ÿþ<html> <head> <title> U.S. Medicine Institute - Federal Health Update </title> <script type="text/javascript" src="../javascript/ddtabmenu.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> //SYNTAX: ddtabmenu.definemenu("tab_menu_id", integer OR "auto") ddtabmenu.definemenu("ddtabs4", 0) //initialize Tab Menu with ID "ddtabs1" and select 1st tab by default </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../css/style.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../javascript/ddcolortabs.css" /> </head> <body style="text-align:center"> <table width="800px" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td style="text-align:center" valign="top"> <a href="../index.html"><img src="../images/banner.gif" style="border:0;"/></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> <div id="ddtabs4" class="ddcolortabs"> <ul> <li><a href="../index.html">Home</a></li> <li><a href="../forums.html">Forums</a></li> <li><a href="../roundtables.html">Roundtables</a></li> <li><a href="../partners.html">Partner Organizations</a></li> <li><a href="../sponsor.html">Sponsorship Information</a></li> <li><a href="../aboutus.html">About USMI</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="ddcolortabsline">&nbsp;</div> </td> </tr> </table> <table width="750px" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="height:560px;"> <tr> <td style="text-align:left;" valign="top"> <a href="../newsletter_archive.html">< Back to Federal Health Update Archives</a> <div style="border:0;width:750px;height:560px;overflow-x:hidden;overflow-y:auto;text-align:left;"> <table width="700px" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center;"> <tr> <td colspan="2"> <br /><h4>FEDERAL HEALTH UPDATE</h4> <h5>January 4, 2008</h5> <p /><i>Produced by Kate Connelly Theroux in collaboration with the U.S. Medicine Institute for Health Studies (USMI) <p />To subscribe, please visit <a href="../subscriber.cfm">http://usminstitute.org/subscriber.cfm</a>.</i> <p />Sponsored by <br /><a href="http://www.triwest.com/" target="_blank"><img src="../images/newsletter/TriWestLogoNEW.jpg" border="0"/></a> <p />Additional sponsorship by </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:right;"><a href="http://www.USFamilyHealthPlan.org" target="_blank"><img src="../images/newsletter/NewUSFHP_logo.jpg" border="0"/></a></td> <td style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.expressscripts.com/" target="_blank"><img src="../images/newsletter/redu2colorPMS.jpg" border="0"/></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;"> <b><a name="top">Menu</a></b> <ul type="square"> <li><a href="#cong">Congressional Schedule</a></li> <li><a href="#mhc">Military Health Care News</a></li> <li><a href="#vhc">Veterans Health Care News</a></li> <li><a href="#hcare">Health Care News</a></li> <li><a href="#reserve">Reserve/Guard</a></li> <li><a href="#reports">Reports/Policies</a></li> <li><a href="#leg">Legislation</a></li> <li><a href="#hill">Hill Hearings</a></li> <li><a href="#meetings">Meetings / Conferences</a></li> </ul> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;"> <ul> <h1> <font face="Arial Black" size="3"><a name="cong">Congressional Schedule</a></font> </h1> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">On Dec. 29, 2007, President Bush signed in to law S. 2499, the <i>Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007</i>, which Provides a 0.5 percent Medicare payment increase for physicians for 6 months; extends SCHIP through March 31, 2009; and extends the Medicaid Qualifying Individual provision, Title V Abstinence Education grant program, and Transitional Medical Assistance eligibility for Medicaid beneficiaries for 6 months. </font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">On Dec. 28, 2007, President Bush vetoed H.R. 1585, the <i>National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008</i>.</font> </li> </ul> <ul> <p align="right"> <a name="0.1_01000002"></a><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></font> </p> </ul> <ul> <p> <a name="0.1_0100000E"></a><font face="Arial Black" size="3"><a name="mhc">Military Health Care News</a></font></p> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The Department of Defense (DoD) announced the organization-wide release of enhancements that allow DoD to share electronic health information with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through the Bidirectional Health Information Exchange (BHIE) and the Clinical Data Repository/Health Data Repository (CHDR) interfaces. &nbsp;The additional information will allow providers to make better patient care decisions for service members as they transition from the combat zone to medical facilities in the U.S.</font> </li> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">With the new enhancements in place, each agency is now able to view the other's clinical encounters, medical procedures, and lists of medical problems on shared patients using BHIE. This adds to the pharmacy, allergy, microbiology, and chemistry/hematology data, as well as radiology reports that were made available earlier this year. Additionally, DoD providers are also able to view combat zone data (including inpatient data) from the Theater Medical Data Store. </font> </p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The CHDR software actively synchronizes data between DoD and VA repositories for patients who receive health services from both agencies. &nbsp;That synchronization significantly increases patient safety by enabling drug-drug and drug-allergy interaction checks with data from DoD, VA, and retail pharmacies. &nbsp;CHDR has been operating on a limited basis since late 2007, but new configuration enhancements have enabled all sites to view data on shared patients. </font> <a href="http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=11588" target="_blank"> <font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.defenselink.mil<wbr></wbr>/releases/release.aspx?releasei<wbr></wbr>d=11588</u></font></a></p> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">TRICARE Management Activity has launched the Behavioral Health Provider Locator and Appointment Assistance Service to make behavioral health care access simpler for Prime beneficiaries. All active duty service members and their enrolled family members living in the U.S. who need help locating and making appointments with behavioral health care providers can now contact their Managed Care Support Contractor (MCSC) for assistance. &nbsp;</font> </li> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">All active duty service members must have a referral from their primary care manager for behavioral health care before calling the MCSC appointment assistance line.