Friday, January 21, 2005
Mental Health Screening Will Save LivesPage at the NAMI web site - "Our nation simply cannot afford to continue to fail our youth with mental disorders who need treatment. The tragic consequences of our failure to identify youth through early assessment and to intervene with appropriate mental health treatment and services are well documented..." See also NAMI's recently adopted
position paper on mental health screening.
Medicaid Managed Care: Access and Quality Requirements Specific to Low-Income and Other Special Needs EnrolleesGeneral Accounting Office report (in
Adobe Acrobat format) - "The use of managed care within Medicaid, a joint federal-state program that finances health insurance for certain low-income families with children and individuals who are aged or disabled, increased significantly during the 1990s. By 2003, 59 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries were enrolled in managed care, compared with less than 10 percent in 1991.1 Medicaid managed care, under which states make prospective payments to managed care plans to provide or arrange for all services for enrollees,2 attempts to ensure the provision of appropriate health care services in a cost-efficient manner. However, because plans are paid a fixed amount regardless of the number of services they provide, managed care programs require safeguards against the incentive for some plans to underserve enrollees, such as by limiting enrollees access to care. Access is also affected by other factors, such as physician location and willingness to participate in managed care plans..."
FDA Safety Labeling Changes: Altace, Wellbutrin XL, Levaquin, Pepcid Medscape Medical News story - "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved last October revisions to safety labeling to advise healthcare professionals of the following changes: ramipril may be linked to risk of intestinal angioedema; the extended-release formulation of bupropion HCl may be linked to a dose-related risk of seizures; levofloxacin has been associated with a risk of arthropathy in animal studies; and over-the-counter products containing famotidine should not be used if signs of a more serious condition exist." [Viewing
Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].
Study: Kids' mental health care mixed (California) Sacramento Bee story - "A first-ever look at the quality of publicly funded mental health care for tens of thousands of California's neediest children has exposed serious gaps. The study, commissioned by the state and conducted by researchers at four University of California campuses, found, for example, that less than a third of children who were prescribed a psychiatric drug were being monitored for changes in weight, pulse, blood pressure and liver function. The research paper, appearing in the February issue of the
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, also documented some good news. The vast majority of mental health providers, for example, followed guidelines to evaluate patients and assess suicide risk."
Experts: Florida Not Meeting Mental Health NeedsStory in
The Ledger - "Of about 2,400 inmates in the Polk County Jail, 23.5 percent typically are on medicines for mental-health problems or are getting treatment, Judd said. That's more than 560 inmates and far more than the jail's special-needs units can handle, even with 16 women's beds and 32 men's beds set aside. Inmates with the most severe mental problems go there. Jails and prisons are the largest group of psychotropic treatment centers in Florida, said Peace River Center's Bennie Allred, whose job involves supervising community programs for the mentally ill."
Vermont Teddy Bear to meet with advocates Times-Argus story - "The makers of a controversial teddy bear wearing a straitjacket announced Thursday that it would meet with mental health advocates early next month. The Vermont Teddy Bear Co., based in Shelburne, has been the subject of protest by mental health advocates who say the company's 'Crazy for You Bear' is offensive and in poor taste."
County will give Latinos services for mental health (California) Californian.com story - "Monterey County health officials are gearing up for the second phase of a program to increase mental-health awareness for Latino children. La Familia Sana is a project to expand mental health services to children younger than 6 and teens and young adults between ages 16 and 22. Through the project, families will have access to workshops, counseling, recreational programs, employment referrals and other services, which some families already have asked for. "
