Thursday, October 17, 2002
Managing 9/11-Related Stress Managed Care article - "September 11 underscored the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder. Screening could ultimately reduce utilization. But who should be screened?"
Profusion of Health Care Laws Creates Compliance Problems for Health Plans Feature article in
Managed Care magazine - "For MCOs operating in more than one state, the push for local legislation has led to a complex patchwork of regulations, often rigged to explode with expensive fines for violators. Seeking to stay within the law, MCOs responded by constructing an expensive review process that often pits a state law against federal rules -- or one state law against another."
Findings show state still lacks services for the mentally ill (Maine) Capital Weekly story - "- The court master for the Augusta Mental Health Institute consent decree says in his latest report that the state still lacks a number of services crucial to the mentally ill" and criticizes the state for not being in compliance in a number of areas.
TennCare to shift millions from mental health (Tennessee) AP story at
KnoxNews - "TennCare will shift $14 million out of mental health services for adults in a budget-balancing move, but advocates and some lawmakers fear the change could make a bad situation worse. The state's actuaries say the mental health portion of TennCare already is underfunded. Taking $14 million away from those programs will mean adults get fewer outpatient services (four visits to state mental health centers per month, instead of 10), and that there also will be cutbacks in case management and transportation."
Mental Health Bill Languishing ABC News story on legislation that would require insurance companies to cover mental illnesses the same as physical ones. Despite presidential support, it appears now that there is "little chance for congressional action this year."
States cut social services in down economy United Press International story - "Budget cuts, the traditional government response to the kind of budget shortfalls now occurring in 43 states, place low-income beneficiaries of social services at risk and delay economic recovery, according to analysts at a recent think tank forum in Washington, D.C."
Reality of state crisis hits home (Virginia) Virginian-Pilot story on emergency budget cuts to health care and environmental programs announced this week by Gov. Warner "may well create more expensive problems for Virginia, state officials and advocates warned Thursday." See also Health officials hoping layoffs aren't necessary, a
News & Advance story on how "most human service professionals will learn by the end of the week just how their agencies will be affected by the cuts that are coming out of the state budget."
Mental health gears for 'perfect fiscal storm' (California) Eureka Times-Standard story on tyhe impact in Humboldt County of the recession that "this year pushed the state budget some $24 billion in the red, forcing lawmakers to make deep cuts to health and human services programs, which serve low-income families, as well as the elderly, disabled and those with drug or alcohol addiction." The story notes that Humboldt County "is one of only four counties in California that has consolidated its mental health, public health and social services branches into a single mega-department. This change, called realignment, allows the three branches to share revenues, which officials say helps deal with cuts during tight budget years."
