Wednesday, April 28, 2004

The State of HIPAA Privacy and Security Compliance
A report, in Adobe Acrobat format, from the American Health Information Management Association, available online at the Open Minds web site - " April 14, 2004, will mark the first anniversary of the implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) final privacy rule. This long-awaited regulation represented a critical step in the development of national standards for the use and disclosure of personal health information. Many in the healthcare industry, including the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), supported its development and recognized its importance in protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and security of health information. But even before it took effect, the HIPAA privacy rule created concern within the healthcare industry regarding implementation and compliance. So where does the industry stand with HIPAA now—one year after implementation? To find out, AHIMA conducted a survey to assess the current state of HIPAA privacy within the healthcare industry. AHIMA asked the people closest to this issue—the individuals working on the planning, training, and ongoing compliance of HIPAA privacy regulations primarily in hospitals and health systems—to give us their feedback...."  
  

Communicating with Your Patients Online
Article from Family Practice Management at Medscape that focuses on medical practices, but effectively outlines the current options for Internet use in patient communication - "Although health care has generally lagged behind in the Internet revolution, there has been growing interest in providing online health care ever since the American Medical Informatics Association released its guidelines for e-mail with patients in 1998. The Internet has an abundance of health-care-related Web sites of varying quality, but relatively few patients are receiving health care from their personal physicians online. Physicians cite reimbursement concerns, time demands and privacy issues as barriers to going online with their patients. While these problems are real, they're also manageable, and they need to be weighed against the potential benefits of online communication - increased practice efficiency, lower overhead, and increased quality of care and satisfaction for the patient..." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

For Most SSRIs, Risks Outweigh Benefits in Children
Medscape Medical News story - "Except for fluoxetine, the risks of most selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) outweigh the benefits in children, according to the results of a meta-analysis of unpublished as well as published data, reported in the April 24 issue of The Lancet." "med"  
  

Faces of Medicaid
A report, in Adobe Acrobat format, from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured that "...profiles Medicaid’s role for the low-income population in providing basic health insurance, particularly for children; in supporting services that enable people with disabilities to function and be independent; and in filling gaps in Medicare for seniors, including prescription drugs and long-term care."  
  

The Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Card Program: Implications for Low-income Medicare Beneficiaries
This "Issue Paper," in Adobe Acrobat format, from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured describes the discount card and low-income assistance programs and discusses their implications for low-income Medicare beneficiaries and state Medicaid programs.  
  

TennCare plan likely to fly, but the questions remain
April 25 story in The Tennesean - "Gov. Phil Bredesen's proposals to change TennCare will be disruptive to those who receive their health care under the state health insurance program, but the plan is expected to have clear sailing in the legislature regardless. That is the assessment of state Sen. Doug Jackson, co-chairman of the TennCare Oversight Committee. That panel of House and Senate members meets tomorrow to hear testimony about changes from doctors, pharmacists, mental health organizations and a group fighting child abuse..."  
  

Governor likely to sign DHS bill (Mississippi)
Sun Herald story - "A bill allowing the understaffed Department of Human Services to hire nonlicensed social workers for child protection passed the House and Senate last week. Child advocates in Harrison County call the passage a major victory for abused and neglected children..."  
  

Governor delivers 4th veto of year (Arizona)
Story in the Arizona Daily Sun - "Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed legislation Tuesday which would have barred school officials from telling parents they had to put their child on certain psychiatric drugs or have them evaluated if they want to stay in classrooms. The governor said she generally agrees with the premise that school personnel should not conduct behavioral health examinations or administer psychiatric medications without the consent of the parent. But she said the top priority has to be the safety of the school and the child. "  
  

Narco-Pops Showing Up On Street
A CBS News story with a Harrisburg PA dateline - "A narcotic painkiller that looks like a lollipop — designed to speed relief to cancer patients — is starting to show up in illegal sales with the nickname "perc-a-pop." The drug's ease of use and sweet taste have law enforcement officials worried about the potential for abuse. Actiq, a berry-flavored lozenge on a stick, contains the synthetic opioid fentanyl.."  
  

Mental health hospitals growing (Louisiana)
Story in The Advertiser - "The area will have another new hospital soon, this one a psychiatric care facility. Developers behind Optima Specialty Hospital have begun construction on what will be a 24-bed psychiatric care unit on Rue de Belier near Medical Center Southwest. The $2.1 million complex on roughly 7 acres is one of several new entries in Acadiana’s mental health and addiction treatment field. Last month, the Acadiana Addiction Center, a 24-bed unit located on West Pinhook Road, began taking patients. Later this year, a 15-bed addiction treatment center will open in Crowley."  
  

Race training for all mental health staff (UK)
Story at The Guardian - "All NHS psychiatrists and mental health nurses are to be put through a national retraining programme to root out the racist attitudes that have undermined the treatment of black and ethnic minority patients, it was disclosed yesterday. Ministers have accepted a recommendation of the inquiry into the death of David 'Rocky' Bennett that training the 40,000-strong mental health workforce in 'cultural competence' should become a priority for the service."  
  

Hernandez to focus on State Hospital job (Wyoming)
Caspar Star Tribune story - "Dr. Pablo Hernandez has been removed as administrator of the Mental Health Division so he can devote all his attention to his role as superintendent of the Wyoming State Hospital. 'He's been willing to serve in two roles here,' Deb Fleming, director of the state Department of Health, said Tuesday. 'He ended up with a lot of travel time and huge responsibilities, so at this point, we feel his help is really needed at the state hospital.' She said the change, which becomes effective Saturday, was not a reflection on Hernandez' job heading the Mental Health Division, and she praised his efforts to secure extra funding for community mental health centers among other successes."  
  

Health Net sued in Californoia over mental health plan
Forbes article - "A California consumer group has filed a "private attorney general" lawsuit against Health Net Inc. to force the managed care provider to expand its coverage of mental illnesses. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, is believed to be the first test of the state's 1999 Mental Health Parity Law requiring health plans to provide the same coverage for mental health conditions as for general health conditions. The California law, which requires the same co-payments and access to coverage for mental health as for general health complaints, is stricter than federal law..." See also 'Bait and Switch' Alleged at Health Net in the Los Angeles Times. [Viewing Los Angeles Times stories requires registration, which is free].