By Phil Galewitz

The Obama administration is making it easier for states to sign up the poor for health coverage – and to help those people stay covered.

On Friday, it informed state officials that they could simplify enrollment in Medicaid, the federal-state program for the poor, to handle the onslaught of millions of anticipated enrollees next year when the health care law expands coverage.

The administration said the changes are geared to states that are expanding their programs, but they may also be adopted by others.

At least 22 states have committed to expanding Medicaid, one of the chief ways the law extends coverage to the uninsured, and several more are undecided, according to consultant Avalere Health.

The Supreme Court made expansion of Medicaid optional, and some Republican-controlled states have opted against it.

In a letter to state officials, federal Medicaid Director Cindy Mann laid out several ways states might streamline enrollment for adults, including using data people have already submitted to qualify for foods stamps – a practice that a few states permit for children.

States may also allow adults to stay enrolled in the program for up to a year, even if their income changes, she said.

Allowing adults to stay in the program when their income changes is a “big deal,” said Alan Weil, executive director for the National Academy for State Health Policy.

He said it was likely to reduce the large number of people churning in and out of the program, which interferes with their ability to get care. Thirty-two states now use this option for children.

In states moving forward with the expansion, residents with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level — or about $33,000 for a family of four — will be eligible for coverage.

About 13 million people are expected to enroll in Medicaid starting next year, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Mann’s letter outlines several options state can use to streamline enrollment and retention. “Enrollment strategies that target individuals likely to be eligible for Medicaid, and for whom eligibility information is already in the state’s files, provide important advantages both for uninsured individuals and for states,” she wrote.

To help states deal with the demands of increased enrollment, they will have the option in the first three months of next year to extend the Medicaid renewal period by up to 90 days. That means that if an individual on Medicaid comes up for renewal on Feb. 1, their eligibility could be extended to May.

“This is part of our longstanding ongoing effort to continue to simplify and streamline enrollment and renewal in Medicaid, said Donna Cohen Ross, a senior policy adviser at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Cohen Ross said the administration is employing lessons learned from enrolling children in Medicaid. Louisiana and South Carolina, for instance, have used the food stamp strategy to help sign up thousands of children, but states have not previously had the option for adults.

Similarly, CMS said states can use existing government data to sign up parents whose children were already enrolled in Medicaid.

This article was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

OLYMPIA

“Tracking dead birds and West Nile virus gives people information they need to avoid getting sick,” said Maryanne Guichard, assistant secretary of Environmental Public Health. “Avoiding mosquito bites is the key to preventing West Nile virus. Nationally, last year saw the most reported West Nile virus illnesses since 2003, and it has made a few state residents sick in recent years, but it’s unpredictable. We don’t know how many people may be affected this year.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has just reported final data for the 2012 season, with 5,674 cases of West Nile virus disease in people in 48 states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). That total includes 286 deaths.

Last year in Washington, two people acquired West Nile virus in-state and two more were likely exposed while traveling outside the state; none died.

West Nile virus can cause illness in people, birds, horses, and other mammals if bitten by an infected mosquito. Dead bird monitoring can help provide information on areas where the virus may be active.Washington residents may report dead birds online now through October. Crows, ravens, jays, magpies, and hawks are particularly important to report because they often die from West Nile virus infection.

Most people bitten by an infected mosquito carrying West Nile virus won’t get sick. Some may develop mild symptoms such as fever or headache that go away without treatment.

People with weak immune systems and those over 50 years old are more likely to develop serious illness, which may include meningitis or encephalitis. Some neurological effects can be permanent. West Nile virus disease can be fatal.

Small changes to the way we do things helps defend against West Nile virus. Staying indoors during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active can help you avoid mosquito bites. Wearing long sleeves and long pants outdoors during these times is also good protection.

Make sure window and door screens are “bug tight,” or replace them — especially torn screens. Use an effective mosquito repellent on exposed skin to keep mosquitoes away. When using repellent on children, read the label and follow the instructions carefully.

Removing items around your home that can become mosquito habitat can help you avoid mosquito bites. Mosquitoes only need a small amount of water for breeding. Emptying stagnant water in flower pots, old tires, buckets, and other water-collecting items, can make it harder for mosquito larvae to grow into biting adults. Change water in birdbaths, animal troughs, and wading pools twice a week.

