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Dallas Budget Proposal Includes Cuts To HIV Programs, Official Says
The Dallas City Manager"s Office is proposing to cut $325,000 from the city"s general fund for HIV/AIDS education, outreach and prevention programs, according to a city official, the Dallas Voice reports. The city is facing a $190 million budget deficit. Karen Rayzer, director of the city"s Environmental and Health Services department, said the funding currently allows agencies such as the AIDS Interfaith Network, Re Center of Dallas and Dallas County Health and Human Services to serve 20,200 people annually, most of whom are low-income and minorities.
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Shanghai To Relax One-Child Policy As China Faces Aging Population, Shrinking Work Force
Nearly three decades after China implemented its one-child policy, the city of Shanghai is planning to encourage young couples to have a second child in an effort to address the country"s aging population and shrinking work force, the New York Times reports. The city"s plan is the most public effort made by the government to counteract a program that is "considered both a tremendous success and a terrible failure," the Times reports. The policy has managed to keep population growth under control but also has led to forced abortions, according to the Times.The country is not abandoning the one-child policy, which applies mostly to residents in urban areas. Rather, the government is allowing more exceptions to the rule, with Shanghai -- where about 22% of its 20 million residents are older than age 60 -- leading the effort. China as a whole faces a similar problem seen in Shanghai, the Times reports. About 8% of the country"s population was older than age 65 in 2006. That figure is expected to increase threefold by 2050 to about 322 million people, or nearly 25% of the population, according to the United Nations.In Friday"s issue of China Daily, Xie Lingli, director of the Shanghai Population and Family Planning Commission, was quoted as saying, "We advocate eligible couples to have two kids because it can help reduce the proportion of the aging people and alleviate a work force shortage in the future." City officials plan to visit homes, pass out leaflets, and offer counseling and financial incentives, the Times reports. Current exceptions to the one-child policy are in place for ethnic minorities and rural residents, who can have a second child if the first child is a girl. Couples made up of two parents who have no siblings have always been allowed to have a second child and are now being encouraged to do so (Barboza, New York Times, 7/24).
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Stay On Par This Golf Season, Injury Free
Swinging the club on the open green, hitting the perfect shot and playing in the warm sun are just a few things golfers love about hitting the links. Golfing can be a treat for both the mind and body. However, an injury to the bones, muscles or joints can cast a big shadow over the day. That is why the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommends following the proper techniques to prevent golf-related injuries.
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Medicaid Health Plans Provide Cost Savings To States And High Quality And Value To Beneficiaries, New Analysis Shows

Medicaid health plans are producing cost savings for states, increasing access to services for individuals covered by Medicaid, improving quality of care, and earning high satisfaction ratings from enrollees, according to a Lewin Group report released today by America"s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). Twenty-four existing studies were analyzed by the Lewin Group to determine the savings achieved when states have implemented private Medicaid health plans. "This study provides validation that Medicaid health plans are improving quality and access while also containing costs," said Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of AHIP. "During these difficult economic times, Medicaid health plans provide states with tools that work and on which they can depend." Since the early 1990s, state Medicaid programs have turned increasingly to private health plans because of their potential to provide high-quality, cost-effective care. According to Lewin, health plans offer an opportunity for Medicaid programs to stretch their dollars and achieve cost savings without cutting eligibility, benefits, or already-low provider payment levels as states look at ways to alleviate the economic pressure faced by their budgets. Some highlights of the Lewin analysis of 24 studies include: -- The studies strongly suggest that Medicaid health plans typically yields cost savings -- savings across the studies range from half of 1 percent to 20 percent. -- The studies provide some evidence that Medicaid health plan savings are significant for the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and SSI-related population while improving quality and value for beneficiaries. For example, Arizona saw that 60 percent of the $102.8 million savings achieved from 1983 to 1991 is from the SSI population. -- Various studies demonstrated that states" Medicaid health plan cost savings are largely attributable to changing patterns in unnecessary inpatient utilization such as those in a study of preventable hospitalizations in California, which found that the rates of preventable hospitalization were 38 and 25 percent lower in health plans than in fee-for-service (FFS) programs for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and SSI populations, respectively. -- Pharmacy was also an area where Medicaid health plans yielded noteworthy savings -- a comparison of drug costs under FFS programs vs. Medicaid health plans in multiple states found that the costs per-member per-month (PMPM) were 10 to 15 percent lower for health plans than for FFS programs. -- The studies also suggest that health plans with responsibility for certain populations or services are especially likely to generate savings in a health plan delivery system while providing and coordinating comprehensive care for beneficiaries. -- The Lewin analysis found that Medicaid health plans were found to have improved Medicaid beneficiaries" access to services and earned high satisfaction ratings from enrollees in addition to containing costs. "As stewards of public funds, quality accreditation ensures our state administrators that one of America"s most financially vulnerable populations is receiving the quality care and service it needs and deserves," said J. Mario Molina, M.D., President and CEO of Molina Healthcare, Inc. "At Molina, we demonstrate this by ensuring all of our eligible health plans are quality accredited by NCQA." "Medicaid managed care works -- it"s that simple," said Daniel J. Hilferty, President and Chief Executive Officer of the AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies. "Medicaid recipients are among the most sick and vulnerable people in the United States. Using an integrated, proactive approach to health care, AmeriHealth Mercy has improved outcomes for our members and saved taxpayers millions of dollars. As the nation searches for high-quality, cost-effective health reform options, we offer a model that is proven to increase access to care and control costs." "This study demonstrates what we see every day: that Medicaid managed care helps our most vulnerable citizens get the healthcare they need and, at the same time, saves money for State governments," said James G. Carlson, Chairman and CEO of AMERIGROUP Corporation. "At AMERIGROUP, our unique programs for people with disabilities and long-term illnesses help our members lead more independent lives by receiving proactive care to prevent unnecessary hospital stays or institutionalization. This approach helps them lead healthier and fuller lives and in the long run lowers the cost of Medicaid." The study also noted that the FFS setting model makes coordination of care and cost-containment difficult, while health plans create savings opportunities without reducing eligibility and benefits. America"s Health Insurance Plans - Providing Health Benefits to More Than 200 Million Americans About AMERIGROUP Corporation AMERIGROUP Corporation, headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, improves healthcare access and quality for the financially vulnerable, seniors and people with disabilities by developing innovative managed health services for the public sector. Through its subsidiaries, AMERIGROUP Corporation serves approximately 1.7 million people in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. About the AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies The AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies is the industry leader in the delivery of quality health care to low-income populations covered by publicly funded programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children"s Health Insurance Programs. The company"s five lines of business -- health plans, management and administrative services, pharmacy management, care management, and behavioral health -- touch the lives of 6.7 million people in 14 states. About Molina Healthcare Molina Healthcare, Inc. is a multi-state managed care organization that arranges for the delivery of health care services to persons eligible for Medicaid, Medicare, and other government-sponsored programs for low-income families and individuals. Altogether, Molina Healthcare"s 10 licensed health plan subsidiaries in California, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, Utah, and Washington currently serve approximately 1.2 million members. America"s Health Insurance Plans


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