&nbsp; TRICARE Prime active duty family members can receive the first eight outpatient behavioral health care visits per fiscal year (Oct. 1-Sept. 30) without a referral, but they must receive the care from TRICARE network providers to avoid point-of-service cost sharing charges.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">For assistance making behavioral health appointments the toll-free numbers are: West Region, 1-866-651- 4970; North Region, 1-877-747-9579; and South Region, 1-877-298-3514. Hours vary according to region.&nbsp; TRICARE Overseas Program beneficiaries can also use the appointment assistance line when traveling in the U.S.&nbsp; </font><a href="http://www.tricare.mil/pressroom/news.aspx?fid=355" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.tricare.mil/pressroo<wbr></wbr>m/news.aspx?fid=355</u></font></a></p> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">On Dec. 21, 2007, TRICARE Management Activity announced that it received high marks on the annual federal government report from the 2007 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). &nbsp;</font> </li> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">TRICARE scored 89 for inpatient care and 84 for outpatient care well above the federal government average score of 67.8 on ACSI s 100-point scale. &nbsp;</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The ACSI is the only uniform, national, cross-industry measure of satisfaction with the quality of goods and services available in the United States.&nbsp; Since 1999, more than 100 federal government agencies have used ACSI to measure citizen satisfaction of more than 200 services and programs. &nbsp;</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The ACSI measures beneficiary satisfaction by asking questions about expectations, the perceived quality of care received and the outcomes of beneficiary complaints in two main areas:&nbsp; inpatient and outpatient care.&nbsp; Inpatient care is hospitalization for one or more days, and outpatient care is the care received at a doctor s office.&nbsp;</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">TRICARE partners with civilian companies, Health Net Federal Services, Inc., Humana Military Healthcare Services, Inc., and TriWest Healthcare Alliance, Corp., as well as military hospitals and clinics, to provide health care services and support in the three TRICARE regions where beneficiaries were surveyed. Those regional managed care support contractors have established the TRICARE provider networks that beneficiaries use each and every day.&nbsp; </font><a href="http://www.tricare.mil/pressroom/news.aspx?fid=354" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.tricare.mil/pressroo<wbr></wbr>m/news.aspx?fid=354</u></font></a></p> </ul> <ul> <p align="right"> <a name="0.1_0100000F"></a><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <a name="0.1_01000018"></a><font face="Arial Black" size="3"><a name="vhc">Veterans Health Care News</a></font></p> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The computerized personal health record for veterans created by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) -- My Health<i><u>e</u></i>Vet -- has been named a national finalist in the  Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards given by a national accreditation organization.&nbsp;</font> </li> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">VA is one of 19 finalists in the  Best Practices first-time awards from URAC (formerly the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission), an independent health care accreditation commission. &nbsp;The contest attracted entries detailing innovative and proven programs to enhance patient safety and give consumers control over their health care.&nbsp; Winners represent health plans, pharmacy benefit management organizations, health care management firms and health information technology companies. &nbsp;The finalists will present their programs at a conference in March. &nbsp;</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">My Health<i><u>e</u></i>Vet, which offers veterans their own private medical records and data, has more than 500,000 participants.&nbsp;</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The Best Practices awards provide leaders in health care management an opportunity to find out what others are doing to advance consumers control of their health care.&nbsp; </font> </p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">More information about My Health<i><u>e</u></i>Vet can be found at </font><a href="http://www.myhealth.va.gov/" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>www.myhealth.va.gov</u></font></a><font face="Arial" size="2">. &nbsp;My Health<i><u>e</u></i>Vet was a winner of the 2007  Top 5 Excellence.Gov Awards for innovative technology from the private-sector Industry Advisory Council.&nbsp;</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">URAC promotes health care quality through accreditation and certification programs. &nbsp;More information about the  Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards can be found at </font><a href="http://www.urac.org/" target="_blank"> <font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.urac.org/</u></font></a><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>.