Monday, April 18, 2005

Medicaid Fight Threatens Budget LA Times story - "A letter signed by 44 House Republicans protesting proposed Medicaid cuts emerged Friday as a serious threat to plans by President Bush and GOP leaders to curtail spending on a range of benefit programs. The Medicaid fight could hinder Congress' ability to pass this year's budget resolution, which not only sets spending levels for federal programs but also includes a new round of tax cuts and legislation to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling." [Viewing Los Angeles Times stories requires registration, which is free].  
  

Medicaid loophole for middle class at risk Chicago Tribune story - "For years, middle-class seniors have been emptying their bank accounts and signing away their homes so they can qualify for nursing home care under Medicaid--the government's health program for the poor--when they become frail and ill. It's a perfectly legal practice. But with Medicaid budgets soaring nationwide, state and federal officials are floating proposals to crack down on these financial arrangements and make seniors pay more for long-term care. Unless changes are made, experts warn, Medicaid will be burdened with huge bills as Baby Boomers age, threatening the program's ability to serve poor Americans."  
  

High-Cost Users of Pharmaceuticals: Who Are They? Report, in Adobe Acrobat format, from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, brought to our attention by CMHA/Ontario's Mental Health Notes - "Much of the available literature on heavy users of prescription medications originates from studies of elderly Americans with prescription insurance. Very little is known about high-cost users of pharmaceuticals among a general Canadian population in the context of public prescription insurance. This study provides a description, within the Province of Manitoba, of highcost users of prescription medications compared with the rest of the population. The intent of this study is to provide a detailed characterization of this population so as to clarify whether its costs can be reduced or whether other interventions are needed."  
  

CAMH Bill of Client Rights From the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health - "The Bill of Client Rights has been developed to assert and promote the dignity and worth of all of the people who use the services of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The Bill of Client Rights expresses the truth that clients are first and foremost human beings with the same rights as every Canadian. The clients, families and staff of CAMH who have worked together to develop the Bill of Client Rights want it to be a living document that will grow and change as it helps to create an organizational culture of mutual respect. The Bill of Client Rights is intended to emphasize the rights of clients rather than organizational convenience. Policies at CAMH should be consistent with the Bill of Client Rights..."  
  

House passes far-reaching mental health bill (Washington) Seattle Post-Intelligencer story - "The House approved a far-reaching, pricey mental health bill Thursday that would dramatically reform the state's approach to mental illness and chemical dependency, which sometimes go hand in hand. ... The House voted 73-22 in favor of the bill, which the Senate passed last month. Because the House amended the bill, it now heads back to the Senate for a vote on the changes. The bill's primary goal is integration of screening and treatment for mental illness and for drug and alcohol addiction."  
  

Mental health reform adopted (Michigan) Detroit News story - "State health officials have adopted a 12-month plan to begin reforming mental health care in Michigan. The program is drawing mixed reviews from advocates for people who are mentally ill and their families. The Department of Community Health will try to improve the system, in part, by: Emphasizing recovery as 'the organizing principle for adult mental health services;' Clarifying the requirements consumers and their families must meet to participate in the system; Reducing a sometimes wide variance in eligibility and services available from different providers. Some families desperate for improvement say they are happy for any progress, but they think more can be done..."