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Increased Flu Vaccines Urged
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases is asking providers and public health agencies to try to increase influenza vaccination rates for patients with diabetes. The foundation notes that more than 10 million Americans with diabetes do not receive an annual flu vaccination. “Complications from influenza can be serious and even fatal to those with diabetes,” NFID vice president Dr. William Schaffner said in statement. “Many health care professionals come in contact with these high-risk patients and all can play a role in increasing influenza vaccination rates.” Dr. Susan Rehm, the foundation's medical director, urged professional societies to get involved. “These groups should add annual influenza vaccination to their quality assurance checklists, which will help ensure their members offer adults and children with diabetes complete care according to longstanding national recommendations,” she said. Organizations supporting the NFID's initiative to get more diabetes patients vaccinated include the American Diabetes Association, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, and the American Medical Association.
Chicago Project Gets Donation
The Christopher Family Foundation has donated $1 million to the Chicago Project, an international consortium of researchers working on a cure for diabetes. The 3-year-old consortium, led by Dr. Jose Oberholzer of the University of Illinois at Chicago, is focusing on islet cell transplantation. “We believe in Dr. Oberholzer's research,” foundation board member Kelley Christopher Schueler said in a statement. “We hope other foundations and philanthropists will see our faith in the project and feel compelled to support this cause too.” Dr. Oberholzer said the gift “will allow us to continue our work in a number of crucial areas, including preclinical trials and technology for microcapsule formation and provisions for islet cell expansion.” The consortium includes researchers in Switzerland, France, Israel, Canada, and the United States.
Medicaid Diabetes Bill Introduced
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) have introduced the “Diabetes Screening and Medicaid Savings Act.” The bill would require state Medicaid programs to cover screening for patients who are at risk for diabetes, and to cover insulin, diabetes education, and foot exams for diabetes patients. The bill also would ensure that these services would not be subject to cost-sharing; currently, coverage and cost-sharing rules for diabetes screening and treatment vary from state to state. Private insurance is also to blame, Sen. Schumer said in a statement, noting that many private insurers will often cover more than $11,000 for a prosthesis following a diabetes-related leg amputation, but will not cover preventive consultations with podiatrists that cost $100 and could save a patient's leg. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” he said. “It is essential we take a new approach toward diabetes care by focusing on early-age prevention rather than spending more on costly end-of-life care.” The American Diabetes Association endorsed the measure, noting that if more attention is not paid to covering diabetes screening and treatment, “we will be setting our health care system up for failure.”
CMS Extends Form Deadline
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has extended the deadline for filing Medicare claims using its new version of claims form CMS-1500, because of formatting errors on the revised form, CMS announced. The original deadline for switching to the new form—known as CMS-1500 (08/05)—was April 2. But CMS said last month that contractors have been directed to continue to accept the old form until the agency notifies them to stop. Additionally, the agency advised physicians who must use the form to use legacy provider numbers, since the form cannot accommodate a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number.
Uninsured Kids Fare Worse
Injured, uninsured children who are hospitalized were twice as likely to die of their injuries as were their insured counterparts, according to a new study from advocacy group Families USA. Among children admitted with traumatic brain injury, uninsured children were more than twice as likely to die while in the hospital as were insured children. Uninsured children also were less likely to get expensive treatment or rehabilitation, the report said. And among children admitted to the hospital with otitis media, uninsured children were less than half as likely to get ear tubes inserted than were insured children. “The clear implication of this ground-breaking data is that, when kids get hurt or sick, insurance matters,” Families USA executive director Ron Pollack said in a statement.
Increased Flu Vaccines Urged
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases is asking providers and public health agencies to try to increase influenza vaccination rates for patients with diabetes. The foundation notes that more than 10 million Americans with diabetes do not receive an annual flu vaccination. “Complications from influenza can be serious and even fatal to those with diabetes,” NFID vice president Dr. William Schaffner said in statement. “Many health care professionals come in contact with these high-risk patients and all can play a role in increasing influenza vaccination rates.” Dr. Susan Rehm, the foundation's medical director, urged professional societies to get involved. “These groups should add annual influenza vaccination to their quality assurance checklists, which will help ensure their members offer adults and children with diabetes complete care according to longstanding national recommendations,” she said. Organizations supporting the NFID's initiative to get more diabetes patients vaccinated include the American Diabetes Association, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, and the American Medical Association.
Chicago Project Gets Donation
The Christopher Family Foundation has donated $1 million to the Chicago Project, an international consortium of researchers working on a cure for diabetes. The 3-year-old consortium, led by Dr. Jose Oberholzer of the University of Illinois at Chicago, is focusing on islet cell transplantation. “We believe in Dr. Oberholzer's research,” foundation board member Kelley Christopher Schueler said in a statement. “We hope other foundations and philanthropists will see our faith in the project and feel compelled to support this cause too.” Dr. Oberholzer said the gift “will allow us to continue our work in a number of crucial areas, including preclinical trials and technology for microcapsule formation and provisions for islet cell expansion.” The consortium includes researchers in Switzerland, France, Israel, Canada, and the United States.
