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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 6753: Strengthening the Health Care Fraud Prevention Task Force Act of 2018
"H.R. 6753 would amend the Social Security Act to establish a public-private partnership to detect and prevent health-care fraud. The Secretary of Health and Human Services would enter into a contract with a third party to carry out the duties of the partnership, including data analysis and sharing. A public-private partnership, including a contract with a third party, already exists to deter health-care fraud. Its membership includes several federal agencies, numerous state entities, and private firms. In CBO's [Congressional Budget Office] judgment, H.R. 6753 would codify existing agency practice and would have no budgetary effect. Enacting H.R. 6753 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 6753 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-10-09
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 2061: Equitable Access to Care and Health Act
This is a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cost estimate for H.R. 2061. "H.R. 2061 would expand the religious conscience exemption from the requirement that most people in the United States must obtain health insurance coverage or pay a penalty for not doing so (a provision of the Affordable Care Act known as the individual mandate). Specifically, the bill would newly exempt members of religious sects or divisions that do not meet the criteria for the religious conscience exemption under current law, but who rely solely on a religious method of healing and for whom the acceptance of medical health services would be inconsistent with their religious beliefs. On net, CBO and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimate that enacting H.R. 2061 would increase federal deficits by $1.2 billion over the 2016-2025 period. That 10-year total consists of a $1.9 billion net reduction in revenues, primarily stemming from forgone penalties from uninsured individuals, partially offset by a $0.6 billion decrease in direct spending resulting from fewer people enrolling in Medicaid and subsidized health insurance coverage obtained through exchanges. The estimated reduction in revenues exceeds the estimated reduction in direct spending because CBO and JCT estimate that most of the people that would newly claim an exemption from the individual mandate under the bill are and will continue to be uninsured under current law."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2015-09-25
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Applied Medical & Care Computnetics to Public Health Disease Surveillance and Management: Leveraging External Data Sources - A Key to Public Health Preparedness
"In today's global community the ability to prepare for a disease outbreak in order to mitigate the public health, social, and economic impacts on a community depends upon data to support the decision and response process. Data can come from a variety of sources. These sources not only include the medical and health care community, but also geographic, demographic, and socio-economic data. The ability to capture and utilize the data effectively from these types of data sources can mean the difference between a manageable disease outbreak that represents little or no threat to a community and one that causes a significant social and economic impact. As the health profession expands the applied use of information technology within the medical and health care communities, opportunities are created to expand the use of new data sources to support information based decisions. Information that can be used to provide early warning for disease outbreaks both naturally occurring or through a bioterrorist event; information that can be used to plan, analyze and respond to a disease event; information that can support a community's preparedness activities in order to minimize a public health event."
Scientific Technologies Corporation
Popovich, Michael L.; Watkins, Todd
2006
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President Obama Announces the Creation of a Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record [April 9, 2009]
"Today [April 9, 2009], the President, along with Secretary Gates and Secretary Shinseki, announced that the Department of Defense [DOD] and the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] have taken the first step in creating a Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record. Currently, there is no comprehensive system in place that allows for a streamlined transition of health care records between DOD and the VA. Both Departments will work together to define and build a system that will ultimately contain administrative and medical information from the day an individual enters military service throughout their military career, and after they leave the military. Access to electronic records is essential to modern health care delivery and the paperless administration of benefits. It provides a framework to ensure that all health care providers have all the information they need to deliver high-quality health care while reducing medical errors. The creation of this Joint Virtual Lifetime Record by the two organizations would take the next leap to delivering seamless, high-quality care, and serve as a model for the nation."
United States. Office of the White House Press Secretary
2009-04-09
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Executive Order 12751: Health Care Services for Operation Desert Storm
"By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 'et seq'.), section 5011A of title 38 of the United States Code, and pursuant to the national emergency declared with respect to Iraq in Executive Order No. 12722 of August 2, 1990, it is hereby ordered that, in the event that the Department of Veterans Affairs Is requested by the Department of Defense to furnish care and services to members of the United States Armed Forces on active duty in Operation Desert Storm, the Secre· tary of Veterans Affairs may, pursuant to this order, enter into contracts with private facilities for the provision of hospital care and medical services for veterans to the fullest extent authorized by section 5011A(b)(1)-(2} of title 38 of the United States Code."
