Federal health care law comes at cost to state

The federal health care bill that became law in March will cost Vermont $6.8 million over the next two years, state officials said. The biggest hit will come from the state's no longer receiving rebates for covering Medicaid prescription drugs. Other costs come from not being allowed to raise premiums on the state's Catamount Health Plan and covering children of state workers who remain on their parents' insurance up to age 26, as the new federal legislation allows. "It's $6.8 million in unanticipated costs in the General Fund," Administration Secretary Neale Lunderville said.

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Thanks, but no thanks

New Hampshire's largest hospital has scaled back its plan to take on patients from the Vermont State Hospital, posing yet another problem for state officials seeking to replace the state's aging mental institution. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center had once expressed interest in working with Vermont to build a new mental health facility on the grounds of the Veterans Affairs in White River Junction. As of a few weeks ago, New Hampshire hospital officials said they were interested in a facility that had up to 30 beds – a decent chunk of the 50 plus patients at the Waterbury facility right now.

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Legislator sees a personal side to mental health cuts

As a mental health advocate who has lived with depression for 25 years, Rep. Anne Donahue thought few cost-saving plans could unsettle her more than a suggested 20 percent cut to Vermont's $55 million adult psychiatric budget. Then state leaders unveiled a different proposal, "Challenges for Change," that calls for a sweeping streamlining of government, including the entire Department of Mental Health. As a Republican representative for Moretown, Northfield and Roxbury, she understands the need to balance the state's budget, which is facing a $150 million shortfall. But as editor of Vermont Psychiatric Survivors' Counterpoint newspaper, she's already reporting the possible impact on the public of reductions in mental health services.

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Prevention Day marked April 14

Three area prevention coalitions -- and some local young people -- are prepared to go to Montpelier on April 14 to participate in Prevention Day. The Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition, Deerfield Valley Community Partnership and Greater Falls Prevention Coalition will represent their communities and encourage all those who are interested to attend."This event is a chance to really spread the word about the incredible work our youth have done in the prevention world," said Andy Hauty of Deerfield Valley Community Partnership. Prevention Day will take place on the Statehouse lawn from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will give the coalitions the opportunity to share their stories with lawmakers in Montpelier.

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Vermont health centers can lead the way

Sen. Bernie Sanders told the representatives of community health centers gathered in the conference room of his Burlington office Monday that they could have a “profound impact” on health care, not only in Vermont, but the nation. Vermont’s eight centers serve 108,000 Vermonters with primary, dental and mental health care — the highest penetration per capita in the country, Sanders said. Under the new national health reform act, federally qualified health centers will benefit from an injection of $12.5 billion over the next five years to help expand the access they offer to basic medical care from 20 million Americans to 40 million.

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Program provides help for seniors

Robert Graf said he came to Vermont after his wife, Bernadette Graf, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. "We moved on suggestion of a family member who feels Vermont is probably one of the best places to be when you have a sickness of that type," Graf, 82, said. "He's right." The Grafs were already living at The Maples when PACE Vermont moved in. Their doctor recommended the program and they promptly applied and enrolled. The nonprofit health care provider works with seniors — the name stands for Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly — providing medical services, home care and a day center where staff members provide a variety of services.

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Bill to design new health care model approved

Senators voted 28-2 Wednesday to hire consultants to design a new health care model for Vermont, one of which would include a single-payer system. Approval of the bill is a victory for Sen. Doug Racine, D-Chittenden, the chair of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, who made it his goal this year to set Vermont on a path to a new health care system. Racine, a gubernatorial candidate, said the state's health care spending is on an unsustainable path and is now expected to hit almost $6 billion by the year 2012. His proposal would fully design several new options for the state.

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Helen Porter Healthcare receives $23,700 grant

Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center has received a grant of $23,700 from the State of Vermont in support of its efforts to pursue a new “transformational project” to define, implement and evaluate an innovative model of resident care. The grant comes from the “Enhancing Quality of Life” program via the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) and will support Helen Porter’s efforts to work collaboratively with their board, physicians, residents, families, staff and the broader Addison County community to change their long-established “medical model” of care to a new “social model/person-centered model” according to Helen Porter administrator Neil Gruber.

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Vermont SHIP awarded $270,000 for 2010 grant funding

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced the first installment of funding to the Vermont State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to help Medicare beneficiaries in Vermont get more information about their health care choices. The Vermont State Health Insurance Assistance Program will receive $269,120, part of the nearly $41.6 million being distributed to SHIPs today as part of the total $45 million that is available to SHIPs in 2010 for direct grants and support contracts. CMS expects the SHIPs to use the FY 2010 funding to provide one-on-one counseling and conduct targeted community-based outreach to an increasing number and diversity of beneficiaries who may be unable to access other sources of information.

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Brattleboro Retreat Hope To Be Part Of State Hospital Replacement

Mental health policy makers hope to replace the Vermont State Hospital with new facilities linked to hospitals in Rutland and the Upper Valley.  Vermont's oldest psychiatric facility, the Brattleboro Retreat, says it should be part of the solution for the state hospital. Advocates and policy-makers have been working to reinvent the state's mental health care system since 2003. That's when the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury first lost its certification. Mental Health Commissioner Michael Hartman says some changes have been adopted.

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"Priceless Prom" effort puts focus on drinking

Local substance abuse prevention groups are offering high school seniors and their parents advice on how to enjoy a fun and safe prom and graduation season without drugs and alcohol. The Southshire Partnership for a Healthy Community, formerly the Southshire Substance Abuse Coalition, in Bennington, will be running the "Priceless Prom" campaign to raise awareness of the effects of drinking around prom season. The Partnership has asked all of the flower shops that sell corsages, tuxedo rental places and hair dressers to give a brochure with information on it to each high school senior preparing for a prom. The brochure lists the costs associated with proms and beneath the costs of different consequences if alcohol is involved -- such as a drinking citation, the cost of a car accident and increased insurance premiums.

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Vt. Health Dept. touts high H1N1 vaccine rate

The Vermont Health Department says the state had one of the highest rates of swine flu vaccination in the country. The Health Department says Vermont had the second highest rate in the country for both children aged six months to 17 years and adults aged 25 to 64. The state says 72 percent of children were vaccinated and 42 people of people in the older age group.

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Excise tax concerns medical firms

As proponents of health care reform hail an historic legislative victory, some Vermont companies that sell medical devices are disquieted by a new excise tax on medical products included in the sweeping changes. A 2.3 percent excise tax on medical devices included in the law -- set to take effect in 2013 -- aims to raise $20 billion over 10 years to help pay for the numerous reforms debated in Congress for more than a year. The tax will impact an array of medical products.

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Practitioners show gamut of alternative medicines

What do a psychic, a hula hooper, an herbalist and a masseuse have in common? They're capable of curing what ails you, according to several people who attended the first ever VermontHealers.org 2010 Expo in Montpelier on Saturday.

People with a wide range of expertise who are all focused on making people physically, mentally and spiritually healthier comprise VermontHealers.org. The organization formed about two-and-a-half years ago when the Web site was launched and now has about 100 members.

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Parents should learn about warning signs of suicide

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the phenomenon has lately been in the news. Cornell University is coping with a suicide cluster among students, two teenage girls killed themselves last month in Norwood, Pa., and four teens died by suicide last year in Palo Alto, Calif. Scott Fritz, whose 15-year-old daughter took her life in 2003, says there are many things parents can do to prevent suicide. "Educate yourself on the warning signs, risk factors, and very importantly, on protective factors," said Fritz, president and co-founder of the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide.

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