Medicaid Diabetes Bill Introduced
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) have introduced the “Diabetes Screening and Medicaid Savings Act.” The bill would require state Medicaid programs to cover screening for patients who are at risk for diabetes, and to cover insulin, diabetes education, and foot exams for diabetes patients. The bill also would ensure that these services would not be subject to cost-sharing; currently, coverage and cost-sharing rules for diabetes screening and treatment vary from state to state. Private insurance is also to blame, Sen. Schumer said in a statement, noting that many private insurers will often cover more than $11,000 for a prosthesis following a diabetes-related leg amputation, but will not cover preventive consultations with podiatrists that cost $100 and could save a patient's leg. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” he said. “It is essential we take a new approach toward diabetes care by focusing on early-age prevention rather than spending more on costly end-of-life care.” The American Diabetes Association endorsed the measure, noting that if more attention is not paid to covering diabetes screening and treatment, “we will be setting our health care system up for failure.”
CMS Extends Form Deadline
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has extended the deadline for filing Medicare claims using its new version of claims form CMS-1500, because of formatting errors on the revised form, CMS announced. The original deadline for switching to the new form—known as CMS-1500 (08/05)—was April 2. But CMS said last month that contractors have been directed to continue to accept the old form until the agency notifies them to stop. Additionally, the agency advised physicians who must use the form to use legacy provider numbers, since the form cannot accommodate a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number.
Uninsured Kids Fare Worse
Injured, uninsured children who are hospitalized were twice as likely to die of their injuries as were their insured counterparts, according to a new study from advocacy group Families USA. Among children admitted with traumatic brain injury, uninsured children were more than twice as likely to die while in the hospital as were insured children. Uninsured children also were less likely to get expensive treatment or rehabilitation, the report said. And among children admitted to the hospital with otitis media, uninsured children were less than half as likely to get ear tubes inserted than were insured children. “The clear implication of this ground-breaking data is that, when kids get hurt or sick, insurance matters,” Families USA executive director Ron Pollack said in a statement.
Increased Flu Vaccines Urged
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases is asking providers and public health agencies to try to increase influenza vaccination rates for patients with diabetes. The foundation notes that more than 10 million Americans with diabetes do not receive an annual flu vaccination. “Complications from influenza can be serious and even fatal to those with diabetes,” NFID vice president Dr. William Schaffner said in statement. “Many health care professionals come in contact with these high-risk patients and all can play a role in increasing influenza vaccination rates.” Dr. Susan Rehm, the foundation's medical director, urged professional societies to get involved. “These groups should add annual influenza vaccination to their quality assurance checklists, which will help ensure their members offer adults and children with diabetes complete care according to longstanding national recommendations,” she said. Organizations supporting the NFID's initiative to get more diabetes patients vaccinated include the American Diabetes Association, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, and the American Medical Association.
Chicago Project Gets Donation
The Christopher Family Foundation has donated $1 million to the Chicago Project, an international consortium of researchers working on a cure for diabetes. The 3-year-old consortium, led by Dr. Jose Oberholzer of the University of Illinois at Chicago, is focusing on islet cell transplantation. “We believe in Dr. Oberholzer's research,” foundation board member Kelley Christopher Schueler said in a statement. “We hope other foundations and philanthropists will see our faith in the project and feel compelled to support this cause too.” Dr. Oberholzer said the gift “will allow us to continue our work in a number of crucial areas, including preclinical trials and technology for microcapsule formation and provisions for islet cell expansion.” The consortium includes researchers in Switzerland, France, Israel, Canada, and the United States.
Medicaid Diabetes Bill Introduced
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) have introduced the “Diabetes Screening and Medicaid Savings Act.” The bill would require state Medicaid programs to cover screening for patients who are at risk for diabetes, and to cover insulin, diabetes education, and foot exams for diabetes patients. The bill also would ensure that these services would not be subject to cost-sharing; currently, coverage and cost-sharing rules for diabetes screening and treatment vary from state to state. Private insurance is also to blame, Sen. Schumer said in a statement, noting that many private insurers will often cover more than $11,000 for a prosthesis following a diabetes-related leg amputation, but will not cover preventive consultations with podiatrists that cost $100 and could save a patient's leg. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” he said. “It is essential we take a new approach toward diabetes care by focusing on early-age prevention rather than spending more on costly end-of-life care.” The American Diabetes Association endorsed the measure, noting that if more attention is not paid to covering diabetes screening and treatment, “we will be setting our health care system up for failure.”
CMS Extends Form Deadline
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has extended the deadline for filing Medicare claims using its new version of claims form CMS-1500, because of formatting errors on the revised form, CMS announced. The original deadline for switching to the new form—known as CMS-1500 (08/05)—was April 2. But CMS said last month that contractors have been directed to continue to accept the old form until the agency notifies them to stop. Additionally, the agency advised physicians who must use the form to use legacy provider numbers, since the form cannot accommodate a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number.
Uninsured Kids Fare Worse
Injured, uninsured children who are hospitalized were twice as likely to die of their injuries as were their insured counterparts, according to a new study from advocacy group Families USA. Among children admitted with traumatic brain injury, uninsured children were more than twice as likely to die while in the hospital as were insured children. Uninsured children also were less likely to get expensive treatment or rehabilitation, the report said. And among children admitted to the hospital with otitis media, uninsured children were less than half as likely to get ear tubes inserted than were insured children. “The clear implication of this ground-breaking data is that, when kids get hurt or sick, insurance matters,” Families USA executive director Ron Pollack said in a statement.