Healthy Start Prenatal Care Programs Gets $50M Boost
Prenatal care initiatives just got a multi-million-dollar boost from Congress. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Donna E. Shalala announced earlier this week that Healthy Start grants totaling $50 million would be earmarked for 40 new communities with high infant mortality rates. These new grants bring the total number of Healthy Start communities jump to 60.
For five years, Healthy Start initiatives have stressed personal responsibility, community commitment and involvement, increased access to health and social services, and healthcare advocacy innovation in curtailing infant mortality rates and low birth weight babies. "The best way to make sure babies are healthier is for all pregnant women to get early prenatal care, adequate housing and support from family and friends," said Shalala.
The 40 new communities, which include Mobile Ala., Fresno, Calif., East St. Louis, Ill., and Richmond, Va., will use Healthy Start's nine models to address infant mortality, low birthweight and other health concerns affecting women, infants and their families.
The models range from community-based initiatives and outreach and client recruitment to family resource centers and training/educational adolescent programs. The grants will be administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an HHS agency. For the full list of Healthy Start grantees, contact HRSA at 202/619-0257.)
Managed Care Initiatives
HMOs and Patient Advocacy Groups Unveil New Standards
Five leading healthcare groups revealed 18 consumer standards for managed care companies to use as a national prototype in shaping the way healthcare should be delivered in the near future.
The unprecedented agreement by the three national HMOs (Kaiser Permanente, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound and HIP Health Insurance Plans) and two consumer groups (American Association of Retired Persons and Families USA) is an attempt to create uniform standards to replace the patchwork of managed care programs that confuses the nation's healthcare delivery system. The provisions include:
Assurance that patients have a choice of healthcare plans and can choose a primary care physician from a list of approved doctors (switching if they desire).
Limits on payment methods that encourage doctors to limit necessary care.
Free out-of-network referrals.
Direct access to obstetricians and gynecologists.
60 days of continued coverage for pregnant women and seriously ill people when their plan is replaced or their specialist's contract is terminated. (AARP, 202/434-2277)
Crisis Communications
In Lieu of Failed Sunbeam Deal, The AMA Seeks Second Opinion
The ill-fated deal between the American Medical Association (AMA) and Sunbeam has caused the troubled physicians group to seek a second opinion on its business activities, according to its top official. "The Sunbeam deal has made us stop and reflect," said Thomas Reardon, chairman of the AMA's board of trustees. Part of that reflection resulted in the immediate resignations of Kenneth Moore, the AMA's chief operating officer and two other top officers, James Rappel, group VP and Larry Jellen, marketing VP at the organization a few weeks ago.
Reardon told Reuters the AMA had formed a blue-ribbon ethics panel that would look at "internal checks and balances and corporate liaisons." The panel will look to develop standards on how the medical group can have more effective business agreements with corporations. About two-thirds of the association's $200 million in annual revenues comes from various product, publishing and real estate ventures, including ads in its medical journal. (AMA, 312/463-3340)
Awards/Recognition
Healthcare Companies Among Working Mother's "100 Best"
Recognizing the value of family friendly employee programs, Working Mother magazine recently released its "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" and three pharmaceutical companies ranked among the magazine's top 10: Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Glaxo Wellcome. In addition, Bayfront Medical Center in Redmond, Wash., made the magazine's "100 Best" list for companies that have female CEOs.
The Working Mother survey rates companies on five criteria: pay, opportunity for women to advance, child care assistance, flexible work arrangements and other family-friendly benefits such as long paid maternity leaves as well as paid leaves for new fathers and adoptive parents. (Working Mother, 212/704-4587)