</u></font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">In another recent honor, the Web site for VA s health care system was recognized for outstanding achievement by the Web Marketing Association. &nbsp;</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The Web site received a  Government Standard of Excellence award by the association, which is a nonprofit, volunteer organization made up of Internet marketing, online advertising, public relations and Web site design professionals.</font></p> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will provide an annual cost-of-living increase for disability compensation, pension, and survivors' benefits to eligible veterans and their family members beginning in January 2008.</font> </li> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">A recent law signed by President Bush provides a 2.3 percent increase in disability compensation and survivors' benefits. &nbsp;Under the veterans disability compensation program, tax-free payments will generally range from $117 to $2,527 per month depending on the degree of disability. &nbsp;Special payments up to $7,232 per month apply to the most severely injured veterans.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">Pension disability benefits will also be increased by the same percentage and effective on the same date. &nbsp;The maximum annual rate for permanently and totally disabled veterans or veterans over age 65 can range from $11,181 to $18,654, based on household income and whether veterans are in need of help with activities for daily living.&nbsp;</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">This increase also applies to survivors of veterans who died in service or from a service-connected disability. &nbsp;Dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) survivors benefit payments can range from $1,091 to $2,499 per month.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">Survivors of wartime veterans receiving death pension are also entitled to an increase. &nbsp;The maximum annual payment rate for a surviving spouse can range from $7,498 to $11,985. &nbsp;Benefits under this program are intended to bring an eligible spouse s income to a level established by law. &nbsp;Under each benefit program, additional allowances may be payable for helpless, minor or school age children. </font><a href="http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1436" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel<wbr></wbr>/pressrelease.cfm?id=1436</u></font></a>&nbsp;<br /> </p> </ul> <ul> <p align="right"> <font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <a name="0.1_01000019"></a><font face="Arial Black" size="3"><a name="hcare">Health Care News</a></font></p> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">A new report funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) found the most commonly used drugs bisphosphonates have not been proven more effective than alternatives to reduce the risk of bone fractures in people with osteoporosis. </font></li> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The AHRQ report,<i> Comparative Effectiveness of Treatments To Prevent Fractures in Men and Women With Low Bone Density or Osteoporosis,</i> compared the effectiveness and risks of six bisphosphonates: alendronate (sold as Fosamax), etidronate (Didronel), ibandronate (Boniva), pamidronate (Aredia), risedronate (Actonel) and zoledronic acid (Zometa). The report also looked at estrogen, calcitonin (a man-made hormone), calcium, vitamin D, testosterone, parathyroid hormone and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs).</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">Not enough scientific evidence exists to establish whether bisphosphonates are better at preventing fractures than estrogen, calcitonin or raloxifene, according to the report. Some agents, however, such as estrogen and raloxifene (a SERM), can have serious side effects such as strokes, blood clots in the lungs or bleeding in the uterus. </font> </p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The effectiveness of calcium and vitamin D, meanwhile, may vary according to dosing, how often they are taken and whether the patient taking them is at high risk for a fracture. There is limited evidence to compare the supplements with other therapies for preventing fractures.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The report also found that many osteoporosis patients stop taking their medications as prescribed. Some stop because they experience no osteoporosis symptoms. Others stop because of medication side effects or because dosing is too frequent. This finding was also true for supplements such as calcium. Not taking medications as prescribed increases the chances of bone fractures. Patients who take bisphosphonates in weekly formulations, rather than daily, are more likely to follow prescriptions. </font> </p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease that affects about 44 million Americans, especially women who have finished menopause. It occurs when deteriorating tissue reduces bone density in the spine, hip and other areas. Some people with the disease fracture bones, become disabled or experience chronic pain. Overall, about half of women age 50 and older will suffer an osteoporosis-related bone break in their lifetime. About one-fourth of those who fracture a hip will die within a year.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">Bisphosphonates, the most commonly used medications for osteoporosis, are non-hormonal drugs that bind to bone to protect against tissue breakdown. AHRQ's analysis found that certain bisphosphonates plus calcitonin, parathyroid hormone, estrogen and raloxifene prevent spinal fractures. Evidence also showed that they also prevent hip and other non-spinal fractures. </font><a href="http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2007/osteomedpr.htm" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press<wbr></wbr>/pr2007/osteomedpr.htm</u></font></a></p> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Voluven, an intravenous solution that prevents and treats a dangerous loss of blood volume, a condition that sometimes occurs during and after surgery.