Practice Management Insight

August 2011

A report on events affecting Oklahoma providers

August 1-7

World Breastfeeding Week

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August 1-31

Children Eye and Safety Month

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August 4-7

119th Annual Convention

American Psychological Assoc.

August 8-14

National Health Center Week

National Association of Community Health Centers

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August 9-10

RSS Training

Oklahoma City

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Register Online

August 11-12

SOC Wraparound Training

Oklahoma City

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August 18-19

Case Management Training

Oklahoma City

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August 22-24

NAPS

August 25

Medicaid Training

Oklahoma City

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Register Online

August 25-26

SOAR Training

OKC

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August 26

Methadone Myths and Facts

OKC

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August31

SOC Family Support Provider Training

OKC

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August 31

T-ASI Teen Addiction Severity Index

Workshops & Training

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AUGUST is …

National Immunization Awareness Month

According to reports by the Associated Press, the cost of the compromise to raise the federal debt ceiling most likely will inflict more fiscal pain on states still struggling to recover from the recession and the end of federal stimulus spending.

President Barack Obama and Republicans reached an agreement July 31, 2011 to avoid the nation's first financial default and raise the debt limit.  The compromise also calls for cutting more than $2 trillion from federal spending over the next decade. President Obama said that the agreement would mean "the lowest level of domestic spending since Dwight Eisenhower was president" more than half a century ago.

Details surrounding the spending cuts are still unclear, however, lawmakers from both parties are agreed on the need to cut or impose caps on “so-called discretionary spending.”  These cuts could mean decreases in federal aid to states which could possibly affect Head Start school readiness programs, Meals-on-Wheels, as well as education grants for disabled children.

Lawmakers from several states are concerned that Congress could eventually make deep reductions in federal aid for health services for the needy.  These reductions to services, including Medicaid, would potentially shift more of the costs onto states that are already experiencing trouble balancing their budgets.  According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, “states already have closed nearly $480 billion in budget gaps since the beginning of the recession.”

Obama said there would be no initial cuts to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare; however, he indicated both could be on the table along with changes in tax law as part of future cuts.  President Pro-Tem, Darrell Steinberg expressed concern about cuts to entitlement programs, namely reduce payments to the states for Medicaid.   For many states this concern centers on possible changes in the federal-state formula known as FMAP, which is used to fund Medicaid programs.

For more information concerning the affects of the debt ceiling compromise, visit http://www.news9.com/story/15181762/debt-ceiling-fix-could-mean-problems-for-states.

Debt Ceiling Fix Does Not Equal Secure Future for SSI and Medicaid

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“Heat is the number one weather-related killer in the United States, resulting in hundreds of fatalities each year. In fact, on average, excessive heat claims more lives each year than floods, lightning, tornadoes and hurricanes combined. In the disastrous heat wave of 1980, more than 1,250 people died. In the heat wave of 1995 more than 700 deaths in the Chicago area were attributed to heat. In August 2003, a record heat wave in Europe claimed an estimated 50,000 lives.

North American summers are hot; most summers see heat waves in or more parts of the United States. East of the Rockies, they tend to combine both high temperature and high humidity; although some of the worst heat waves have been catastrophically dry.

Heat disorders generally have to do with a reduction or collapse of the body's ability to shed heat by circulatory changes and sweating, or a chemical (salt) imbalance caused by too much sweating. When heat gain exceeds the level the body can remove, or when the body cannot compensate for fluids and salt lost through perspiration, the temperature of the body's inner core begins to rise and heat-related illness may develop.

Ranging in severity, heat disorders share one common feature: the individual has overexposed or over exercised for his age and physical condition in the existing thermal environment.

Sunburn, with its ultraviolet radiation burns, can significantly retard the skin's ability to shed excess heat. Studies indicate that, other things being equal, the severity of heat disorders tend to increase with age--heat cramps in a 17-year-old may be heat exhaustion in someone 40, and heat stroke in a person over 60.

Acclimatization has to do with adjusting sweat-salt concentrations, among other things. The idea is to lose enough water to regulate body temperature, with the least possible chemical disturbance.”

Warning!

To find out more about heat disorder symptoms or to access a heat index chart, visit the NOAA website. http://www.weather.gov/om/heat/index.shtml#heatindex#heatindex

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. This observance provides the opportunity to remind the community of the importance of immunization. Make sure that your family and friends are up-to-date on their immunizations.  Vaccines are responsible for the control of many infectious diseases that were once common in this country. Maintaining high immunization rates protects the entire community by interrupting the transmission of disease-causing bacteria or viruses. The viruses and bacteria that cause vaccine-preventable diseases and death still exist and can infect people who are not protected by vaccines. Vaccines have reduced and, in some cases, eliminated many diseases that once routinely killed or harmed tens of thousands of infants, children and adults.