United States. Office of the Federal Register
Bush, George, 1924-
1991-02-14
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Surveillance Summaries, February 24, 2017
"This report summarizes 2014 BRFSS data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia on health care access and use of selected CPS recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force or the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices among working-aged adults (aged 18-64 years), by state, state Medicaid expansion status, expanded geographic region, and federal poverty level (FPL). This report also provides analysis of primary type of health insurance coverage at the time of interview, continuity of health insurance coverage during the preceding 12 months, and other health care access measures (i.e., unmet health care need because of cost, unmet prescription need because of cost, medical debt [medical bills being paid off over time], number of health care visits during the preceding year, and satisfaction with received health care) from 43 states that included questions from the optional BRFSS Health Care Access module."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2017-02-24
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Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force: Report on Improving Cybersecurity in the Health Care Industry
"The health care system cannot deliver effective and safe care without deeper digital connectivity. If the health care system is connected, but insecure, this connectivity could betray patient safety, subjecting them to unnecessary risk and forcing them to pay unaffordable personal costs. Our nation must find a way to prevent our patients from being forced to choose between connectivity and security. In the Cybersecurity Act of 2015 (the Act), Congress established the Health Care Industry Cybersecurity (HCIC) Task Force to address the challenges the health care industry faces when securing and protecting itself against cybersecurity incidents, whether intentional or unintentional. Real cases of identity theft, ransomware, and targeted nation-state hacking prove that our health care data is vulnerable. Data collected for the good of patients and used to develop new treatments can be used for nefarious purposes such as fraud, identity theft, supply chain disruptions, the theft of research and development, and stock manipulation. Most importantly, cybersecurity attacks disrupt patient care (References to Figure 1 found below)."
Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force
2017-06
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Meeting the Challenge of Pandemic Influenza: Ethical Guidance for Leaders and Health Care Professionals in the Veterans Health Administration
From the Executive Summary: "The 'Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza' (2006) charges Federal agencies to develop guidance for the allocation of scarce health and medical resources during a pandemic flu event. As the lead agency, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) produced initial guidance in 2007 (Agency for Health Care Quality and Research, 2007). This VA guidance document draws on the HHS planning guide and other key documents to provide specific guidance targeted to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). This document also fulfils the charge in VA's Pandemic Influenza Plan (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2006) to develop 'criteria and transparent processes for allocation decisions regarding resources that may not be available in sufficient quantities during a pandemic.' [...]This guidance addresses decision processes for allocation of scarce clinical resources that are potentially life saving, such as ventilators and other critical care resources, as well as related questions concerning the ethical duty to provide care and reciprocal institutional obligations, hospice and palliative care planning and response, and limits on individual liberties related to influenza containment. Guidance regarding allocation of countermeasures such as vaccines and antivirals is being developed by Federal interagency work groups."
National Center for Ethics in Health Care (U.S.)
2010-07
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VA Health Care: VA Faces Challenges in Meeting Demand for Long-Term Care, Statement of A. Nicole Clowers, Managing Director, Health Care, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Health, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives
From the Document: "As one of the largest health care systems in the United States, VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] faces challenges similar to other health care providers when seeking to meet the growing need for long-term care as the U.S. population ages - for example shortages in nursing assistants and home health aides that are critical for supporting long-term care programs. VA recognizes it faces challenges meeting the demand for long-term care and has taken some steps to address these challenges in its strategic planning process, for example by proposing to expand access to long-term care services through telehealth. My testimony today highlights key findings from our February 2020 report, which described the (1) use of and spending for VA long-term care, and (2) challenges VA faces to meet veterans' demand for long-term care and examines VA's plans to address those challenges. We made three recommendations in our report aimed at strengthening VA's efforts to address long-term care challenges. VA concurred with our recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Clowers, A. Nicole
2020-03-03
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Pandemic Influenza Infection Control Guidelines for Home Healthcare Services
This brochure provides information for home health agencies regarding guidelines for pandemic influenza in the healthcare setting.
