Monday, January 27, 2003

Cognitive Dysfunction in Bipolar Disorder
Article in Current Opinion in Psychiatry at Medscape "...on recent neuropsychological assessments in bipolar disorder, the methodological issues concerning such studies and areas for future investigation." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Medicaid: Good Medicine for State Economies
A new study (in Adobe Acrobat format) from Families USA on the impact of Medicaid spending on each state's economy. See also the related Medicaid calucualtor (which calculates what Medicaid cuts could do to each state's economy) and press release - which notes that "As states face fiscal crises and consider big cuts to their Medicaid programs, a new report released today documents that those cuts would significantly harm each state's ailing economy. The report, issued by the health care consumer watchdog organization Families USA, indicates that states cutting their Medicaid programs would cause large reductions in their states' jobs, wages, and business activity."  
  

'Crisis' leaves mentally ill homeless (Massachusetts)
Daily News Tribune story - "Budget cuts have left people suffering from mental illness to battle demons, addiction and homelessness on their own in local shelters. The human toll of a grim budget situation where $26 million has been chopped from the Department of Mental Health's budget in the last two years can be seen in the emergency shelter where a half-dozen mentally ill homeless people have landed."  
  

Hardship for citizens, headaches for politicians as budget crises worsen in almost every state
The first of an ongoing AP series - appearing here in the Stamford Advocate (Connecticut) - on "the real-life consequences of tough times and tough choices" that accompany state governments struggling with the worst budget crisis in a half-century.  
  

Mental health funding a concern (North Carolina)
Story in the Herald Sun on discussion at a legislative breakfast about mental health policy, sponsored by the Mental Health Association in Orange County, a Carrboro-based nonprofit organization and two local chapters of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, that "brought local leaders and community members into a dialogue with state-level officials about the state’s recent policy shifting more responsibility for mental health care to the local level."  
  

Group returns funds to mental health facility (Georgia)
Augusta Chronicle story on funds being returned by International Consulting Corp. to to the Community Mental Health Center of East Central Georgia, which provides mental health and substance abuse treatment for the region, in the midst of a state investigation.  
  

Patient's Bill of Rights could see revival
Story from the Washington Bureau of bizjournals.com - "The Patient's Bill of Rights, all but left for dead in Congress, could be revived as part of a political deal to secure passage of legislation to cap damages in medical malpractice lawsuits. So predicts Dr. Donald Young, president of the Health Insurance Association of America, who says medical malpractice reform is 'now an issue that's resonating with the American public.' "  
  

Lawmakers craft plan to save health budget (Montana)
Story in the Missoulian on efforts by some lawmakers to reverse the $29 million in cuts that Gov. Judy Martz made to the Department of Public Health and Human Services' fiscal 2004-05 budget.