated to the League, which provides not-for-profit services for people with hearing loss. Store hours are Tues. and Thurs., 9 am to 12:00 pm, and 1 - 5 pm, coinciding with the days when the League serves as a distribution center for Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc. (FTRI). Appointments may be scheduled for other times by calling 954/717-4034.

 

STATEWIDE

 

 

EVENTS

 

Florida's 4th Annual Supportive Housing Conference: Welcome Home to a Place of Your Own 

February 27-28, 2006 in Fort Lauderdale

Topics will include Medicaid Reform and Creating Community Coalitions. For more information call 786/293-2441 or write to mariabaeza@flsupportivehousing.org. 

Click here for more information.

 

8th Annual Coalition to Protect Health Care Access Patient Advocacy Fly-In

March 14-15, 2006  Tallahassee

One-on-one meetings with legislators, workshops, training in key issues including Medicaid, Medicare Part-D, other prescription coverage, and other critical issues of the 2006 legislative session. Hotel reservation deadline is Feb. 20; call the Doubletree at 850/224-5000 with code CPHCA. For more information call 850/224-1174.

  

Cover the Uninsured Week 2006 will take place May 1-7

Visit covertheuninsuredweek.org to see Florida events.

 

NOTICES

 

Florida’s Medicaid Pharmacy Services Instructions Re: Medicare Part D

On January 26, 2006, the State of Florida has issued instructions for Medicaid Pharmacy Providers on newly prescription payments on behalf of certain Medicare/Medicaid dual eligible recipients who are unable to  obtain prescriptions or who are being required to pay deductibles, co-insurance  or incorrect co-payments with their Part D prescription benefit.

 

State of Florida Seeks Federal Waivers to Create Senior Care Program

On January 26, 2006, the State of Florida has announced that AHCA will submit waiver applications to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to seek approval for the Florida Senior Care Program.  Florida Senior Care is an integrated managed care pilot program for Medicaid participants age sixty and older who reside in the Florida Panhandle and Central Florida regions. 

 

  

NATIONAL EVENTS AND NOTICES

February 17, 2006

CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

AUDIO CONFERENCES

NOTICES

CAMPAIGNS AND INITIATIVES

 

CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

 

Politics Online Conference 2006

March 7-8, 2006 in Washington, DC. George Washington University' Institute for POlitics, Democracy & the Internet hosts this annual event for Political Tech-Fluentials:  community activists, issues advocates or political professionals who use technology to stay on the cutting edge.

 

Forging Connections, Creating Seamless Health Care for Children & Their Families 

will be held March 14-16 in Orlando. National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality's 5th Annual Forum for Improving Children's Health Care aims to build will for improvement by highlighting successful evidence-based models and interventions and creating a community of dedicated professionals, policymakers, and payers working to transform health care for children. For details, click here. 

 

Spring Training for Health Champions

ACHI's annual conference, will take place March 14-16, 2006 in Phoenix, AZ. It will focus on challenges in access to care faced by hospitals, health care providers and communities, given the number of uninsured at an all-time high, and recognizing the importance of causes of unequal access and of finding local, state, and national solutions. For more information, click here.

 

Empowering Communities to Bridge Health Divides

will be held April 1-2, 2006 at Yale University, New Haven, CT, convening more than 600 student leaders and activists, doctors, public health professionals, nurses and others from throughout the world who are interested in international service, global health, public health, and medicine. The conference goal is to inform the public about health divides and empower them to develop solutions to improve access to care for the medically underserved. For details click here. 

 

Third Annual Connecting Communities Learning Forum and Exhibition

April 9th – 11th, 2006 -- Washington, DC

The eHealth Initiative and Foundation (eHI) announces this Learning Forum to bring together diverse stakeholders, including practicing clinicians, health plans, public sector leaders including federal and state policy-makers, quality improvement organizations, and emerging regional and community based health information organizations to identify strategies (clinical, financial, legal, organizational, and technical) to support better health and healthcare through health information exchange. Click here for details. 

 

AUDIO CONFERENCES 

 

Audio Conferences and Webcasts

  

Conference call on Medicaid and the '06 Budget

February 24, 2006, 12:00 PM EST. Families USA will hold a Conference call on Medicaid and the many harmful provisions of the '06 Budget.  This will be an excellent opportunity to get answers to specific questions, and  to learn how the changes to Medicaid contained in the budget will play out in each state. RSVP here.

 

HPV Vaccination: Rationale to Implementation 

March 7, 2006. This webcast is a presentation of the Cincinnati STD/HIV Prevention Training Center, in collaboration with the Denver STD/HIV Prevention Training Center. It is intended primarily for clinicians who treat patients at risk for STDs. For more information and registration, visit http://stdptc.uc.edu/hpv.htm.