West Virginia. Department of Health & Human Resources
2006-05
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Health Care Workforce: Addressing Shortages and Improving Care, Hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, Second Session on Examining the Healthcare Workforce, Focusing on Addressing Shortages and Improving Care, May 22, 2018
This is the May 22, 2018 hearing "Health Care Workforce: Addressing Shortages and Improving Care" held before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. From the opening statement of Lamar Alexander: "Today's hearing is an opportunity to: [1] Learn about the growing shortage of health care professionals, especially in rural areas; [2] Examine what the Federal Government is doing to support our Nation's health care workforce; [3] Look at how well we are training health care professionals to meet the needs of patients and; [4] To better understand where health care professionals are choosing to work so we can start addressing shortages in rural and urban areas of the country." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Kristen Goodell, Julie Sanford, and Elizabeth Phelan.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2020
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Hurricane Katrina: Federal Grants Have Helped Health Care Organizations Provide Primary Care, but Sustaining Services Will Be a Challenge, Statement of Cynthia A. Bascetta Director, Health Care, Testimony Before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives
"The greater New Orleans area--Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard parishes--continues to face challenges in restoring health care services disrupted by Hurricane Katrina which made landfall in August 2005. In 2007, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded the $100 million Primary Care Access and Stabilization Grant (PCASG) to Louisiana to help restore primary care services to the low-income population. Louisiana gave PCASG funds to 25 outpatient provider organizations in the greater New Orleans area. GAO was asked to testify on (1) how PCASG fund recipients used the PCASG funds, (2) how recipients used and benefited from other federal hurricane relief funds, and (3) challenges recipients faced and recipients' plans for sustaining services after PCASG funds are no longer available. This statement is based on a recent GAO report, Hurricane Katrina: Federal Grants Have Helped Health Care Organizations Provide Primary Care, but Challenges Remain (GAO-09-588), other GAO work, and updated information on services, funding, and sustainability plans, which we shared with HHS officials. For the report, GAO analyzed responses to an October 2008 survey sent to all 25 PCASG fund recipients, to which 23 responded, and analyzed information related to other federal funds received by PCASG fund recipients. GAO also interviewed HHS and Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals officials and other experts."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Bascetta, Cynthia A.
2009-12-03
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Veterans Health Care: Opportunities Remain to Improve Appointment Scheduling Within VA and Through Community Care, Statement of Debra A. Draper, Director, Health Care, Testimony Before the Committee on Veteran' Affairs, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "The majority of veterans utilizing VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] health care services receive care in VA-operated medical facilities, including 172 VA medical centers and more than 1,000 outpatient facilities. For nearly 20 years, GAO [Government Accountability Office] has reported on the challenges VA medical facilities have faced providing health care services in a timely manner. When veterans face wait times at VA medical facilities, they may be able to receive services from VA's community care programs, which VA estimates will be 19 percent of its $86.5 billion in health care obligations in fiscal year 2020. This testimony focuses on GAO's large body of work on veterans' access to care and the status of VA's efforts to address GAO's recommendations, including those from GAO's June 2018 report on VA's community care programs and from GAO's December 2012 report on VA's scheduling of timely medical appointments that VA has provided information on through July 2019. It also includes preliminary observations on related ongoing work."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Draper, Debra A.
2019-07-24
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Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome: Established Infectious Disease Control Measures Helped Contain Spread, but a Large-Scale Resurgence May Pose Challenges: Statement of Marjorie E. Kanof, Director, Health Care - Clinical and Military Health Care Issues: Testimony Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Committee on Governmental Affairs
"Infectious disease experts emphasized that no new infectious disease control measures were introduced to contain SARS in the United States. Instead, strict compliance with and additional vigilance to enforce the use of current measures was sufficient. These measures--case identification and contact tracing, transmission control, and exposure management--are well established infectious disease control measures that proved effective in both health care and community settings. The combinations of measures that were used depended on either the prevalence of the disease in the community or the number of SARS patients served in a health care facility. For SARS, case identification within health care settings included screening individuals for fever, cough, and recent travel to a country with active cases of SARS. Contact tracing, the identification and tracking of individuals who had close contact with someone who was infected or suspected of being infected, was important for the identification and tracking of individuals at risk for SARS. Transmission control measures for SARS included contact precautions, especially hand washing after contact with someone who was ill, and protection against respiratory spread, including spread by large droplets and by smaller airborne particles. The use of isolation rooms with controlled airflow and the use of respiratory masks by health care workers were key elements of this approach. Exposure management practices-- isolation and quarantine--occurred in both health care and home settings. Effective communication among health care professionals and the general public reinforced the need to adhere to infectious disease control measures. While no one knows whether there will be a resurgence of SARS, federal, state, and local health care officials agree that it is necessary to prepare for the possibility. As part of these preparations, CDC, along with national associations representing state and local health officials, and others, is involved in developing both SARS-specific guidelines for using infectious disease control measures and contingency response plans. In addition, these associations have collaborated with CDC to develop a checklist of preparedness activities for state and local health officials. Such preparation efforts also improve the health care system's capacity to respond to other infectious disease outbreaks, including those precipitated by bioterrorism. However, implementing these plans during a large-scale outbreak may prove difficult due to limitations in both hospital and workforce capacity that could result in overcrowding, as well as potential shortages in health care workers and medical equipment--particularly respirators."
