Medicaid Expansion Might be a Good Thing

http://news.yahoo.com/medicaid-expansion-key-part-affordable-care-act-130207220.html
I think Medicaid expansion is a good thing because more uninsured Americans will now qualify for Medicaid in hope to fill in the gaps in coverage. However, I agree that this might make it difficult for current medicaid insured  because increase in patients could mean longer wait time for appointments. I like the fact that the Affordable Care Act is looking into provisions to attract physicians serving Medicaid population. It's a give and take situation. Do you agree, however, that the provision of Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional?

Hats Off to All the Social Workers

http://www.naswdc.org/pressroom/features/general/history.asp

Hello Everyone! Since March is National Social Workers month, I would like to dedicate this posting to all our Social Worker members and non-members in recognition of what they contribute to our society. Social Workers continue to inspire and  make a difference in people's lives by assuming many important roles.  Their expertise is so critical in Case Management. So to all Social Workers- Hats off to you!  Also, if you would like to share your story about a Social Worker touching lives, please post them here. Thank you.

Alzheimer's Disease - Fatal and Costly

http://news.yahoo.com/alzheimers-dementia-care-cost-u-200-billion-170406464.html

Very scary but it is the reality. Alzheimer's is not only fatal it is also very costly because it is a slow progressing disease.They also attribute it to the fact that 1 of 7 Americans live alone, therefore, they are isolated and changes may not be as noticeable.  I can imagine why it will costs $200 billion in 2012 to care for a patient with Alzheimer's. Some article I read even said that the cost will rise to 1.1 trillion in 2050 which then makes Alzheimer's a public health emergency.  I think we need to invest in research to find cure,  invest in early detection programs or  public education on how to care for those who has Alzheimer's. It might help bring the costs down.

Yoga and Medicare

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/25/health/medicare-covers-yoga-heart-disease/

Not too long ago,  I posted a topic on  Alternative Medicine and payment options for such, now hearing about Medicare paying for programs that includes Yoga classes as a mean to reverse heart disease is great news and only proves that Health Care is making great progress in recognizing ways to reduce healthcare costs. Does anyone heard of anybody taking advantage of this? Do we know of any program in New York similar to this? If you know of any, please share your story.

Let's Spread the Word- "You Gave, Now Save"

http://www.ncoa.org/enhance-economic-security/center-for-benefits/you-gave-now-save.html

This "You Gave, Now Save" Campaign was recently launched by  National Association of Area Agencies on Aging in partnership with National Council On Aging to make low-income seniors and their families aware of private and public agencies that offers assistance with their health, food, prescriptions, heating, housing, transportation and many more that a lot of low-income seniors might not even realize they qualify for.With the approaching tax return filing day, it's good to know that we could refer these low- income seniors to TCE (Tax Counseling for the Elderly)  program which provides free tax counseling and basic return preparation for those who qualify. To find out more about this campaign download a copy of the pamphlet.

Fair Labor Standards Act Should Include Home Care Aides

http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/fair-pay-for-home-health-aides/?ref=health
It looks like the present Administration is trying to do the right thing by proposing regulations that would provide for minimum wage and overtime pay for home care aides. Majority of the home care attendants I have had a chance to work with are hard-workers and well deserving. So, if you want your opinions to be heard, you have up to February 27th to weigh in on this issue. See article where to send in your public comment. Let's help this proposed policy pass.

Is cloud- based services the new innovation for healthcare providers?

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/17/athenahealth-jonathan-bush/


Interesting technology. It would be amazing if a diabetic can check his/her blood sugar through an iphone attachment which will then send an alert to his/her doctor using cloud technology- thus avoiding a potential ER visit. What a great idea! I'm all for it. I bet it will be costly. This could be a potential Health Care Policy.What do you think?

Lovenox Assistance Program Discontinued

http://umhsheadlines.org/14/sanofi-aventis-discontinues-lovenox-patient-assistance-program-pap-reimbursement-service/

This is a sad news to those needing lovenox assistance. I have utilized Sanofi's assistance program several times in the past and was really satisfied with their efficiency. I guess this is part of cutting back on expenses. Does anyone know of any other options besides the one mentioned in the article?

Nassau-Suffolk Hospital Campaign

http://libn.com/2012/01/24/li-hospital-group-offers-health-care-reform-help/
Check out the website by the long island hospital group campaign. I enjoyed reading their policy watch. It's a great resource for everyone. This is a great way to spread the news.

Predicting Hospital Re-admissions

http://journals.lww.com/professionalcasemanagementjournal/Fulltext/2012/01000/Affordable_Care_Act__Predictive_Modeling.5.aspx

This is a very interesting article. I highly recommend reading it. It is very informative and has CE as added bonus! It makes me asks how many of you are using a predictive model in your organization to avoid re-admissions? The article also explains the changes in thinking that are needed to adapt the Accountable Care Organizations Models of Care. I firmly believe in developing patient-family-physician-nurse relationships in making discharge decisions. I also think patients are ready for discharge when they “feel and think” they are ready.  This article certainly elicits my curiosity in developing predictive models to prevent re- admissions.