- The House and Senate are in recess until Dec. 3 and
Dec. 4, 2007, respectively.
- On Nov. 16, 2007, the President Bush signed into law:
H.R. 2602, which designates the Department of Veterans medical facility in Iron
Mountain, Michigan, as the Oscar G. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Facility.
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Military Health Care News
- TRICARE Management Activity published a news release
heralding the efforts of beneficiary case managers during the recent California
wildfires to meet the needs of beneficiaries in TRICARE’s Extended Care Health Option
(ECHO) program.
The ECHO program assists eligible family members of active-duty
sponsors who are diagnosed with moderate or severe mental retardation, or a serious
physical disability.
Within a 24-hour period after the wildfires, Phoenix-based
case managers for TriWest, the managed care support contractor for TRICARE in the
western region, identified and contacted all ECHO beneficiaries who require around-the-clock
nursing care in affected areas. Efforts included locating numerous displaced
beneficiaries and remaining in constant communication with them and their in-home
caregivers to reestablish health care in their new locations.
TriWest also activated its disaster information center page
for beneficiaries at its Web site,
www.triwest.com. The site includes general information and resources
for those impacted by the wildfires, as well as general preparedness instructions
and sources for additional assistance. TriWest is also maintaining daily communication
with military counterparts and charities to stay abreast of long-term plans addressing
the issues caused by the fires.
- TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) published a notice
in the Federal Register on Nov. 16, 2007, announcing the final rule for the TRICARE
Retiree Dental Program (TRDP). This final rule expands the geographic scope of the
TRDP to overseas locations not currently covered by the program. At this time, TRDP
is applicable only in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, Canada,
Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Expanding the geographic scope of the program will
ensure that all TRICARE-eligible retirees are eligible for the same dental benefits,
regardless of their location. There are no additional government costs associated
with this final expansion of TRDP overseas, as TRDP costs are borne entirely by
enrollees through premium payments. This rule is effective November 16, 2007.
- Planned Systems International Inc. (PSI) has won a $4
million contract to provide certification and accreditation services for the Defense
Department’s health care system. Under the contract, PSI will perform a number
of information assurance tasks for the Military Health System’s TRICARE Management
Activity.
The tasks include security analysis, computer lab support,
trend analysis of information assurance data, computer network defense and security
management. PSI will also develop standard operating procedures for certification
and accreditation, which will help ensure that government systems have an established
set of security controls and policies in place.
- As of Dec. 3, 2007, TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) enrollees
who live overseas must be command sponsored in order to receive the overseas TDP
cost-share benefits, according to a TRICARE Management Activity news release.
If a TDP enrollee is not command sponsored, he or she will be responsible for the
same cost-shares as beneficiaries living in the United States.
Until now, TRICARE paid cost-shares and other out-of-pocket
expenses for many TDP dental services for all TDP enrollees living outside the continental
United States. But paying for TDP cost-share benefits for non-command sponsored
family members was inconsistent with other TRICARE programs and Defense Department
policy.
In accordance with that policy, non-command sponsored TDP
enrollees who receive dental care overseas will now be responsible for these cost-shares
as well as any difference between the dentist’s charge and dental contractor United
Concordia’s allowances for treatment.
Determination of a TDP enrollee’s command sponsored status
is based on their enrollment in either the TRICARE Overseas Program Prime or TRICARE
Global Remote Overseas program as reflected in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility
Reporting System (DEERS).
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Veterans Health Care News
- The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a new
online monthly news magazine, called “The American Veteran.” The purpose
of the magazine is to tell compelling stories of veterans who have taken advantage
of the many and varied benefits and services available to them as a result of their
military service.
The series is designed to inform active duty members, veterans,
their families and their communities about the services and benefits they have earned
and to recognize and honor them. VA’s Office of Public Affairs and the VA Learning
University/ Employee Education System (VALU/EES) produce the program and broadcast
it to VA facilities on the department’s own internal network and around the world
on The Pentagon Channel and community cable outlets.
The American Veteran is available to local broadcasters
and cable outlets and can be seen on the VA Web site www.va.gov, just click on “public affairs” and then “featured items.”
It is also available on
The Pentagon Channel The Pentagon Channel has more than 1 million military viewers
and is delivered domestically via DISH, EchoStar, T-Warner and Cox cable systems.
A preview of the December edition of “The American
Veteran” follows:
- MRSA—A deadly pathogen is spreading in our nation’s
hospitals: methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, more commonly known by its
acronym MRSA. VA has launched a nationwide MRSA Prevention Initiative to contain
the spread of the super germ, reducing the infection rate by fifty percent.
- Patient Safety—Many injuries that require hospital
visits begin when a patient falls. The Patient Safety and Falls Prevention Center
at the Tampa VA is conducting new research and testing new therapies to keep the
elderly on their feet and out of the hospital.
- Blind Technology—Many veterans suffer from debilitating
eye diseases, including total blindness. VA has introduced new technologies – including
a voice talk synthesizer that helps patients take their medications safely and a
GPS device that helps patients get around – all to improve the lives of blind
veterans.
- News You Can Use—The VA operates a live 24-hour-a-day
suicide prevention hotline; applying for VA health benefits.