United States. General Accounting Office
Kanof, Marjorie E.
2003-07-30
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Minnesota Crisis Standards of Care Framework: Health Care Facility Surge Operations and Crisis Care
From the Introduction: "This document--Health Care Facility Surge Operations and Crisis Care--is a framework designed to help health care facilities plan for shortfalls in the health care system during a pervasive or catastrophic public health event, which may cause overwhelming medical surge. This guidance assumes incident management and incident command practices are implemented and key personnel are familiar with the Minnesota Crisis Standards of Care Ethical Framework and processes that underlie scarce resource decision-making. [...] This document provides an overview of surge capacity and crisis care operational considerations for health care facilities with an emphasis on hospitals for the state of Minnesota. In addition to this framework, hospitals and health care systems are encouraged to review both the Minnesota Ethical and Minnesota Legal Frameworks."
Minnesota. Department of Health
2020-03-01
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DOD Health Care: Domestic Health Care for Female Servicemembers, Report to Congressional Addressees
"Female servicemembers are serving in more complex occupational specialties and are being deployed to combat operations, potentially leading to increased health risks. Similar to their male counterparts, female servicemembers must maintain their medical readiness; however, they have unique health care needs that require access to gender-specific services. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 directed GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review a variety of issues related to health care for female servicemembers. This report describes (1) the extent that DOD's [Department of Defense] policies for assessing individual medical readiness include unique health care issues of female servicemembers; (2) the availability of health care services to meet the unique needs of female servicemembers at domestic Army installations; and (3) the extent that DOD's research organizations have identified a need for research on the specific health care needs of female servicemembers who have served in combat. GAO reviewed DOD and military-service policies on individual medical readiness and surveyed senior health care officials about the availability of specific health services at the 27 domestic Army installations with MTFs [Military Treatment Facility] that report directly to the domestic regional medical commands. GAO focused on the Army because it has more female servicemembers than the other military services. GAO also visited six Army installations--two from each of the Army's three domestic regional medical commands--and interviewed DOD officials who conduct research on health issues for servicemembers."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2013-01
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Hearing on National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs before the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, First Session, Military Personnel Subcommittee Hearing on Military Health-Care Budget and the Challenges Facing the Military Health-Care System, February 13, 2007
From the opening statement of Vic Snyder: "We appreciate you being here to testify on the Defense Health Care System budget and the challenges that it faces. As I have said in previous forums, rising health care costs is not something that is unique to the Department of Defense. Employers across the country are facing similar challenges in attempting to control the growth of health care costs for themselves and their employees. The question both the Department, Congress, and beneficiaries need to address is how do we approach this problem in a fair and equitable way that ensures we maintain a quality system that supports the military operational mission which is core to the system, while also continuing to provide quality care for DOD-eligible beneficiaries. In order for us to have an open and honest dialogue, we need to understand the challenges that the system faces and the opportunities that are available to address those challenges. Let me assure my colleagues and other interested parties that this will not be the only health care hearing that the subcommittee will hold. I expect that we will have several more through out the year, because this and other health related issues are not going to be solved by one hearing. There are enormous challenges facing the defense health care system-cost of health care is only one of many factors and increasing fees to beneficiaries may not necessarily be the most effective approach to solving this problem." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: John M. McHugh, Vic Snyder, William Winkenwerder, and Thelma Drake.
United States. Government Printing Office
2008
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Health-Care-Associated Infections in Hospitals: Leadership Needed from HHS to Prioritize Prevention Practices and Improve Data on These Infections, Statement of Cynthia A. Bascetta Director, Health Care, Testimony Before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives
"Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), health-care-associated infections (HAI)--infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment for other conditions--are estimated to be 1 of the top 10 causes of death in the nation. This statement summarizes a report issued in March and released today, Health-Care-Associated Infections in Hospitals: Leadership Needed from HHS to Prioritize Prevention Practices and Improve Data on These Infections (GAO-08-283). In this report, GAO examined (1) CDC's guidelines for hospitals to reduce or prevent HAIs and what HHS does to promote their implementation, (2) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) and hospital accrediting organizations' required standards for hospitals to reduce or prevent HAIs, and (3) HHS programs that collect data related to HAIs and integration of the data across HHS. To conduct the work, GAO reviewed documents and interviewed HHS agency and accrediting organization officials. In its report, GAO recommended that the Secretary of HHS identify priorities among the recommended practices in CDC's guidelines and establish greater consistency and compatibility of the data collected across HHS on HAIs. HHS generally agreed with GAO's recommendations. GAO also incorporated comments from the accrediting organizations as appropriate."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Bascetta, Cynthia A.