 

Acts of Charity: Charity Care Strategies for Hospitals in a Changing Landscape
April 20, 2006   Based on a survey and other analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, this ACHI audio conference will convey up-to-date information about the fast-moving subject of charity care in the context of community benefit.  Join it to learn about the current state of practice, and to hear and discuss recommended strategies. 

 

Dental Care Access and Prevention Strategies

May 18, 2006  ACHI audio conference

 

Operation Access: Providing Donated Outpatient Surgery to Uninsured People

June 15, 2006   ACHI audio conference

 

 

NOTICES

 

Filmmaker Michael Moore is soliciting personal stories of misfortune through health care access problems, lack of insurance, etc. for his next movie, a documentary about the health care industry. Send your stories to him directly.

 

 

CAMPAIGNS AND INITIATIVES

 

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week: Feb. 26 - March 4

For materiais: 800/931-2239  info@nationaleatingdisorders.org  www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

 

National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month: March

For materials: 800/227-2732   877/35-COLON  Andrea.Untrojb@preventcancer.org  www.preventcancer.org/colorectal

 

National Nutrition Month®: March

For materials: 800/877-1600 x4771  nnm@eatright.org  www.eatright.org

 

Save Your Vision Month: March

For materials: 314/991-4100  slthomas@aoa.org  www.aoa.org

 

National Brain Awareness Week

March 13-19, 2006. The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives has launched its web site for this week, including an international events calendar.  Partner organizations must register to submit activities and order free publications and stickers. Order deadline for free shipping is March 6. Many tools are available on the website. For more information, click here.

 

National Sleep Awareness Week: March 27 - April 2

For materials: 202/347-3471  nsf@sleepfoundation.org  www.sleepfoundation.org

 

American Diabetes Alert Day: March 28

For materials: 800/DIABETES  askada@diabetes.org  www.diabetes.org/communityprograms-and-localevents/americandiabetesalert.jsp

 

National Donate Life Month: April

For materials: 301/443-7577  ask@hrsa.gov  www.organdonor.gov/donatelife.htm 

 

Alcohol Awareness Month: April

For materials: 800/789-2647  866/889-2647 TDD www.mentalhealth.org

 

National Alcohol Screening Day: April 6

For materials: 781/239-0071   info@mentalhealthscreening.org  www.NationalAlcoholScreeningDay.org 

 

National Infant Immunization Week: April 22 - 29

For materials: 800/232-4636 English/Spanish  nipinfo@cdc.gov   www.cdc.gov/nip/events/niiw/

 

National Public Health Week 2006

April 3-9, 2006. The American Public Health Association and hundreds of partner organizations will explore ways that Americans can build healthier communities and healthier kids. Communities across the country will consider how buildings, roads, sidewalks and neighborhood design are affecting the health of children. For more information, click here.

 

Second Annual Medical Fitness Week

April 24–30, 2006. The Medical Fitness Association sponsoring this international initiative to promote an increase in physical activity levels in all ages and to highlight the medical fitness difference. Medical fitness centers and communities are asked to offer programming to teach families skills to develop healthy lifestyle habits. All participating organizations are also asked to raise money through participation the Walking Challenge for local programs to fight childhood obesity. For details, click here.

National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and Walk4Life, Inc. also remind parents that children learn to get more physically active by example, with their new brochure, 101 Tips for Family Fitness Fun. For a free copy and information about bulk rate costs, email jlee-beverly@aahperd.org.  To purchase copies, call 1/800-321-0789.  Stock number is 304-10322. Spanish brochures, Consejos Divertidos para una Familia en Forma, are also available.

 

Cover the Uninsured Week 2006

May 1-7, 2006. To download and order resources and materials including posters, stickers, fliers and more, for little or no cost, click here.  For large or special orders, call 202/572-2928.  

 

National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

May 3, 2006. Many materials and opportunities for community activities are available here. 

 

Mental Health Month: May

For materials: 800/969-6642  www.nmha.org

 

National High Blood Pressure Education Month: May

For materials: 301/592-8573   nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov  hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/nhbpep_kit

 

Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month: May

For materials: 888/462-DERM  mediarelations@aad.org  www.aad.org 

 

Healthy Vision Month: May

For materials:   301/496-5248 hvm@nei.nih.gov  www.healthyvision2010.org/hvm/ 

 

National Women's Health Week: May 14 - 20

For materials: 202/690-7651  4woman@ps.net  www.womenshealth.gov

  

National Men's Health Week: June 12 - 18

For materials: 202/543-MHN-1 x101  info@menshealthweek.org  www.menshealthweek.org 

 

2006 March of Dimes WalkAmerica: June 29 - 30

For materials: 888/M-O-DIMES   800/525-WALK   walkamerica@modimes.org  www.walkamerica.org 
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