Monday, October 14, 2002
Medicaid Enrollment in 50 States: December 2001 Data Update This publication from the Kaiser Family Foundation provides state-by-state enrollment information and identifies national trends from the data. "Data suggest that Medicaid continues to evolve from a welfare-based program to a more traditional health insurance program." [
Adobe Acrobat format]
Major Depression Associated With Past Alcohol Dependence Reuters Health story at
Medscape on research published in the
Archives of General Psychiatry indicating that "individuals with a history of alcohol dependence appear to be at increased risk of a major depressive disorder, even after abstinence from alcohol." [Viewing
Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].
Rushing To Get HIPAA Extensions Information Week story reprinted at
Yahoo- "There's no way that every company in the health-care industry will meet federal requirements regarding electronic transactions and codes by the Oct. 16 deadline. The question now is, how many of the 2 million targeted companies will even meet an Oct. 15 deadline to apply for an extension? The new transaction-and-code rules are part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, which among other things aims to make health data more secure."
Advocates for People With Bipolar Disorder Form Alliance PR Newswire story - "The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), a patient-directed advocacy organization for those living with depression and bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depression), and the Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF), a parent-led organization of more than 6,000 families raising children diagnosed with, or at risk for, bipolar disorder, jointly announced today a new strategic alliance. The partnership will result in a lifetime network of services for the more than 2.5 million Americans living with bipolar disorder, and their families. DBSA was formerly known as the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association (National DMDA)."
Instability Looms For Debt-Heavy Magellan Health Washington Post story on "the deepening financial troubles of Magellan Health Services Inc., the largest mental health care provider in the United States" and concerns that "that many patients may go untreated if Magellan no longer can pay its bills."
County ready to open first mental health court (Oklahoma) Story in
The Oklahoman - "With the dogged determination of a dozen people and some creative financing, the state will launch its first mental health court Nov. 1. Psychologist Edith King is coming out of retirement to work with the state's pilot mental health court in Oklahoma County. She will provide competency hearings for mentally ill inmates and offer them an alternative to incarceration: treatment."
Mental health officials applaud proposal (Pennsylvania) Evening Sun Harrisburg Bureau story - "Parents would be able to commit a teenager to inpatient mental health treatment without their child's consent under a bill that passed the House last week....Mary Hurtig, director of policy for the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, said the Legislature should instead allocate more money for home- and community-based treatment methods that are cheaper than inpatient treatment."
Cuts Will Affect Non-Government Programs WSET-TV story - "Social Service organizations are worried Governor Mark Warner's state budget cuts could lead to other issues for the Commonwealth. The Mental Health Association of the Roanoke Valley isn't state-funded but could still see a strain on its programs."