2008-04-16
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Roundtable on 'Crisis in the ER: How Can We Improve Emergency Medical Care?': Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, United States Senate, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session, on Examining Measures to Improve Emergency Medical Care, Focusing on the Need for Change to Continue Providing Quality Emergency Medical Care When and Where It is Expected, September 27, 2006
This is a roundtable on "Crisis in the ER--how can we improve emergency medical care?" from the hearing before the Subcommittee on Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, United States Senate, One Hundred Ninth Congress, second session, on examining measures to improve emergency medical care, focusing on the need for change to continue providing quality emergency medical care when and where it is expected, on September 27, 2006.
United States. Government Printing Office
2006-09-27
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Veterans' Health Care: Limited Progress Made to Address Concerns That Led to High-Risk Designation, Statement of Debra A. Draper, Director, Health Care, Testimony Before the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate
"VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] operates one of the largest health care delivery systems in the nation, including 168 medical centers and more than 1,000 outpatient facilities organized into regional networks. Enrollment in the VA health care system has grown significantly, from 7.9 million in fiscal year 2006 to almost 9 million in fiscal year 2016. Over that same period, VA's Veterans Health Administration's total budgetary resources have increased substantially, from $37.8 billion in fiscal year 2006 to $91.2 billion in fiscal year 2016. Since 1990, GAO [Government Accountability Office] has regularly updated the list of government operations that it has identified as high risk due to their vulnerability to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, or the need for transformation to address economy, efficiency, or effectiveness challenges. VA health care was added as a high-risk area in 2015 because of concerns about VA's ability to ensure the timeliness, cost-effectiveness, quality, and safety of veterans' health care. GAO assesses High-Risk List removal against five criteria: (1) leadership commitment, (2) capacity, (3) action plan, (4) monitoring, and (5) demonstrated progress. This statement, which is based on GAO's February 2017 high-risk report, addresses (1) actions VA has taken over the past 2 years to address the areas of concern that led GAO to designate VA health care as high risk, (2) the number of open GAO recommendations related to VA health care, and (3) additional actions VA needs to take to address the concerns that led to the high-risk designation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Draper, Debra A.
2017-03-15
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Letter to Congressional Addressees from Randall B. Williamson, Director, Health Care, 'Defense Health Care: Oversight of Military Services' Post-Deployment Health Reassessment Completion Rates is Limited,' September 4, 2008
This letter from the GAO to several Congressional members discusses the lack of information provided by the Department of Defense relating to its post-deployment health assessment requirements, making it difficult for the GAO to evaluate the program accurately. "Military servicemembers engaged in combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq are at risk of developing combat-related mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In many cases, signs of potential mental health conditions do not surface until months after servicemembers return from deployment. In 2004, Army researchers published a series of articles that indicated a significant increase in the number of servicemembers reporting mental health concerns 90 to 120 days after returning from deployment, compared with mental health concerns reported before or soon after deployment. These findings led the Department of Defense (DOD) in March 2005 to develop requirements and policies for the post-deployment health reassessment (PDHRA) as part of its continuum of deployment health assessments for servicemembers. PDHRA is a screening tool for military servicemembers; it is designed to identify and address their health concerns--including mental health concerns--90 to 180 days after return from deployment. Servicemembers answer a set of questions about their physical and mental health conditions and concerns, and health care providers review the answers and refer servicemembers for further evaluation and treatment if necessary. A November 2007 study showed that a larger number of servicemembers indicated mental health concerns on their PDHRAs than on assessments earlier in their deployment cycles."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Williamson, Randall B.
