Monday, April 14, 2003
Virginia managed-care suit finally heads to trial Article in the most recent
APA Monitor - "The case the Virginia Academy of Clinical Psychologists (VACP) filed against Care First (formerly Blue Cross/Blue Shield of the National Capital Area) and its mental health subcontractor (formerly Value Options) to hold the companies accountable for essentially putting profits ahead of patients--by not providing the services it promised to consumers or providers--is scheduled for trial on April 7. After many delays, several judges and a couple of pretrial hearings, the moment this group of Virginia psychologists and consumers has been waiting for is here." See also
the long road to trial, which provides a case chronology.
America's Mental Health Crisis: Finding Solutions Together: 2003 Annual NMHA Conference Home page of the 2003 NMHA Conference, to be held June 3-7 in Washington DC - "In 2003, the mental health community will face major budget problems brought on by deep cuts and shifting priorities. Collaboration is our best solution working with consumers, families, legislators, government agencies, and mental health professionals to develop the answers. NMHA's 2003 Annual Conference program will provide a forum for finding solutions together and exploring the value of partnerships and relationships." Please see, too, the
Exhibitor Prospectus (
Adobe Acrobat format) and the page with information about conference
scholarships for consumers.
Study Of Twins Reveals Changes In Attention And Motor Skills After Heavy Stimulant Abuse National Institute of Health item reprinted at
InteliHealth - "In a study supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), researchers found that heavy stimulant abuse can result in changes in attention and motor skills that can persist for at least a year. The investigators studied 50 pairs of twins; in each pair, one twin had a history of abusing cocaine and/or methamphetamine and the other had no history of drug abuse."
$1 co-pay for prescriptions is problem for mentally ill (Connecticut) Story in the
Greenwich Time - "Starting tomorrow, Connecticut's Medicaid recipients will have to pay a co-pay of $1 for each prescription drug they receive. The change is expected to save the state $11.1 million next fiscal year. For people with mental illness, who can be prescribed a dozen different medications every month, the co-pay is a financial hardship..."
Lawmakers seek clarification on AMHC status (Illinois) Story in the
Telegraph - "The two state legislators who represent the district containing Alton Mental Health Center say they will try this week to clarify the status of the hospital under Gov. Rod Blagojevichs proposed state budget for fiscal year 2004."
Medical Privacy Rule Provokes Lawsuit Story at
Crosswalk - "The Bush administration's new regulations governing medical privacy take effect on April 14, but some privacy advocates are so alarmed at the fine print that they've filed a lawsuit in federal court. ... The lawsuit was brought by a coalition of health privacy groups and physicians, including the American Psychoanalytic Association and the National Coalition of Mental Health Professionals. The suit alleges that the privacy rule as written runs contrary to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and that the rule violates the Fifth Amendment protection of liberty."
Mental health may be casualty of budget cuts (Missouri) Sedalia Democrat story - "Counselors and mental health professionals in Pettis County fear budget cutbacks in the Missouri Department of Mental Health will put many of their patients at risk. In a move to cut $750 million from the 2004 state budget, the Senate Appropriations Committee proposed a cut of $41.4 million from the DMH budget."
Pamlico board has questions on mental health plan (North Carolina) Story in the
New Bern Sun Journal - " An organizational plan to change Neuse Center from provider to administrator of mental health services brought up more questions than answers for Pamlico County commissioners earlier this week. By a 4-2 vote, the board voted last week not to endorse the plan until those questions have been answered. Neuse Center serves Pamlico, Craven, Jones and Carteret counties."
County mental health consolidates some services (Oregon) Story in the
Bend Bulletin - "To accommodate a growing clientele and dwindling resources, the Deschutes County Mental Health Department will offer more group therapy, instead of individual sessions, and fewer appointments."