Avoid the Hazards of Excessive Heat

SoonerPro Update for Privately Contracted LBHPs Including Psychologists

Changes became effective July 1, 2011 for Privately Contracted LBHPs.  To preview the  changes visit the SoonerPro website or contact them at [email-masked].

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Job Loss Leads to More Families Utilizing Public Health Care for Children

A new study finds an increasing number of American families turning to public health insurance in order to provide coverage for their children. Increased job losses, The Health Daily News reports, is fueling the trend, along with changes in the coverage of private plans, as well as expanded access to public plans.

"When people become unemployed, not only do they lose their employment-based private insurance but, with the loss of income, families may become newly eligible for public plans," the University of New Hampshire researchers noted.

"In addition, the generally poor economy and expanded eligibility for public plans may also play less direct roles in the shifting rates of health insurance among children," they said.

The team's analysis of 2008 and 2009 U.S. Census Bureau data and 2009 Bureau of Labor Statistics data revealed that health insurance coverage among children increased 1.3 percent from 2008 to 2009. Other findings showed a significant increase in the number of children covered by public health insurance in 44 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.  Additionally, 27 states demonstrated a decline in private health insurance coverage for children.  The largest shift from private to public insurance occurred in Midwestern central cities.  Here private insurance fell 4.3 percent and public coverage rose 6.5 percent.

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The study noted that currently about 9 percent of children in the United States are not covered by any form of insurance, and half of those children are eligible for coverage through Medicaid.

"Research demonstrates that most of these eligible children come from states with low participation rates and are disproportionately Hispanic. Because those who have health insurance are healthier overall and, more importantly, because healthy children are more likely to become healthy adults, focusing on covering eligible children should remain at the forefront of the nation's agenda," the researchers concluded.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has more information about children and health insurance.

Incorrect Levels of Care on CDCs

This message is for all Outpatient Agency Providers AND individually contracted LBHPs including Psychologists

When entering a Transaction 23 CDC (initial) or Transaction 42 CDC (update), please be sure you are using OO-Outpatient as the Level of Care as this question is related to the level of care you are providing, not where the member resides. This question is right above the CAR scores when entering a CDC manually into Care Connection.

The other levels listed: Community Living (CL), Residential Treatment (CI), Detoxification (SN), Community Crisis Care (SC) and Hospitalization (HA) all create “instant authorizations” for specialized DMH services for DMH contracted providers only.

If you are NOT a DMH provider for one of these special programs, please use “OO-Outpatient” as the Level of Care since that is the level of care you are providing to avoid potential billing problems.

For more information .

Participants can expect to be introduced to the following concepts:

· How the principles of integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders are reflected in recovery life skills training

· Evidence-based therapies that are at the heart of recovery life skills training, including motivational enhancement therapy, cognitive                       behavioral therapy, psycho-education and social skills training

· Benefits of conducting group interventions with clients who have co-occurring disorders

· Logistics to consider when setting up a recovery life skills group

· Essential topics to cover when helping clients develop recovery life skills, Information on the Recovery Life Skills Program and                  Integrated Dual Disorders Treatment, key resources for program implantation

The second webinar is entitled “Improving Recovery Success,” and will air on Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 1 p.m. Eastern; 12 p.m. Central; 11 a.m. Mountain; and 10 a.m. Pacific.

Attendees of this webinar will learn how integrating a Neuroadaptogen Amino Acid Therapy (NAAT) program into your existing treatment protocol can significantly help their clients success in recovery.

Dr. John Giordano will discuss the following objectives:

· How does a NAAT program help to regulate cravings and prevent relapse?

· How does a NAAT program bring added value and revenue to the center?  What is the Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) and                  how can it be treated with a NAAT program?

For more information or to register, visit the Addiction Professional Webinars website, or call the help desk at Vendome Group at (212) 812-8432.

Complimentary Webinars Offered

Addiction Professional Webinars will be presenting two complimentary webinars during the month of August.  The first is entitled “Recovery Life Skills Program: A Group Approach to Relapse Prevention and Healthy Living” on Wednesday, August 10, 2011.   The webcast is scheduled to air 3 p.m. Eastern; 2 p.m. Central; 1 p.m. Mountain; 12 p.m. Pacific.