2008-09-04
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VA Health Care: Reported Outpatient Medical Appointment Wait Times are Unreliable, Statement for the Record by Debra A. Draper, Director, Health Care, Statement for the Record to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives
"I am pleased to have the opportunity to comment on overcoming barriers for quality mental health care for veterans--particularly those who are returning from deployment. In 2011, we reported that the number of veterans receiving mental health care had increased each year from fiscal year 2006 to 2010, and veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq accounted for an increasing proportion of veterans receiving mental health care during this period. We also reported on the key barriers that may hinder veterans from accessing mental health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which included difficulty scheduling appointments. More recently, in December 2012, we reported on problems with VA's oversight of outpatient medical appointment scheduling processes and measurement of outpatient medical appointment wait times. In fiscal year 2011, there were more than 8 million veterans enrolled in VA's health system, which is operated by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). VHA provided nearly 80 million outpatient medical appointments to veterans through its primary and specialty care clinics. Although access to timely medical appointments is critical to ensuring that veterans obtain needed medical care, long wait times and inadequate scheduling processes at VA medical centers (VAMC) have been long-standing problems that persist today."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2013-02-13
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S. Hrg. 115-326: The Potential for Health Care Savings Accounts to Engage Patients and Bend the Health Care Cost Curve, Hearing Before the Joint Economic Committee, Congress of the United States, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, Second Session, June 7, 2018
This is the June 7, 2018 hearing on "The Potential for Health Care Savings Accounts to Engage Patients and Bend the Health Care Cost Curve," held before the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee. From the opening statement of Erik Paulsen: "All Americans deserve access to affordable patient-centered health care. Unfortunately, the fight to achieve this worthy goal has become politicized to the point where it is perilous to even acknowledge the shortcomings of our current Byzantine system. [...] We all acknowledge that American health care and health insurance are very expensive. And in today's hearing we will investigate how health savings accounts, or HSAs, allow Americans to lower the cost of health care by drawing on an important idea, an area of their expertise, and that's themselves." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Scott W. Atlas, J. Kevin McKechnie, Tracy Watts, and Kavita Patel.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2018
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Child Welfare: Health Care Needs of Children in Foster Care and Related Federal Issues [November 19. 2014]
"Children who are placed in foster care are at a higher risk of having a medical, social, or behavioral disability than children in the general population. The abuse or neglect most experience before entering foster care can create physical and mental health issues, and the trauma of being removed from their parents may also incline children in foster care to social or behavioral health concerns. The Social Security Act addresses some of the health care needs of children in foster care-through provisions in titles pertaining to child welfare (Titles IV-B and IV-E) and those in the title pertaining to the Medicaid program (Title XIX). Federal child welfare policy expects state child welfare agencies to maintain health care records of children in foster care and to develop a strategy that addresses the health care needs of each child. States must provide Medicaid coverage to children who are eligible for the Title IV-E federal foster care program or, if applicable, eligible through other Medicaid eligibility pathways. […] This report begins with a discussion of major findings. It then briefly describes the foster care population and their unique health-related issues. Next is an overview of the federal programs and policies in three areas-child welfare, Medicaid, and private health insurance-that directly or indirectly address some of the health care needs of such children and young adults"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Fernandez, Bernadette; Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L.; Baumrucker, Evelyne P. . . .
2014-11-19
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Association of Health Care Journalists [website]
This is the website of The Association of Health Care Journalists and provides information and relevant content for journalists covering health care topics. "The Association of Health Care Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public understanding of health care issues. Its mission is to improve the quality, accuracy and visibility of health care reporting, writing and editing. There are more than 1,000 members of AHCJ. [...]. The Association of Health Care Journalists, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public understanding of health care issues. Its mission is to improve the quality, accuracy and visibility of health care reporting, writing and editing. AHCJ is classified as a 501(c)(6), a nonprofit professional trade association. Goals: To support the highest standards of reporting, writing, editing, and broadcasting in health care journalism for the general public and trade publications. To develop a strong and vibrant community of journalists concerned with all forms of health care journalism. To raise the stature of health care journalism in newsrooms, the industry, and the public, as a whole. To promote understanding between journalists and sources of news about how each can best serve the public. To advocate for the free flow of information to the public. To advocate for the improvement of professional development opportunities for journalists who cover any aspect of health and health care."