</font> </li> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">Significant blood losses can cause a rapid drop in the volume of red blood cells and plasma circulating through the body. This can lead to shock, which is potentially fatal. Blood volume expanders are commonly administered to quickly restore some of the lost volume so that remaining red blood cells can continue to deliver needed oxygen to the body's tissues.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">Voluven contains a synthetic starch that does not dissolve in water. It is made by linking individual starch molecules together and combining them with a salt solution, similar to the salt concentration typically found in blood. Voluven expands the volume of blood plasma and thus draws fluid into small blood vessels known as capillaries.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">In clinical trials, Voluven was compared to other approved blood volume expanders. During orthopedic surgery, Voluven, manufactured by B. Braun Medical Inc. of Bethlehem, Pa., was as safe and effective in expanding blood volume as Hespan, an approved starch solution. </font> </p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">In newborns and infants undergoing major surgery, Voluven was as safe and effective as an equivalent volume of another expander containing albumin, a protein found in the blood. In other trials conducted overseas, Voluven was as safe as other blood volume expanders used in those countries in patients ranging in age from less than 2 years to 75 years who were undergoing a variety of surgical procedures.</font></p> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, is awarding a total of $6.8 million for the first year of funding to three new research centers called DISCOVER - Disease Investigation Through Specialized Clinically-Oriented Ventures in Environmental Research. The new DISCOVER centers are expected to bridge the gap between basic research and clinical treatment of diseases caused by environmental factors. </font> </li> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The NIEHS launched the DISCOVER program in January 2006 when the initial grant opportunities were announced. The centers reflect an integrated research approach expected to advance our understanding of how the environment interacts with biological processes to either preserve health or cause disease by bringing together laboratory research and population based studies. </font> </p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The DISCOVER centers will focus their efforts on understanding the clinical impact of environmental exposures in children and extending that research to improve diagnosis and clinical intervention. The three new centers are:</font></p> </ul> <ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The Center for Childhood Asthma in the Urban Environment at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore Md. The researchers at this center will examine how indoor and outdoor exposures to particulate matter and allergens may impact the airways of asthmatic children. African-American children living in inner cities often are disproportionately impacted by asthma because of excessive indoor and outdoor pollutants. The researchers will be working closely with the family members and others in the community as they conduct this research.</font> </li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health at Columbia University School of Public Health in New York.&nbsp; The Center s researchers will focus their research efforts on when and how common air pollutants from traffic and other combustion sources including diesel exhaust can affect the lungs of children. The Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health DISCOVER grant proposes to develop community partnerships and outreach to regulatory policy for improved disease prevention as well as develop biomarkers of exposure and disease progression and improved therapies for children's asthma based on understanding environmental exposures.</font> </li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The third center will be located at the University of Washington in Seattle Wash.&nbsp; Research will focus on understanding the impact of traffic-related air pollution on cardiovascular disease. Specifically, the program will seek to increase understanding of biological pathways related to inflammation and vascular dysfunction from air pollutants and progression of cardiovascular disease. The ultimate translation of this program will potentially advance therapy and cardiovascular disease prevention through educational outreach opportunities to both the medical and public health communities.</font> </li> </ul> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it has cleared for marketing the first rapid blood test for the drug-resistant staph bacterium known as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which can cause potentially deadly infections.</font> </li> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">Methicillin is an antibiotic that has been used successfully to treat infections from the Staphylococcus aureus bacterium. Over the years, the staph bacterium mutated and spawned MRSA, a strain of staph bacterium that is resistant to methicillin and which has a higher rate of being fatal.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The BD GeneOhm StaphSR Assay uses molecular methods to identify whether a blood sample contains genetic material from the MRSA bacterium or the more common, less dangerous staph bacterium that can still be treated with methicillin.