- Survivor of The Bataan Death March Remembers—WWII
veteran Ralph Levenberg survived the Bataan Death March in the Philippines and three
subsequent years as a Japanese POW. His story provides a poignant reminder of why
we honor our heroes on Veterans Day.
- Veteran Profile—Wayne Miller is a Vietnam veteran
who lost a leg in combat. Today, Wayne is a Vet Center Team Leader, award
winning athlete and singer whose experiences serve as an inspiration to men and
women he works with and counsels.
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Health Care News
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
published a notice in the Federal Register on Nov. 16, 2007, announcing the proposed rule for the adoption
of final uniform standards for an electronic prescription drug program. It
also proposes the adoption of a standard identifier for providers and dispensers
for use in e-prescribing transactions, which have been pilot tested and evaluated
and meet the requirements for final standards that can be used for the Medicare
Part D e-prescribing programs. The standards proposed in this rule, in addition
to the foundation standards that were already adopted as final standards (see 70
FR 67568), represent an ongoing approach to adopting standards that are consistent
with the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA)
objectives of patient safety, quality of care, and efficiencies and cost saving
in the delivery of care.
- According to a new report funded by the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ), combination therapy is the most effective way to reduce
joint swelling or tenderness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
The Nov. 20, 2007, article in the Annals of Internal
Medicine describes the findings of the
report: “Comparative Effectiveness of Drug Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Psoriatic
Arthritis in Adults” In the report, researchers reviewed published
evidence to compare the benefits and adverse effects of the three classes of medications:
synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), biologic DMARDs, and corticosteroids.
The report concluded that combining a synthetic DMARD, with
one of the biologic DMARDs works better than using or a biologic DMARD alone. The
report also found that methotrexate works as effectively as the biologic DMARDs
adalimumab and etanercept for patients who have early rheumatoid arthritis. The
report also emphasized that biologic DMARDs and methotrexate increase the risk of
serious infection, including a reoccurrence of tuberculosis.
About 2 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis, a long-term
illness that causes joint and tissue inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune
disease, meaning that the body confuses healthy tissue for foreign substances and
attacks itself. The cause is unknown. The disease often begins with fatigue, morning
stiffness, weakness and muscle aches. Eventually, joint pain appears. Pain may affect
the wrists, knees, elbows, fingers, toes, ankles or neck. Other symptoms may include
anemia, eye burning, limited range of motion, skin redness and swollen glands. Joint
destruction may occur within 1 to 2 years after the disease appears. Some cases
cause deformities. Treatment typically begins with medications but may include physical
therapy and surgery. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2007/dmardpr.htm
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of Regulatory
Affairs (ORA) awarded three lab grants, designed to boost the food screening capabilities
and spot radioactive material in food, resulting from deliberate or accidental contamination.
These labs are part of the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN).
The three-year grants provide $250,000 a year for supplies,
personnel, minor facility upgrades and training. Recipients of the grants are the
Texas Department of State Health Services Laboratory, the New York Health Research/New
York Department of Health, and the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene.
FDA's ORA will expand its testing program to address the
threat to food safety through radiological terrorism events. ORA has developed
radiological screening and analysis methodologies used to evaluate foods and food
products.
The grants are targeted toward enhanced detection of radiological
contamination and thus enhance the nation's overall capability to rapidly detect
and respond to deliberate attacks on the food supply.
The grant awards further expand the FDA's ability to promote
the integrated strategy for protecting the nation's food supply through the three
core elements of prevention, intervention, and response, as outlined in the agency's
Food Protection Plan. These funded labs will be involved in food defense surveillance
testing as well as bolstering the FDA's emergency response efforts by increasing
the capacity for testing of foods for radioactive contamination, intentional or
accidental. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01747.html
- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) dedicated
more than $417 million for the construction of 69 statewide or regional broadband
telehealth networks in 42 states and three U.S. territories under the Rural Health
Care Pilot Program (RHCPP) in an effort to significantly increase access to acute,
primary and preventive health care in rural America,
Broadband deployment is one of the Commission’s top priorities
– particularly in rural America. And nowhere is the need for broadband greater
than in rural healthcare, where isolated clinics can save lives by using advanced
communications technology to tap the expertise of modern urban medical centers.
The Commission’s RHCPP will support the connection of more
than 6,000 public and non-profit health care providers nationwide to broadband telehealth
networks. The health care facilities participating in the pilot program include:
hospitals, clinics, universities and research centers, behavioral health sites,
correctional facility clinics, and community health centers.
Telehealth and telemedicine services provide patients in
rural areas with access to critically needed medical specialists in a variety of
practices, including cardiology, pediatrics, and radiology, in some instances without
leaving their homes or communities. Intensive care doctors and nurses can
monitor critically ill patients around the clock, and video conferencing allows
specialists and mental health professionals to care for patients in different rural
locations, often hundreds of miles away.
Participants are eligible for universal service funding
to support up to 85 percent of the costs associated with the design, engineering
and construction of their broadband health care networks. The pilot program’s
requirements complement HHS’ nationwide information technology initiatives that
support the creation of a nationwide interoperable health information technology
infrastructure to improve the quality of health care. These networks may connect
to the public Internet or to one of the nation’s dedicated Internet backbones: Internet2
or National LambdaRail.
