Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Opinion Split Over Private Plans to Administer New Medicare Drug Benefit
Medscape Medical News story - "Despite the bitter debate surrounding the passage of the new Medicare drug benefit, many lawmakers agreed that providing prescription drug coverage for the nation's 41 million elderly was an important policy goal. But there's far less consensus on whether the new law, with its reliance on private plans to negotiate deals on behalf of the federal government, will be able to drive down the increasing costs of prescription drugs. Under the law, private pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) — not the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) — will act on behalf of the Medicare program in negotiating price discounts from drug companies when the benefit takes effect in 2006." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Risperdal(R) Consta(R) significantly reduces the need for institutional psychiatric care
Resolute Communications press release at EurekAlert - "People with schizophrenia treated with Risperdal Consta  [risperidone long-acting injection] are significantly less likely to be admitted to hospital than before they were treated with this new therapy, according to a Swedish study presented today at the Twelfth Biennial Winter Workshop on Schizophrenia in Davos, Switzerland. Furthermore, patients who were hospitalised during their treatment with Risperdal Consta had significantly shorter hospital stays than before treatment with the new therapy. The reduction in both the number and duration of hospitalisations associated with the use of Risperdal Consta resulted in substantial cost savings for the Swedish healthcare system."  
  

State Experience with Enrollment Caps in Separate SCHIP Programs
A report (in Adobe Acrobat format) from the National Academy for State Health Policy - "The State budget shortfalls of the last two years have presented a variety of challenges for SCHIP programs. States around the country have sought to cut discretionary spending and to reduce their liability for entitlement and/or non-discretionary spending. Despite their success in reducing the number of uninsured children, SCHIP programs have not been immune from these budget cuts. Unlike many other programs in which the Federal government plays a role, the SCHIP regulations were designed to provide states with considerable flexibility in tailoring programs to their individual needs. In addition to allowing states to chose from several different program designs, states were allowed to institute different eligibility levels, different levels and types of cost sharing, and different benefit packages. With the strength of the economy and the growth of state budgets in the late 1990s, this flexibility made possible the rapid expansion of SCHIP programs. As state budgets have contracted in recent years, that same flexibility has made it possible for states to implement a variety of cost cutting measures within their SCHIP programs..." See also "Tough Choices: A Policy Maker's Guide to Cost ontainment Actions Affecting Children in Medicaid and SCHIP".  
  

HHS Was Mistaken in Editing Report on Racial Health Disparities, Secretary Thompson Says
Item in the Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, based on a story in Congress Daily - " HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on Tuesday said that his department had erred in rewriting the first annual National Health Care Disparities Report, and he plans to release the original version of the report, according to CongressDaily. Some Democratic House members had charged that the report was altered to downplay inequities in health care for minorities.."  
  

Mental Health Advocates Storm Statehouse (Vermont)
WCAX-TV story - " Mental health advocates came by the hundreds, some by bus, to rally at the Statehouse for more money for Community Mental Health. The crowd chanted: 'Mental illness won't go away, pay up.' They want changes made to the budget under the golden dome. For starters, a pay increase of 5% for mental health workers..."  
  

Judge rejects attempt to rewrite plan for improving DCF (Connecticut)
Middletown Press story - "A federal judge refused Tuesday to allow the state Department of Children and Families to renegotiate the terms of a court-approved plan to improve the agency. The 28-page reform plan was approved Dec. 23 by U.S. District Judge Alan Nevas. It includes 22 specific standards the embattled agency must reach by 2006 to be released from federal court oversight. ... The plan requires the agency to speed up adoptions, reduce worker caseloads, increase visits to foster families and provide better medical and mental health services. State officials claimed some of the standards set by the court were unreasonable and excessive and could cost the state tens of millions of dollars."  
  

Campaign aims to erase mental illness stigma (Alabama)
Story in the Birmingham News - " A recent survey of Alabama middle school students revealed that 24 percent had seriously considered suicide and 9 percent had attempted to kill themselves, Kathy Sawyer, commissioner of the state's Department of Mental Health, told a group of school counselors Tuesday. The stigma associated with mental illness is one reason for the high numbers because many people shy away from help or treatment until they have a crisis, she said. The Mental Health Association of Central Alabama launched a public awareness campaign Tuesday to try to erase the negative stigma carried by mental illness..."  
  

GPs warned over tranquillisers (UK)
BBC story - "The Chief Medical Officer has warned GPs to restrict prescription of benzodiazepine tranquillisers. Professor Sir Liam Donaldson is concerned that they are being handed out to patients too freely. He has stressed to doctors that they should only be prescribed for short-term treatment."  
  

Mental Illness Addressed (Mississippi)
Scott County Times story - "... Legislators said last Wednesday they are sympathetic to concerns of public officials in Scott County and elsewhere in the needs to fund crisis centers around the state for the mentally ill, but they said they do not know where or if they can find the funding. Chancery clerks, sheriffs, supervisors and other public officials filled the gallery in the Old Supreme Court Chambers of the Capitol as several speakers appeared before 11 senators and representatives to express the need to find approximately $17 million to fund staff for seven mental health facilities the state has built in Mississippi..."  
  

Tioga mental health program closes, treatment for 60 patients uncertain (New York)
Ithaca Journal story - "A Tioga County program that served about 60 residents with severe mental illnesses in 2003 has ceased, leaving the group in limbo until a new program can be formed later this year. The TIERS Day Treatment Program treated people with severe depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and personality disorders. The program -- Tioga County and New York State Office of Mental Health Initiative to Enhance Rural Mental Health Service Systems Development -- closed about two weeks ago. Restructuring at the state level eliminated it..."  
  

Kids' mental health needs growing, experts say (Iowa)
Ames Tribune story - "The need for mental health services for children is growing at the same time funding is dropping off, a panel of experts told a Story County group dedicated to juvenile justice issues on Monday. The need for mental health services for children is growing at the same time funding is dropping off, a panel of experts told a Story County group dedicated to juvenile justice issues on Monday. ..."