What's New

Jun 27, 2003	NCCC Issues Are Part of Final Senate Deal, Ensuring Passage We have some important good news to share as follow-up to yesterday's announcement and analysis on current Medicare legislation. NCCC's work over several years to build relationships and credibility on the Hill are paying off for chronic care reform! The final deal struck in the Senate to ensure passage of the Senate prescription drug/Medicare improvement bill revolved around our issues of chronic care improvement. Preliminarily, the final brokered amendment provides $6 billion for demonstrations to improve the Traditional Medicare Program that will begin in 2009. In preparing for these demonstrations, the Secretary is to assess the results of a new Complex Clinical Care Management Payment demonstration and Care Coordination demonstration, which will run from 2004 through 2007. The Complex Care Payment in particular has been an important part of the NCCC policy agenda for this year. The 2009 demonstrations will include chronic care coordination services. We also were informed that an amendment introduced on behalf of the Medicare Payment Coalition for Frail Beneficiaries was accepted in the final package. This amendment would broaden a provision in the bill establishing specialized "Medicare Advantage" plans for special needs beneficiaires for plans that exclusively serve special needs beneficiaries. The amendment allows the Secretary to also designate as specialized plans those serving a disproportionate number of special needs beneficiaries. These provisions are the culmination of three years of efforts by the Medicare Payment Coalition and its members to establish a designation that recognizes plans that intentionally target high-risk populations. These provisions also were included in the House-passed Medicare bill.
Jun 26, 2003	Preliminary Analysis of Congressional Drug Bill View a preliminary summary of the chronic care aspects of both the House and Senate versions of the Medicare prescription drug legislation. This summary looks at the legislation as it was approved by various Committees, and does not reflect any changes that may yet be made through amendment on the floor of each chamber, nor changes resulting from House-senate reconciliation of differences between the bills. In fact, there is a new deal being worked out to spend $12 billion divided between PPO incentives and demonstrations in the traditional Medicare program. We are very pleased to report that there are numerous aspects of the bills that speak to chronic conditionsÑrepresenting a rising awareness of these issues in Congress. Specifically, the NCCC is pleased that the Senate bill includes a demonstration that uses our complex clinical care management fee proposal as base for the provision. We have worked closely with the Alzheimer's Association and the American Geriatric Society and Senator Lincoln's office in modifying the proposal to blend this concept with a case management benefit as represented by Senator Lincoln's original Geriatric Care Improvement Act. In the House, you will note a provision that allows health plans serving a disproportionate share of special needs beneficiaries as specialized health plans under Medicare. This is a first step in developing the appropriate concepts for continued identification of a category of plans that seek to service beneficiaries with complex care needs. Finally, in the House, there is a provision instructing the Institute of Medicine to study and report on barriers to seamless and effective transitions across settings and over time. This report will greatly aid our work in identifying regulatory and statutory barriers, and create policy visibility for this issue. It will also facilitate the development of an action agenda to remove barriers.
Jun 17, 2003	HIPAA Compliance for Integrated Care Providers Did you know that the HHS Office of Civil Rights website www.hhs.gov/ocr has a link to a well-organized series of HIPAA Q&A with relevant information about requirements, particularly Organized Health Care Arrangements? OHCA is a category within the regulation that facilitates compliance for organizations, such as NCCC members, that are organized systems of care. OHCAs are defined in the regulation at 45CFR164.501
Jun 11, 2003	Moving to Better Chronic Care in Medicare NCCC Proposals for Change
Jun 10, 2003	NCCC Introduces Complex Care Management Fee Proposal Medicare beneficiaries with multiple, complex chronic conditions account for the majority of program spending. In fact, people with five or more conditions accounted for 20 percent of the Medicare population in 1999 and two-thirds of program spending. Beneficiaries with five or more conditions see an average of 14 different doctors in a year, have almost 40 physician visits and fill almost 50 prescriptions in a year.
Jun 9, 2003	Planning, Funding and Sustaining a Hospital-Based Palliative Care Program: Tools and Strategies for Success Center to Advance Palliative Care is hosting a management training seminar on October 23-25 at the Westin Horton Plaza in San Diego, California.
May 7, 2003	Sutter Health Earns First Franklin Award From ACMA, JCAHO NCCC member, Sutter Health is recognized for the work of its Continuum Case Management Department to improve quality by working with physicians and nurses to define and implement clinical practice guidelines.
May 1, 2003	New research suggests ways patients can better control their life-long conditions "Chronic Care in America", a comprehensive survey conducted by Harris Interactive, is the first to reveal positive behaviors across many chronic conditions, and demonstrate why some people succeed and others struggle to manage a long-term condition. While medical researchers, policy makers and the Bush administration develop strategies to control chronic illnesses and its costs, this new study reveals straightforward actions that patients can take to improve their health today.
