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Care NewsNewsLinks to summaries at the Kaisernetwork,The Body, and other news sources as well as the HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update (below). (Note links to Kaisernetwork, The Body and other sources take you out of this site. You will have to hit your browser's <back button to return.) See also Medical Briefs and Care Resources in the Care Section Michigan NewsCase Management Conference 2009 Michigan’s case managers closed out their 3-day conference in Ypsilanti in June with a glimpse into the future and a reminder of the past. HAPIS Manager Debra Szwejda joined Care Unit Manager Patrick Yankee and ADAP Coordinator Chris Hanson for a national and state update, looking at the future of Ryan White and State funding and the health of the ADAP program. The closing plenary was a history lesson for some and a solemn reminder for old timers of what the beginning of the epidemic was like. Jeanne White-Ginder, Ryan White’s mother, gave a very moving presentation on her son’s contribution to bringing AIDS out of those dark ages of the 80’s and early 90’s. The Ryan White legislation will sunset on September 30, 2009. Szwejda said the national organizations concerned with its continuation have agreed upon a core set of principles, requiring minor tweaks and they will advocate to extend the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006 for three more years. At that time, Szwejda said they expect the Act to be rolled into the overall national health reform. Yankee added that he expects the Act will be renewed on a year by year basis. In FY 2010, they expect that Part A and Part B will have a slight increase in funding and Part D will remain level funding. Local agencies can expect to see the MDCH Care RFP around December. Michigan is one of 23 states participating in the CDC expanded testing initiative – to provide routine testing in medical care settings – which has increased our number of positive testers. The President’s budget will increase funding for prevention and expand the grant for testing in medical settings. Combined, these will further add to the cost of those requiring care in our state. Szwejda pointed out that the focus on health outcome costs are here to stay and that “Congress wants to know what they are getting from the dollars they allocate for HIV/AIDS care.” She told the case managers how important it is to have a relationship with their local medical providers. At the State level, MDCH is working collaboratively for quality management. The Michigan Cross Parts Quality Collaboration is a group comprised of all of the Ryan White Parts to improve the quality of care in the state, with common indicators for care across all parts. They plan to put these into everyone’s contract and HAPIS is working to align the system with Careware. “This will save money and time and improve care,” said Szwejda. Chris Hanson gave an overview of ADAP and assured the group that Michigan’s ADAP program is still in good health. Each ADAP around the country is unique, he pointed out. MI is one of six members of a national ADAP Crisis Task Force that works collectively with pharmaceutical partners to insure ADAPs are able to continue to offer critical medications. Currently there is no waiting list for Michigan, and there are over 300 drugs currently on our ADAP formulary. Szwejda and her team noted however, there are factors in flux that could affect the future stability of this program such as increased need for ADAP due to more positive testers and job losses, less private insurance coverage, possible drug price increases and overall increase in clients living with HIV. Michigan also has a dental assistance program, but it is closed to new clients at this time. Ryan White’s Mother This is how we think of her, but this woman who was pulled out of her comfort zone and into the national spotlight over twenty years ago has a quiet strength that unfolds as she speaks. Today Jeanne White-Ginder continues to tour the country reminding us of where we came from, and how far we have come in this battle with AIDS. At the Case Management Conference 2009 she said, “All I ever wanted to be was a mom.” This mom, who became a single head of household when Ryan was 7, raising her son and his younger sister by working at a GM plant in Indiana, was called to take on even more when Ryan was diagnosed with AIDS in 1984. White-Ginder had quite a story to tell. She brought with her two videos, so Ryan came alive for the audience with his personal story, a 13-year old’s battle not only with his own illness but with the stigma and discrimination in his hometown of Kokomo, IN. Many celebrities championed his cause, educating people about AIDS to dispel the myths and ease the fears. Ryan White passed in April 1990, with Elton John supporting his mother at his hospital bedside. Soon after, Jeanne White received a call from Senator Kennedy asking her permission to name a new Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act for her son. And when she hesitated to make a trip to the Capitol, she received a call from Senator Hatch. “We’re not going to take no for an answer,” he said. He and Senator Kennedy had 25 senators lined up to attend and they wanted to address this issue while it was hot, to get the support needed for the Ryan White CARE Act. Today, as we throw around “The CARE Act” and “Ryan White” as part of our jargon, we must remember this very brave, very special young man who is now one of many faces of AIDS.
State Offices Dates Closed Notice
As some of you may have heard the Michigan House and Senate Appropriations
committees have approved Executive Order 2009-22 as presented by the State
Budget Director to help eliminate a shortfall in the 2009 state budget. The
Order requires furlough days (temporary layoffs) of employees to achieve a
savings before the end of the fiscal year September 30th. National NewsThe Summer 2009 Issue of Mental Health AIDS features
"SAVA Latina: Addressing the Interplay of Substance Abuse, Violence, & AIDS
Affecting Hispanic Women (Part 2)." This concluding segment summarizes the impact of violence on the health (including mental health) of women in general and Latinas in particular, unmet mental health needs in this population, and the evolving state of intervention research, including culturally specific interventions for clinicians working in the crosscurrents of these health and social problems. Mental Health AIDS, a quarterly biopsychosocial research update on HIV and mental health, is sponsored by the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and is disseminated free-of-charge through the SAMHSA Web site in both PDF and HTML formats. More information is available:
Medical Services Administration Bulletin 09-28 detailing elimination of some Medicaid services for Adults effective July 1, 2009 http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/2225163/1172811430/name/MSA-09-28_280899_7.pdf Wisconsin Issues HIV/AIDS Nonprofit Directives For Corrective Action; Clients Protest Service Inadequacies http://smtp01.kff.org/t/599/324924/50/0/
ARIZONA:
Report Examines ADAP Waiting Lists, Factors
Contributing To Cost-Containment Measures
http://smtp01.kff.org/t/374/324924/20/0/
President Obama’s
First Budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA)
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