Association of Health Care Journalists
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Department of Homeland Security: Organizational Structure, Spending, and Staffing for the Health Care Provided to Immigration Detainees, Statement of Alicia Puente Cackley, Director of Health Care, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives
From the text of the testimony of Alicia Puente Cackley: "I am pleased to be here today as you examine issues related to the health care provided to detainees held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). For fiscal year 2004 through fiscal year 2007, ICE reported that 69 detainees died while in ICE custody, and during 2008, national news organizations investigated and published reports of the circumstances surrounding several detainee deaths. Other reports have also outlined concerns about the health care provided to detainees. For example, in 2007, the DHS Office of the Inspector General found problems with adherence to ICE's medical standards at two ICE facilities it reviewed where detainee deaths had occurred. Additionally, members of the Congress, the media, and advocacy groups have raised questions about the health care provided to detainees in ICE custody. An explanatory statement accompanying the fiscal year 2009 DHS appropriations act directed ICE to fund an independent, comprehensive review of the medical care provided to persons detained by DHS and identified $2 million for that purpose. My remarks today are based on our report, released at this hearing, entitled DHS: Organizational Structure and Resources for Providing Health Care to Immigration Detainees."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Puente Cackley, Alicia
2009-03-03
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Summary Report of the Orange County Health Care Agency: Response to Pandemic H1N1 2009 Influenza
This report "provides summary information of [the County of Orange Health Care Agency's] response to the Pandemic H1N1 influenza threat that began in April 2009. Pandemic H1N1 Influenza - Type A was a novel virus that quickly spread around the world. As a novel virus, the human transmissibility and severity of the virus was unknown and Public Health organizations around the world moved quickly to identify cases, understand the epidemiology of the disease, develop treatment recommendations, implement communicable disease control strategies, distribute antiviral medications, and ultimately develop and distribute preventative vaccine."
Orange County (Calif.). Health Care Agency
2010
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Health Care: Constitutional Rights and Legislative Powers [March 23, 2012]
"The health care reform debate raises many complex issues including those of coverage, accessibility, cost, accountability, and quality of health care. Underlying these policy considerations are issues regarding the status of health or health care as a moral, legal, or constitutional right. It may be useful to distinguish between a right to health and a right to health care. An often cited definition of 'health' from the World Health Organization describes health as 'a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.' 'Health care' connotes the means for the achievement of health, as in the 'care, services or supplies related to the health of an individual.' For purposes of this report, discussion will be limited to constitutional and legal issues pertaining to a right to health care. Numerous questions arise concerning the parameters of a 'right to health care.' If each individual has a right to health care, how much care does a person have a right to and from whom? Would equality of access be a component of such a right? Do federal or state governments have a duty to provide health care services to the large numbers of medically uninsured persons? What kind of health care system would fulfill a duty to provide health care? How should this duty be enforced? The debate on these and other questions may be informed by a summary of the scope of the right to health care, particularly the right to access health care paid for by the government, under the U.S. Constitution, and under interpretations of the U.S. Supreme Court."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Swendiman, Kathleen S.
2012-03-23
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VA Health Care: Actions Needed to Ensure Provider Qualifications and Competence, Statement of Sharon M. Silas, Director Health Care, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "Nearly 165,000 licensed health care providers, such as physicians and nurses, provide care in VHA's [Veterans Health Administration] VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] medical centers and outpatient facilities. Medical center staff must determine whether to hire and retain health care providers by reviewing and verifying information about their qualifications and practice history. [...] Medical center staff must also investigate any concerns that arise about the clinical care their providers deliver. Depending on the findings from these reviews, medical centers may take an adverse privileging action against a provider. [...] This testimony is primarily based on GAO's [Government Accountability Office] 2019 and 2017 reports on VHA processes for reviewing and reporting quality and safety concerns about VA providers. It addresses VA medical centers' implementation and VHA's oversight of (1) reviews of adverse information about providers in the NPDB [National Practitioner Data Bank]; (2) reviews of providers' clinical care after concerns are raised; and (3) reporting of providers to the NPDB and state licensing boards."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Silas, Sharon M.
2019-10-16
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VA Health Care: Challenges in Budget Formulation and Execution, Statement of Randall B. Williamson, Director, Health Care, Testimony before the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veteran Affairs, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, March 12, 2009
This statement of Randall B. Williamson, Director, Health Care, before the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veteran Affairs, and Related Agencies, House Committee on Appropriations was held on March 12, 2009. This testimony discusses the Department of Veterans Affairs'(VA) health care programs and considers the President's budget request for fiscal year 2010. "These programs form one of the largest health care delivery systems in the nation and provide, for eligible veterans, a range of services, including preventive and primary health care, outpatient and inpatient services, and prescription drugs."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2009-03-12