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">Staph infections occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and health care facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers) who have weakened immune systems. Both types of bacteria also can infect healthy people.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">Distinguishing between the two sources of infection is critical to successful treatment.&nbsp; The more common, less dangerous strain of staph results in infections that are generally mild and affect the skin with pimples or boils that can be swollen, painful and drain pus.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">However, the MRSA staph bacterium is difficult to treat with ordinary antibiotics.&nbsp; It can cause potentially life-threatening conditions such as blood stream infections, surgical site infections or pneumonia.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">FDA cleared the BD GeneOhm StaphSR assay based on the results of a clinical trial at five locations. The new assay identified 100 percent of the MRSA-positive specimens and more than 98 percent of the more common, less dangerous staph specimens.&nbsp; </font><a href="http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01768.html" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics<wbr></wbr>/NEWS/2007/NEW01768.html</u></font></a></p> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">According to the <i>Associated Press</i>, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced that employers can legally eliminate or reduce health benefits for retirees when they reach age 65 and become eligible for Medicare while retaining benefits for retirees younger than age 65.&nbsp; The rule published in the <i>Federal Register </i>formally authorizes the long-standing practice used by employers to take Medicare into account when structuring the health benefit packages they voluntarily provide their retired workers. It makes clear they can spend more on retirees under 65 years of age than those over 65 without running afoul of age discrimination laws.</font> </li> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">In practice, retirees in both age groups might receive essentially the same benefits, but it is less costly to the company for those over 65 because Medicare picks up much of the tab for them.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The EEOC proposed the rule in response to a decision in 2000 by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit that held that the Age Discrimination in Employment Act requires employers to spend the same amount on health insurance benefits provided Medicare-eligible retirees as those received by younger retirees.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The commission said that after the 2000 decision, labor unions and employers alike maintained that complying with the decision would result in companies reducing or eliminating the retiree health benefits they were providing  leaving millions of retirees under 65 with less health insurance, or no health insurance at all.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The same federal appeals court that brought the original decision in 2000 ruled last June that the EEOC was authorized to issue exemptions if a strict interpretation of the age discrimination law would be contrary to the public interest.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The proposed exemption may allow employers to reduce health benefits to retirees over the age of 65 while maintaining greater benefits for younger retirees. The commission had shown that the exemption was "a reasonable, necessary and proper exercise" of its authority.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The EEOC said its ruling had the support of members of Congress, as well as the employer and labor communities, including such organizations as the Society for Human Resource Management, the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, the American Benefits Council, and other groups.</font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial" size="2">The commission noted that employers who provide retiree health benefits generally "coordinate" those benefits with Medicare by supplementing the government health care or by offering retirees a "bridge" benefit to cover health expenses after employees retire until they become Medicare-eligible.&nbsp; </font> <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iar8HAeqw1_kOE8_YB4xcNazAKwwD8TPQ5B80" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://ap.google.com/article<wbr></wbr>/ALeqM5iar8HAeqw1_kOE8_YB4xcNaz<wbr></wbr>AKwwD8TPQ5B80</u></font></a>&nbsp;<br /> </p> </ul> <ul> <p align="right"> <font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></font></p> </ul> <ul> <h1> <font face="Arial Black" size="3"><a name="reserve">Reserve/Guard</a></font> </h1> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The total number of Guard and Reserve currently on active duty has <b>decreased</b> by 4,325 from the last report to 90,252. The totals for each service are Army National Guard and Army Reserve, 70,320; Navy Reserve, 5,013; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 5,925; Marine Corps Reserve, 8,668; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 326. </font><a href="http://www.defenselink.mil/" target="_blank"> <font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>www.defenselink.mil</u></font></a> </li> </ul> <ul> <p align="right"> <font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <font face="Arial Black" size="3"><a name="reports">Reports/Policies</a></font></p> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The GAO issued <i> Military Health Care</i><b><i>:</i></b><i> Cost Data Indicate That TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) Premiums Exceeded the Costs of Providing Program Benefits, </i>(GAO-08-104) on Dec. 21, 2007.