The online reporting system is active now. People without online access can contact their local health agency to report dead birds. Regular updates are available on the agency’s West Nile virus information line, 1-866-78-VIRUS (1-866-788-4787) and the West Nile virus website.

Somewhere between 13 and 20 percent of kids in the United States experience some sort of mental illness, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That adds up to millions of children suffering from disorders like ADHD, depression, autism and illicit drug use.

The total annual cost of the illnesses?

About $247 billion a year.

The CDC put together this handy infographic to chart the prevalence of various illnesses. ADHD is the most common diagnosis, followed by behavioral and conduct problems.

The study, published as part of the CDC’s weekly journal MMWR, is the first time that federal researchers have sought to compile estimates of how many children have specific mental disorders and describe federal efforts for monitoring the issue.

The prevalence of mental disorders in kids seems to have increased over the past 15 years as well (though the growth could reflect better monitoring and awareness, rather than more kids actually being sick).

And they seem to be sicker: inpatient hospital admissions for mental health and substance abuse issues increased by nearly a quarter from 2007-2010.

Suicide was the second leading cause of death for kids aged 12-17.

This article was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

Washington state is in the vanguard nationally in building our state’s healthcare exchange. But costs are significant, time is short and many questions remain:

• What choices will local businesses face with the implementation of health care reform?

• What can we learn from Massachusetts’ reform efforts in 2006?

• How can the business community deal with health care reform proactively and provide transparency to employees?

Join us as we bring together business leaders and policy experts from Washington and Massachusetts to learn what’s happening on the ground in our state and how the Massachusetts experience can inform implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Puget Sound.

2013 Series Moderator:

Jean Enersen, KING 5

Panelists:

• Bill Baldwin, Board member, Washington Health Benefit Exchange, Partner, The Partners Group

• Maud Daudon, President & CEO,  Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce

• Phil Edmundson, Chairman and CEO, William Gallagher Associates, Founding Chairman, Affordable Care Today Coalition (Massachusetts)

• Jody Hall, Owner, Cupcake Royale, Leader, Main Street Alliance of Washington

Where:

Location: The Westin Hotel | 1900 Fifth Avenue, Seattle

When:

Doors Open: 11:30 a.m.

Luncheon & Program: Noon – 1:30 p.m.

Price:

Luncheon Prices:

CityClub Members – $40 | Guests & Co-Promoters – $45 | General Public – $50

Coffee & Dessert Only Prices:

CityClub Members – $12 | Guests & Co-Promoters – $15 | General Public – $18

To register go to here or call 206.682.7395

Hepatitis B is common in many parts of the world, with an estimated 350 million people living with the disease worldwide. In the US, an estimated 1.2 million Americans are infected.

However, hepatitis B disproportionately affects Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders because it is especially common in many Asian and Pacific Island countries.

While AAPIs make up less than 5% of the total U.S. population, they account for more than 50% of Americans living with chronic hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B is serious

People can live with hepatitis B without having any symptoms or feeling sick. Many people with chronic hepatitis B got infected as infants or young children. It is usually spread when someone comes into contact with blood from someone who has the virus.

As many as 2 in 3 AAPIs living with the virus do not know they are infected. Often, people do not know they have hepatitis B until they have been tested.

Who should get tested for Hepatitis B?

• Anyone born in Asia or the Pacific Islands (except New Zealand and Australia)
• Anyone born in the United States, who was not vaccinated at birth, and has at least one parent born in East or Southeast Asia (except Japan) or the Pacific Islands (except New Zealand and Australia)

Hepatitis B testing identifies people living with chronic hepatitis B so they can get medical care to help prevent serious liver damage. Testing also helps to find other people who may not have hepatitis B, but are at risk for getting infected. This can include people living with someone with hepatitis B.

For more information, talk to a doctor about getting tested for Hepatitis B.

More Information

• Hepatitis B and Asian American/Pacific Islanders
• Hepatitis Risk Assessment
• Hepatitis B General Information
• CDC’s Viral Hepatitis Website
• CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention