Friday, 19 April 2013
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Princess Health and Business leaders discuss possibility of expanding Medicaid through private insurance.Princessiccia
Affordable Care Act business federal government governor health care access health care costs health insurance Medicaid Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act state governmentBy Molly Burchett
Kentucky Health News
Some Kentucky business leaders are discussing a possible endorsement of expanding Medicaid through private insurance, in a plan similar to one the federal government approved for Arkansas.
The Health Policy Council of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce discussed the idea last Friday. A talking paper for the meeting highlighted presumed benefits of the approach, in which people newly eligible for Medicaid could use federal funds to buy private insurance through the insurance exchange that the state is constructing.
The health council has yet to decide the chamber's position on Medicaid expansion, but the council's talking paper said expanding Medicaid privately might be a better option than expansion of traditional Medicaid, considering the state's tight budget and already problematic managed care system.
The paper says a private plan would be beneficial to Kentucky because it would allow market forces to control costs and ultimately result in better health care. Private expansion would also prevent a flood of newly eligible people from entering the managed care system. "If Kentucky accepts the traditional Medicaid expansion, everyone that qualifies would be put into the already struggling managed care system, which until changes are made, cannot support the influx," the paper asserted.
The Obama administration has encouraged states to consider the Arkansas approach, the paper says. To do so, states need to apply for a waiver, and the administration has provided information on how a state would apply. "Florida, Ohio, Louisiana, Maine and Pennsylvania are all looking into this option," the paper said.
An estimated 181,000 uninsured adults would become eligible for Medicaid in 2014, if Kentucky decides to accept the funds offered by the health law to provide coverage to those earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.
Gov. Steve Beshear has said he will make his decision about Medicaid expansion no later than July 1. His office has declined to say whether the privatized option is under consideration, saying, "The governor is considering multiple issues as he determines whether Kentucky will expand Medicaid eligibility. Along with affordability for the state, he is also looking at potential economic impact through jobs and investment created by possible expansion, as well anticipated changes in health outcomes for newly-eligible Kentuckians."
Kentucky Health News
Some Kentucky business leaders are discussing a possible endorsement of expanding Medicaid through private insurance, in a plan similar to one the federal government approved for Arkansas.
The Health Policy Council of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce discussed the idea last Friday. A talking paper for the meeting highlighted presumed benefits of the approach, in which people newly eligible for Medicaid could use federal funds to buy private insurance through the insurance exchange that the state is constructing.
The health council has yet to decide the chamber's position on Medicaid expansion, but the council's talking paper said expanding Medicaid privately might be a better option than expansion of traditional Medicaid, considering the state's tight budget and already problematic managed care system.
The paper says a private plan would be beneficial to Kentucky because it would allow market forces to control costs and ultimately result in better health care. Private expansion would also prevent a flood of newly eligible people from entering the managed care system. "If Kentucky accepts the traditional Medicaid expansion, everyone that qualifies would be put into the already struggling managed care system, which until changes are made, cannot support the influx," the paper asserted.
The Obama administration has encouraged states to consider the Arkansas approach, the paper says. To do so, states need to apply for a waiver, and the administration has provided information on how a state would apply. "Florida, Ohio, Louisiana, Maine and Pennsylvania are all looking into this option," the paper said.
An estimated 181,000 uninsured adults would become eligible for Medicaid in 2014, if Kentucky decides to accept the funds offered by the health law to provide coverage to those earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.
Gov. Steve Beshear has said he will make his decision about Medicaid expansion no later than July 1. His office has declined to say whether the privatized option is under consideration, saying, "The governor is considering multiple issues as he determines whether Kentucky will expand Medicaid eligibility. Along with affordability for the state, he is also looking at potential economic impact through jobs and investment created by possible expansion, as well anticipated changes in health outcomes for newly-eligible Kentuckians."
Princess Health and Baucus sees a health-reform 'train wreck,' fearing insurance exchanges won't be ready.Princessiccia
federal government health care reform health insurance insurance insurance exchange Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act state governments |
| Max Baucus (J. Scott Applewhite, AP) |
�I just see a huge train wreck coming down,� the Montanan told Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius during a budget hearing.
Matt Gouras of The Associated Press notes that polls show that Americans are confused by the complex law, which is designed to cover about 30 million uninsured people through a mix of government programs and tax credits. Baucus told Sibelius he�s �very concerned� that new health insurance exchanges will not open on time in every state and residents will not have enough information to make choices even if they do open on time, as Kentucky's seems likely to do.
"The administration�s public-information campaign on the benefits of the Affordable Care Act deserves a failing grade,� Baucus lectured. �You need to fix this.� Baucus� office later told Gouras that the senator still thinks the Affordable Care Act is a good law, but questions its roll-out.
Sebelius said that the administration is on track to fully implement exchanges in January, and to be open for open enrollment on Oct. 1, 2013, reports Gouras. Kentucky is among the states that have chosen to build a fully state-based exchange. Others have chosen a state-federal partnership exchange, or defaulted into a federally facilitated exchange. The map below shows the lay of the land about that decision. Yellow states have defaulted to a federal exchange, light blue states are planning for a partnership and blue states have chosen a state-based exchange.
 |
| Map provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation |
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Princess Health and FDA requires OxyContin pills to be non-crushable to deter abuse.Princessiccia
Congress narcotics prescription drug abuse prescription drugsThe Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it would block generic, crushable versions of OxyContin from coming to the market and approve the reformulated, non-crushable OxyContin, which deters abuse of the powerful painkiller.
U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell applauded the move. �Given the public health epidemic of prescription drug abuse and the ravaging effects it has on families all across Kentucky, this announcement is great news and will prevent an influx of crushable, generic OxyContin from coming to market,� McConnell said in a release.
OxyContin is a potent drug designed to treat severe pain. Without abuse-deterrent formulas, addicts can crush the pills to get an immediate heroin-like high. The reformulated product has properties that make the tablet harder to crush, break, or dissolve and that prevent it from being injected in order to achieve a quick high, an FDA press release said.
Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death in Kentucky, and law enforcement, lawmakers and health providers have expressed their concerns that crushable, generic versions would worsen the problem.
The FDA decision came on the same day manufacturer Purdue Pharma�s patent on the original drug was set to expire, and McConnell has been actively meeting with federal officials on behalf of those concerned. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-5th, also lobbied for it. (Read more)
In an editorial, the Lexington Herald-Leader points out that the move means a continued OxyContin monopoly and more profits for Purdue Pharma, which "paid $600 million in fines in 2007, and three of the company's executives paid a total of $34.5 million, after they pleaded guilty to misleading doctors and the public about OxyContin's addictiveness. . . . We wonder why Rogers and McConnell aren't calling for Purdue to voluntarily share its new formulation."
U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell applauded the move. �Given the public health epidemic of prescription drug abuse and the ravaging effects it has on families all across Kentucky, this announcement is great news and will prevent an influx of crushable, generic OxyContin from coming to market,� McConnell said in a release.
OxyContin is a potent drug designed to treat severe pain. Without abuse-deterrent formulas, addicts can crush the pills to get an immediate heroin-like high. The reformulated product has properties that make the tablet harder to crush, break, or dissolve and that prevent it from being injected in order to achieve a quick high, an FDA press release said.
Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death in Kentucky, and law enforcement, lawmakers and health providers have expressed their concerns that crushable, generic versions would worsen the problem.
The FDA decision came on the same day manufacturer Purdue Pharma�s patent on the original drug was set to expire, and McConnell has been actively meeting with federal officials on behalf of those concerned. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-5th, also lobbied for it. (Read more)
In an editorial, the Lexington Herald-Leader points out that the move means a continued OxyContin monopoly and more profits for Purdue Pharma, which "paid $600 million in fines in 2007, and three of the company's executives paid a total of $34.5 million, after they pleaded guilty to misleading doctors and the public about OxyContin's addictiveness. . . . We wonder why Rogers and McConnell aren't calling for Purdue to voluntarily share its new formulation."
Princess Health and Deadly, drug-resistant bacteria are becoming more common in Kentucky hospitals; key lawmaker wants to require public reporting.Princessiccia
bacterial infections hospital-acquired infections hospitals legislature public health state government; General AssemblyNightmarish, drug-resistant bacteria that cause deadly infections are becoming more common in Kentucky hospitals, and a leading legislator on health issues says they should be required to report each case.
The state Department for Public Health and hospital officials are investigating the presence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, at Kindred Hospital Louisville, right, a long-term and transitional care facility.
�Since July, we have identified about 40 patients in whom we have cultured the organisms from one or more body fluids,� Dr. Sean Muldoon, chief medical officer for Kindred, told Laura Ungar of The Courier-Journal.
These superbugs kill about half of the patients who get infected. They have become resistant to nearly all the antibiotics available today, including drugs of last resort. CRE infections are caused by a family of germs that are a normal part of a person's healthy digestive system but can cause infections when they get into the bladder, blood or other areas where they don't belong, says the federal Centers for Disease Control. The presence of CRE in bodily fluids doesn�t mean someone is infected by the bacteria, because the patient could also be �colonized� by the bacteria without developing an infection, said Muldoon. CRE may be present in a patient before he or she is admitted to the hospital, or it can be transmitted from patient to patient at the hospital, Ungar notes.
Officials at several Louisville-area hospitals told The Courier-Journal last month that they have seen a growing number of CRE cases in recent years, reports Ungar. The CDC issued a warning report about the bacteria last month, but there has only been one "outbreak" of CRE listed for Kentucky. (Read more)
Given the threat of this bacteria, the CDC has called for quick action to stop these deadly infections, and the chairman of the House Health and Welfare Committee wants to tighten up CRE reporting requirements.
Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville, sent a letter to Gov. Steve Beshear proposing a new regulation that would mandate immediate reporting of CRE infection or colonization to the state. Burch said he plans to introduce a bill that would require such reporting by health-care facilities, and he is working with Dr. Kevin Kavanagh of the Somerset, Ky.-based watchdog group Health Watch USA, reports Ungar.
�If it gets in the community and spreads, we�re in trouble,� Kavanagh told Ungar. Burch emphasized this level of risk in his letter to the governor, saying that health-department involvement is crucial to preventing this deadly bacteria from "developing a foothold in Kentucky."
�Since July, we have identified about 40 patients in whom we have cultured the organisms from one or more body fluids,� Dr. Sean Muldoon, chief medical officer for Kindred, told Laura Ungar of The Courier-Journal.
These superbugs kill about half of the patients who get infected. They have become resistant to nearly all the antibiotics available today, including drugs of last resort. CRE infections are caused by a family of germs that are a normal part of a person's healthy digestive system but can cause infections when they get into the bladder, blood or other areas where they don't belong, says the federal Centers for Disease Control. The presence of CRE in bodily fluids doesn�t mean someone is infected by the bacteria, because the patient could also be �colonized� by the bacteria without developing an infection, said Muldoon. CRE may be present in a patient before he or she is admitted to the hospital, or it can be transmitted from patient to patient at the hospital, Ungar notes.
Officials at several Louisville-area hospitals told The Courier-Journal last month that they have seen a growing number of CRE cases in recent years, reports Ungar. The CDC issued a warning report about the bacteria last month, but there has only been one "outbreak" of CRE listed for Kentucky. (Read more)
Given the threat of this bacteria, the CDC has called for quick action to stop these deadly infections, and the chairman of the House Health and Welfare Committee wants to tighten up CRE reporting requirements.
Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville, sent a letter to Gov. Steve Beshear proposing a new regulation that would mandate immediate reporting of CRE infection or colonization to the state. Burch said he plans to introduce a bill that would require such reporting by health-care facilities, and he is working with Dr. Kevin Kavanagh of the Somerset, Ky.-based watchdog group Health Watch USA, reports Ungar.
�If it gets in the community and spreads, we�re in trouble,� Kavanagh told Ungar. Burch emphasized this level of risk in his letter to the governor, saying that health-department involvement is crucial to preventing this deadly bacteria from "developing a foothold in Kentucky."
Princess Health and Health departments raise, or try to raise, tax rates to offset state cuts, higher benefit costs and Medicaid payment problems.Princessiccia
county health departments health departments local government public health taxesSome county health departments are trying, and others may try, to increase property-tax rates to make up for Medicaid shortfalls, program cuts and the rising costs of employee benefits so they can continue providing essential public health services for their communities.
Anderson County Health Department Director Tim Wright has proposed a 33 percent rate increase from 3 cents per $100 of assessed property value to 4 cents per $100. The increase would add an estimated $150,000, which Wright says he would use to end employee furloughs and make up for $200,000 that has not been paid by the Kentucky Spirit managed-care company, reports Editor Ben Carlson of The Anderson News.
Many departments have already cut positions and implemented furloughs to compensate for Medicaid shortfalls, state program cuts and employee benefit costs, said Scott Lockard, past president of the Kentucky Public Health Association and director of the Clark County Health Department. Most departments have done everything possible to increase efficiency of the departments' resources, he said.
A recent tax increase in Boyle County will make property owners pay a little more to help fund the county health department. The fiscal court recently voted to raise the county's health tax from 2.4 cents per $100 to 2.5 cents.
As funding streams have changed, departments need additional revenue sources, said Brent Blevins, director of the Boyle County Health Department. Blevins said without the rate increase, the already short-staffed department would have to cut services.
Declining property values during the recession have decreased tax revenue, said Marcia Hodge, director of the Garrard County Health Department. It proposed a tax rate increase from 4 cents to 4.25 cents in September that was estimated to bring in about $21,000, but the fiscal court did not approve it, she said.
Another problem that health departments face, Hodge said, is that they are required to participate in the state's insurance and retirement system. Over the 12 years she has been at the department, retirement contributions have increased from 4 percent to 25 percent, while costs of fringe benefits have more than doubled while salaries have only increased 10 percent, she said.
The Floyd County Health Department increased its tax rate last September for the first time in 20 years, primarily because of increased costs of employee benefits and department funding cuts, said Thursa Sloan, director of the department.
Sloan said she anticipates a big change in the services that health departments provide over the next 10 years. Primary care will take a much more preventive approach, she said, and health departments will have to pull back in such services and go back to the basics.
Anderson County Health Department Director Tim Wright has proposed a 33 percent rate increase from 3 cents per $100 of assessed property value to 4 cents per $100. The increase would add an estimated $150,000, which Wright says he would use to end employee furloughs and make up for $200,000 that has not been paid by the Kentucky Spirit managed-care company, reports Editor Ben Carlson of The Anderson News.
Many departments have already cut positions and implemented furloughs to compensate for Medicaid shortfalls, state program cuts and employee benefit costs, said Scott Lockard, past president of the Kentucky Public Health Association and director of the Clark County Health Department. Most departments have done everything possible to increase efficiency of the departments' resources, he said.
A recent tax increase in Boyle County will make property owners pay a little more to help fund the county health department. The fiscal court recently voted to raise the county's health tax from 2.4 cents per $100 to 2.5 cents.
As funding streams have changed, departments need additional revenue sources, said Brent Blevins, director of the Boyle County Health Department. Blevins said without the rate increase, the already short-staffed department would have to cut services.
Declining property values during the recession have decreased tax revenue, said Marcia Hodge, director of the Garrard County Health Department. It proposed a tax rate increase from 4 cents to 4.25 cents in September that was estimated to bring in about $21,000, but the fiscal court did not approve it, she said.
Another problem that health departments face, Hodge said, is that they are required to participate in the state's insurance and retirement system. Over the 12 years she has been at the department, retirement contributions have increased from 4 percent to 25 percent, while costs of fringe benefits have more than doubled while salaries have only increased 10 percent, she said.
The Floyd County Health Department increased its tax rate last September for the first time in 20 years, primarily because of increased costs of employee benefits and department funding cuts, said Thursa Sloan, director of the department.
Sloan said she anticipates a big change in the services that health departments provide over the next 10 years. Primary care will take a much more preventive approach, she said, and health departments will have to pull back in such services and go back to the basics.
Princess Health and New website for after-school programs promotes 'Drink Right, Move More and Snack Smart' to fight childhood obesity.Princessiccia
after-school programs child obesity childhood obesity children's health Internet public health schools
The Hub offers free activity, nutrition and equipment support to volunteers, coaches and leaders in out-of-school-time programs, which serve tens of millions of children and have been identified as a promising area for obesity prevention efforts, the site says.
In Kentucky, almost 18 percent of middle-school-age children and 16 percent of elementary-age kids are obese, says a recent report from the University of Kentucky's College of Public Health.
Research shows that foods and beverages, as well as opportunities for physical activity, vary greatly in out-of-school programs, so the Hub promotes greater consistency in such programs and provides resources to help children follow healthy habits while out of school.
The website was launched at the National Afterschool Association convention in Indianapolis last week, according to a release. Visitors to the website can complete a brief survey to get resources tailored to their specific needs. Click here for the website.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Artikel Terpilih
-
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child: A Step-By-Step Program For a Good Night's Sleep If You search healthy sleep habits happy child then H...
-
Image from Lauren Osborne, WYMT-TV Mountain News By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News CORBIN, Ky. � After a day of learning and talkin... -
The American Red Cross is a storied non-profit organization. It provides disaster relief, provides a major part of the US blood supply, and...
-
From the Associated Press, via the Charlotte Observer, came the story that a mix-up at Duke Health Raleigh and Durham Regional hospitals, b...
-
The US Thanksgiving Day parade is over, so it must be time for the march of legal settlements to begin again. Our next example was best de...
-
Audrey Tayse Haynes, who is a social worker by training but knows her way around politics, government and the nonprofit world, will be the n... -
In this post, I'll examine the possible relationship between meat consumption and cancer risk. Is cancer risk even modifiable? Cancer is...
-
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments later this month about the federal health care-reform law, and is expected to decide the law...
-
To the cybernetic idealists out there who think computers are the greatest thing next to sliced bread in the healthcare environment, I say, ...
-
We have posted frequently about the governance and leadership of academic medical organizations. While one would think that health care orga...
Widget
