Wednesday, May 26, 2004

The State of Mental Health Services in Massachusetts: The Impact of Inadequate Funding
NAMI report, in Adobe Acrobat format, available at the Open Minds web site - " After several years of cutbacks and service reductions, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is proposing to cut even more from its mental health system. The recently released House budget restores vital research funding and provides crucial funding for under-paid mental health workers, yet there is still a dire shortage of mental health services. Earlier this year there was a proposal to cut more than $5 million in 2005, cutting adult in-patient care and emergency services. This came on the heels of years of budget cuts, including $7.8 million in fiscal year 2002, more than $13.8 million in 2003, and another $12.7 million last year."  
  

Coalition Promoting Drug Discount Cards
New York Times story - "Lobbyists for the elderly, blacks and Hispanic Americans said on Sunday that they had begun a nationwide campaign to ensure that 5.5 million low-income Medicare beneficiaries receive drug discount cards, with a bonus of $1,200 in free medicine over the next 19 months. The initiative, by a coalition of 68 organizations, comes amid criticism from Democrats who say the drug card program is confusing and offers no significant savings. But the coalition said the cards would be worthwhile for low-income Medicare recipients because they could get subsidies of $600 this year and $600 in 2005." [Viewing New York Times resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Shortfall seen in Medicaid (Nevada)
Las Vegas Sun story - "Medicaid, the state-federal program that provides health care to poor people in Nevada, is $61 million short this fiscal year. Chuck Duarte, director the state Division of Health Care Financing and Policy, said he is asking the Legislative Interim Finance Committee for permission to move money from next year's budget into this fiscal year to cover the shortfall. That would require shifting $20 million of state general fund money into this year along with the federal allocation and other revenues that are budgeted for 2005. And Duarte estimates that next fiscal year the program will be $17 million short in state funds.."