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/rural/rhcp.html
- On Nov. 21, 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) approved tablet, chewable tablet, and syrup formulations of Zyrtec (cetirizine
HCl) for nonprescription use. The nonprescription drug is approved for the temporary
relief of symptoms due to hay fever or other respiratory allergies (sneezing; runny
nose; itchy, watery eyes; itchy throat or nose) in adults and children 2 years of
age and older.
The tablets and chewable tablets are approved for adults
and children 6 years of age and older for the treatment of the symptoms of hay fever
and other respiratory allergies, and to relieve the itching due to hives.
The syrup is approved for adults and children 2 years of
age and older for the treatment of the symptoms of hay fever and other respiratory
allergies, and adults and children 6 years of age and older to relieve the itching
due to hives. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01750.html
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- The total number of Guard and Reserve currently on active
duty has decreased by 1,813 from the last report to 91,551. The totals for
each service are Army National Guard and Army Reserve, 70,939; Navy Reserve, 5,723;
Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 7,243; Marine Corps Reserve, 7,288; and
the Coast Guard Reserve, 358.
www.defenselink.mil
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Reports/Policies
- The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
sent a memorandum: “Revision of Chiropractic Care for Active Duty Service Members
of the Uniformed Services Policies 03-021, 03-005, and 03-001,” on Nov.
9, 2007. This memorandum advises the Services that active duty service members
may only receive chiropractic care in military treatment facilities and no longer
will be allowed to seek treatment elsewhere. http://mhs.osd.mil/pdfs/policies/2007/07-028.pdf
- The GAO issued “Influenza Vaccine: Issues Related
to Production, Distribution, and Public Health Messages,” (GAO-08-27) on Oct. 31,
and released the report on Nov. 16, 2007. In the report, GAO examined: factors
that affect the quantity of vaccine produced and when it reaches providers; issues
related to making vaccine available to high-risk and other target groups; and public
health messages produced and disseminated by CDC and others to promote vaccination.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0827.pdf
- On Nov. 15, 2007, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released
“Gulf War and Health: Volume 6. Physiologic, Psychologic, and Psychosocial Effects
of Deployment-Related Stress.” This report is one of a series of congressionally-mandated
studies to examine the scientific and medical literature on the potential health
effects of chemical and biological agents related to the 1991 Gulf War. This
study comprehensively reviewed, evaluated, and summarized the peer-reviewed scientific
and medical literature regarding the association between stress and long-term adverse
health effects in Gulf War veterans, specifically the physiologic, psychologic and
psychosocial effects of stress. The study will was not limited to veterans of the
1991 Gulf War but also will be applicable to veterans of the current conflict.
http://www.iom.edu/CMS/4683/48534.aspx
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Legislation
- S.2376 (introduced Nov. 16, 2007): A bill to
establish a demonstration project to provide for patient-centered medical homes
to improve the effectiveness and efficiency in providing medical assistance under
the Medicaid program and child health assistance under the State Children's Health
Insurance Program was referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sponsor: Senator Richard Durbin [IL]
- S.2377 (introduced Nov. 16, 2007): A bill to
amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the quality of care provided to veterans
in Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, to encourage highly qualified
doctors to serve in hard-to-fill positions in such medical facilities, and for other
purposes was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Sponsor: Senator Richard Durbin [IL]
- S.2383 (introduced Nov. 16, 2007): A bill to
require a pilot program on the mobile provision of care and services for veterans
in rural areas by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes was
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Sponsor: Senator Amy Klobuchar [MN]
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Hill Hearings
- The House Veterans Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
will hold a hearing on Dec. 12, 2007, to examine outpatient waiting times.
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- The 2007 National Prevention and Health Promotion Summit:
“Creating a Culture of Wellness,” will be held on Nov. 27-29, 2007,
in Washington D.C. www.cdc.gov/cochp/conference/index.htm
- The 47th ASCB Annual Meeting will be held
on Dec. 1-5, 2007, in Washington D.C. http://www.ascb.org/meetings/
- The Special Operations Medical Conference will be held
on Dec. 10-13, 2007, in Tampa, Fla. https://www.trueresearch.org/soma/2007/attendee-registration.aspx
- The State of the MHS - The 2008 Annual TRICARE Conference
will be held on Jan. 28-31, 2008, in Washington D.C. http://www.tricare.mil/conferences.cfm
- The 2008 HIMSS Annual Conference will be held on
Feb. 24-28, 2007, in Orlando, Fla. http://www.himssconference.org/?src=hhpf
- The American Medical Directors' Association's (AMDA)
2008 Annual Symposium will be held on March 6-9, 2008, in Salt Lake City,
Utah. http://www.amda.com/education/annsym08/
- The 5th Annual World Healthcare Congress
will be held on April 21-23, 2008,, in Washington D.C. http://www.worldcongress.com/email/HR08000/HR08000-9-11-07Online.htm
- The 13th International Congress on Infectious Diseases
will be held June 19-22, 2008, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. http://www.isid.org/13th_icid/
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