August 27, 2010
Vol. 4 #29
Michigan Primary Care
Association
Health Policy Committee
Conference Call
Executive Committee
Conference Call
September 21, 3:30 pm
Membership Committee Conference
Call
September 23, 10:30 am
Budget & Finance Committee
Conference Call
October 4, 2010
Upcoming State &
National Events
Click here for a list of upcoming events to be held by
other organizations in Michigan and across the country.
The MPCA e-Update is a weekly
e-bulletin intended to keep MPCA members updated on issues important to
Community Health Centers. Please feel free to forward this to interested
individuals, or they may request to be added to the distribution list by registering here. Information from outside
organizations does not represent an endorsement by MPCA, and opinions
expressed by outside authors are not necessarily official positions or
policies of MPCA.
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No Movement Expected on State Budget Until September
The Michigan Senate adjourned on Tuesday until September 7, indicating that
work on the FY 2010 and FY 2011 budgets will continue into September or
beyond. On Wednesday, the House passed a transfer of approximately
$200 million for the School Aid Fund surplus for FY 2010 to fund the
“community colleges” line item and save $200 million in General Fund, which
had previously funded this line. This will help balance the budget deficit
in the General Fund for FY 2010. The Senate still needs to approve
the transfer, and it is expected that will happen after the Labor Day
recess. Also on Wednesday, Speaker Dillon indicated that he and
Senate Majority Leader Bishop began setting targets this week for the
conference committees to use upon return after the recess. He also
indicated that he still expects to have a budget completed by September 30,
the last day of FY 2010.
Have
You Registered for the 2010 MPCA Annual Conference?
The 2010 Annual Conference, “Home Sweet Patient Centered Medical Home,”
will be held October 10-12 at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids.
The deadline for registering at the earlybird rate is September 17, and the
deadline for reserving a room at the Amway Grand Plaza at the special
conference rate is September 9. Click
here for the agenda, more information about the hotel, a registration
form, sponsorship and exhibitor information, an opportunity to donate an
item to the silent auction, and annual award nomination forms. The
deadline to nominate individuals for the Ralph Mills Board Member of the
Year Award, Cindy Cooley Nursing Leadership Award, Clinician of the Year
Award, Distinguished Service Award, and the new Faces of Health Care Media
Award is September 3.
Michigan
Community Service Commission Receives Volunteer Generation Fund Grant
The Corporation for National Community Service recently awarded $486,913 to
the Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC) to increase the number of
volunteers addressing health care and public safety issues in local
Michigan communities as well as statewide through collaborative models of
using service as a solution. The MCSC’s target number of new
volunteers is 2,500, while also increasing the number of retained
volunteers to a total of 750.
Physicians
Health Plan of Mid-Michigan to Run High-Risk Pool
Physicians Health Plan of Mid-Michigan has contracted with the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services to administer Michigan’s high-risk
pool. The high-risk pool was established by the new Affordable Care
Act to provide subsidized coverage to people under age 65 who have been
denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Enrollment is
scheduled to begin August 31, and coverage is to start October 1. The
high-risk pool will operate until January 1, 2014, at which time all
insurers will be required to accept individuals regardless of pre-existing
conditions as mandated by the Affordable Care Act.
DHS Announces Helpful Back-to-School Resources for Families
Last week, Michigan Department of Human Services Director Ismael Ahmed
announced that eligible children statewide will receive a $79
back-to-school clothing allowance. The announcement was made as part of the
department's "Helping
Families 101: Get ready 2 learn" statewide campaign. The
clothing allowance is a benefit to families who qualify for the Family
Independence Program, which serves nearly 160,000 children across the
state.
MDCH
Receives Funding to Support Rural Health Priorities
HHS announced more than $32 million in grant funds this week to increase
access to health care for people living in rural areas, funding the
Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, Rural Health Workforce
Development Program, Telehealth Network Grant Program, Telehealth Resources
Center Grant Program, Flex Rural Veterans Health Access Program, and Rural
Training Track Technical Assistance Demonstration Program. MDCH will
receive $595,783.
HRSA Seeking Grant Reviewers
HRSA is looking for doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists,
medical/health educators, health researchers, psychologists, social
workers, health administrators, allied health providers, physician
assistants, patient navigators, and others with experience in health care
to review competitive grant applications. Click
here for more information.
Almost
One-Quarter of U.S. Children Underinsured
According to a new study released this week by HRSA and published in the New
England Journal of Medicine, more than 14 million U.S. children
(22.7%) were underinsured in 2007. That was more than the number of
children without insurance (3.4 million) and the number of children insured
during only part of the year (7.6 million). Underinsurance was
defined for the study as health insurance not offering benefits or covered
services that meet a child’s needs; health insurance that doesn’t allow a
child to see needed providers; and unreasonable out-of-pocket costs.
WHO
Makes Recommendations for Post-Pandemic Period
Now that the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an end to the
2009 H1N1 pandemic, it has made recommendations regarding vaccination and
the clinical management of H1N1 cases. The 2009 H1N1 virus is
expected to continue to circulate as a seasonal virus for some years to
come, and it is likely that it will continue to disproportionately affect a
younger age group. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will discuss
the upcoming flu season and the universal vaccine recommendations on a free
webinar to be held August 30 at 3-4 pm. Click
here for the call-in information.
FDA
Issues Nationwide Egg Recall
The FDA has identified more than 500 million eggs from Wright County Egg
and Hillandale Farms in Iowa as potential sources of Salmonella. Both
companies are recalling the affected eggs - click
here for a list of the brand names affected. As a result of this
outbreak of Salmonella, the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight
and Investigations will hold a hearing on September 14 on the safety of the
nation’s food supply.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
FY Grant Competition: New Access Points (HRSA-11-017)
Funder: HRSA
Due: November 17 via Grants.gov, December 15 via EHB
HRSA is offering three pre-application technical assistance conference
calls:
New Access Points (HRSA-11-017) General Technical Assistance Call
- Date: September 2,
2010
- Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
- Call In Number:
1-888-469-1171
- Passcode: NAP
- Replay Phone Number:
1-800-879-4905
- Replay is available
through December 15, 2010
Special Populations Technical Assistance Call for New Access Points
(HRSA-11-017)
- Date: September 21,
2010
- Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
- Call In
Number: 1-888-469-1171
- Passcode: NAP SPOP
- Replay Phone Number:
1-800-234-2685
- Replay is available
through December 15, 2010
Clinical and Financial Performance Measures for New Access Points
(HRSA-11-017)
- Date: September 23,
2010
- Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
- Call In Number:
1-888-469-1171
- Passcode: NAP
Performance Measures
- Replay Phone Number:
1-866-443-1209
- Replay is available
through December 15, 2010
Click
here for a list of funding opportunities posted on the MPCA web
site.
Click here for a list of CHC career opportunities
posted on the MPCA web site.
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