&nbsp; In the report the GAO compared the TRS premiums established by DOD to the reported costs of providing benefits under TRS in 2006 and Department of Defense's (DoD s) projected costs for TRS before implementation to DoD s reported costs for the program in 2005 and 2006. </font><a href="http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08104.pdf" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.gao.gov/new.items<wbr></wbr>/d08104.pdf</u></font></a> </li> </ul> &nbsp;<br /> <ul> <p align="right"> <font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></font></p> </ul> <ul> <p> <a name="0.1_01000027"></a><font face="Arial Black" size="3"><a name="leg">Legislation</a></font></p> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">No legislation was proposed.</font> </li> </ul> <ul> <p align="right"> <font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></font> </p> </ul> <ul> <p> <a name="0.1_01000028"></a><font face="Arial Black" size="3"><a name="hill">Hill Hearings</a></font></p> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">No hearings are scheduled for next week.</font> </li> </ul> <ul> <p align="right"> <font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></font></p> </ul> <ul> <h1> <a name="0.1_01000029"></a><font face="Arial Black" size="3"><a name="meetings">Meetings / Conferences</a></font> </h1> </ul> <ul type="DISC"> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The State of the MHS - The 2008 Annual TRICARE Conference will be held on <b>Jan. 28-31, 2008,</b> in Washington D.C. </font><a href="http://www.tricare.mil/conferences.cfm" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.tricare.mil/conferen<wbr></wbr>ces.cfm</u></font></a> </li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The 8th Annual Madigan Pediatric Update Conference will be held on <b>Feb. 8-9, 2008</b>, in Fort Lewis, Wash. </font><a href="http://www.hjf.org/events/linkevent.html" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.hjf.org/events<wbr></wbr>/linkevent.html</u></font></a> </li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The 2008 HIMSS Annual Conference will be held on <b> Feb. 24-28, 2007</b>, in Orlando, Fla. </font><a href="http://www.himssconference.org/?src=hhpf" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.himssconference.org<wbr></wbr>/?src=hhpf</u></font></a> </li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The Family Readiness Leadership Course will be offered on <b>Feb. 23-24, 2008,</b> in Amarillo, Texas.&nbsp; </font><a href="http://www.guardfamily.org" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>www.guardfamily.org</u></font></a> </li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The American Medical Directors' Association's (AMDA) 2008 Annual Symposium will be held on <b>March 6-9, 2008,</b> in Salt Lake City, Utah. </font><a href="http://www.amda.com/education/annsym08/" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.amda.com/education<wbr></wbr>/annsym08/</u></font></a> </li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The 2008 American Medical Women s Association Annual Meeting will be held on <b>March 7-8, 2008</b>, in Anaheim, Calif.&nbsp; </font> <a href="http://www.womenshf.com/index.cfm" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.womenshf.com/index<wbr></wbr>.cfm</u></font></a> </li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The AACC will hold its 21st annual San Diego Conference: <i> Genomic Technologies at the Interface of Diagnostics and Therapeutics, </i> on <b>March 25-28, 2008</b>.&nbsp; </font><a href="http://www.aacc.org/" target="_blank"> <font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>www.aacc.org</u></font></a> </li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources (JCR) sponsored national symposium: <i>Overuse, Underuse, Misuse: Reducing Waste and Improving Efficiency in Health Care</i>, will be held March 27-28, 2008, in Chicago, Ill.&nbsp; </font><a href="http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=events&mod=Events&mid=70011D51BAE64A618C07DA22161E68F1&tier=3&eid=2A950F492FC64910A62A300B89677D88" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>JCR Event</u></font></a> </li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The<b> </b></font><font color="#2a2a2a" face="Arial" size="2">NQF Implementation Conference on Care Coordination<b> will be held on March 26-28, 2008</b>, in Atlanta Ga.&nbsp; </font><a href="http://www.qualityforum.org/" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.qualityforum.org/</u></font></a> </li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The 5<sup>th</sup> Annual World Healthcare Congress will be held on <b>April 21-23, 2008</b>,, in Washington D.C. </font><a href="http://www.worldcongress.com/email/HR08000/HR08000-9-11-07Online.htm" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.worldcongress.com<wbr></wbr>/email/HR08000/HR08000-9-11<wbr></wbr>-07Online.htm</u></font></a> </li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The 13th International Congress on Infectious Diseases will be held <b>June 19-22, 2008</b>, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.&nbsp; </font><a href="http://www.isid.org/13th_icid/" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.isid.org/13th_icid/</u></font></a> </li> <li><font face="Arial" size="2">The 45th ARHP Annual Meeting: <i> Reproductive Health 2008 </i> will be held Sept. 17-20, 2008, in Washington D.C. </font><a href="http://www.arhp.org/conferences" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><u>http://www.arhp.org/conferences</u></font></a> </li> </ul> <ul> <p align="right"> <font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="2"><a href="#top">Back to Top</a></font></p> </ul> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="text-align:left;"> <br /><i>If you need further information on any of the items in the Federal Health Update, please contact Kate Connelly Theroux at (703) 447-3257 or by e-mail at <a href="mailto:kate@usminstitute.org">kate@usminstitute.org</a>. 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