| Policy | Legislative | Issues & Events | Treatment | APNA News |
 
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Legislative |
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President Bush signed two veterans’ bills into law October 10, 2008, an omnibus benefits bill and a package of health-related legislation. The Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act expands the VA home loan program, attempts to improve the processing of disability claims and strengthens enforcement of employment and reemployment rights for reservists.The Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act increases the mileage reimbursement rate for beneficiary travel to 28.5 center per mile, relaxes rules for reimbursing community hospitals providing emergency treatment for veterans so they do not have to be moved out of the hospital as quickly, and increases funding for programs to prevent homelessness for veterans, reported NavyTimes.com. Full Story A measure boosting insurance coverage for mental illness and treatment of drug and alcohol addiction secured final U.S. congressional passage Oct. 3, 2008 as part of financial industry bailout legislation. The bailout bill that the House of Representatives passed 263-171 was tacked onto a bipartisan measure requiring health insurers to give the same level of coverage for mental illness and substance abuse treatment as other ailments. President George W. Bush quickly signed it into law. The bill will not force health plan providers to give mental health coverage but will make those that offer benefits for mental illness and substance addiction treatment to do so on the same terms as medical and surgical care. Full Story |
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Policy |
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Under current law, spending on Medicaid is expected to substantially outpace the rate of growth in the U.S. economy over the next decade, according to a new annual report released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The report projects that Medicaid benefits spending will increase 7.3% from 2007 to 2008, reaching $339 billion and will grow at an annual average rate of 7.9% over the next 10 years, reaching $674 billion by 2017. That compares to a projected rate of growth of 4.8% in the general economy. Full Story |
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Issues & Events |
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In a recent article, the New York Times on the Web looks at the effects of "elderspeak" on patients. Elderspeak is defined as the sweetly belittling form of address that has always rankled older people: the doctor who talks to their child rather than to them about their health; the store clerk who assumes that an older person does not know how to work a computer, or needs to be addressed slowly or in a loud voice. To study the effects of elderspeak on people with mild to moderate dementia a team of researchers videotaped interactions in a nursing home between 20 residents and staff members. They found that when nurses used phrases like "good girl" or "How are we feeling?" patients were more aggressive and less cooperative or receptive to care. If addressed as infants, some showed their irritation by grimacing, screaming or refusing to do what staff members asked of them. The researchers, who will publish their findings in The American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias, concluded that elderspeak sent a message that the patient was incompetent and "begins a negative downward spiral for older persons, who react with decreased self-esteem, depression, withdrawal and the assumption of dependent behaviors." Full Story Studies suggest that many Hispanics may have more risk factors for developing dementia than other groups, and a significant number appear to be getting Alzheimer’s earlier. And surveys indicate that Latinos, less likely to see doctors because of financial and language barriers, more often mistake dementia symptoms for normal aging, delaying diagnosis. It is not that Hispanics are more genetically predisposed to Alzheimer's, say experts, who say the diversity of ethnicities that make up Hispanics or Latinos make a genetic explanation unlikely. Rather, experts say several factors, many linked to low income or cultural dislocation, may put Hispanics at greater risk for dementia, including higher rates of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, stroke and possibly hypertension, reported the New York Times on the Web. Full Story The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a new report which reviews existing public health literature on how people who receive mental health services can be affected when they disclose this fact to others. Entitled Self-Disclosure and its Impact on People who Receive Mental Health Services, the report which is also based on a series of interviews with individuals involved in this process examines the potential benefits and risks of this experience. The report assesses the consequences for a number of perspectives including different societal settings and the unique considerations mental health professionals may face when disclosing their own use of mental health services. Full Story Full Report (PDF file) |
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Treatment |
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A new NIMH-funded grant will examine ways to control the metabolic side effects associated with the use of the newer atypical antipsychotic medications in children with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The use of atypical antipsychotic medications to treat children and adolescents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder is relatively common, but the side effects associated with them are troubling. The recent NIMH-funded Treatment of Early Onset Schizophrenia Study (TEOSS) found that two atypical medications were associated with more metabolic side effects than an older generation antipsychotic. The new grant will test ways in which the metabolic side effects, such as weight gain, insulin sensitivity and other factors that can lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease, may be controlled or reduced. Full Story |
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APNA News |
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APNA 22nd Annual Conference Student Membership |
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