Apr 28, 2003	Circle of Life Award Applications Now Available The CIRCLE of LIFE Award honors innovative programs that have improved the care people receive near the end of their lives whether in hospital, hospice, nursing home, or home. It is sponsored by the American Hospital Association in conjunction with the American Medical Association, the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. The award is supported by a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Apr 8, 2003	Physician, Public and Policymaker Perspectives on Chronic Conditions The Partnership for Solutions compares the perceptions of physicians, policymakers, and the general public on how well the current health care system addresses the needs of people with chronic conditions.
Feb 28, 2003	Progressive Policy Institute Releases Reports An "ABC" Proposal to Modernize Medicare and Healthy Aging v. Chronic Illness: Preparing Medicare for the New Health Care Challenge PPI calls for a systemic shift in national policy to focus on the proactive treatment of chronic conditions and the overall health of seniors, and shows how Medicare can be modernized to provide better health results, better benefits, and real choices for seniors
Feb 15, 2003	Report and Buyer's Guide Help Large Rx Purchasing Groups Employers and health plans purchasing prescription drug benefit plans face an overwhelming range of complex options. According to a new report and buyer's guide, cost containment remains a priority for both.
Feb 5, 2003	The Interdisciplinary Team in the Management of Chronic Conditions: Has It's Time Come? The Partnership for Solutions examines different care management models, the research on those models and the difficulties inherent in making the models work. This report highlights how to begin to encourage greater care management and coordination for the population most in need.
Feb 1, 2003	Care Coordination for People with Chronic Conditions The Partnership for Solutions and the National Academy for State Health Policy publish new publication
Jan 24, 2003	Feature article assessing Medicare's structural impediments to chronic illness care and options for problem resolution by Robert A. Berenson and Jane Horvath
Jan 23, 2003	Challenges for the 21st Century: Chronic and Disabling Conditions New Data Profile on Rural and Urban Health Is Available from the Center on an Aging Society
Jan 8, 2003	Planning, Funding, and Sustaining a Hospital-Based Palliative Care Program: Tools and Strategies for Success Seminar sponsored by The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC)
Dec 16, 2002	New Chartbook Provides Comprehensive Review of Chronic Care in America
Nov 25, 2002	Challenges for the 21st Century: Chronic and Disabling Conditions New Data Profile on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Is Available from the Center on an Aging Society
Nov 18, 2002	RWJF Special Report: Means to a Better End
Nov 7, 2002	National Co-Directors Announce Interim Evaluation Findings for Chronic Care Networks for Alzheimer's Disease (CCN/AD)
Oct 9, 2002	The Case for Hospital-based Palliative Care: Why Leading Hospitals are Starting Palliative Care Programs New publication from the Center to Advance Palliative Care
Aug 1, 2002	Medicare: Cost and Prevalence of Chronic Conditions Partnership for Solutions publishes new fact sheet
July 22, 2002	The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Announces New National Diabetes Initiative
July 18, 2002	Senate Action on Medicare Creates Opportunities for NCCC Agenda
June 25, 2002	Pushing the Boundaries Beyond Demonstration Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO) 2002 Annual Educational Forum Proceedings Available
June 17, 2002	NCCC President and CEO provides testimony before the HHS Regulatory Reform Advisory Commission
June 13, 2002	Beyond 50.02: A Report to the Nation on Trends in Health Security AARP publishes the second annual report in their Beyond 50 series
June 10, 2002	A Portrait of the Chronically Ill in America, 2001 The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Foundation for Accountability publishes new report
June 6, 2002	Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions: Building Blocks for Action World Health Organization (WHO) Publications Available
May 24, 2002	NCCC Member Testifies at Health and Human Services Hearing
May 22, 2002	Costly chronic conditions to afflict half of U.S. population, findings show National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) sponsor national meeting
May 20, 2002	Health Care's Human Crisis: The American Nursing Shortage New report funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released
May 17, 2002	Depression in Primary Care: Linking Clinical & System Strategies The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Announces a Call for Proposals
May 13, 2002	Senate Hearing told of VISN-2 success with healthcare collaboration with community--Chronic Care Networks for Alzheimer's Disease
May 7, 2002	2002 Healthcare and Aging Awards: Sponsored by Pfizer Chronic Care Networks for Alzheimer's Disease, Centura Senior Care Services receives Honorable Mention
Apr 17, 2002	Health Sector Assembly Predicts Chronic Conditions will be a Major Focus in the First Half of the 21st Century
Apr 15, 2002	Recommendations for a Medicare Coordinated Care Benefit Developed at The Center for Medicare Advocacy's national conference
Apr 4, 2002	The National Center for Health Statistics announces a new release of data in the Data Warehouse on Trends in Health and Aging
Mar 30, 2002	NCCC Member Sutter Health Selects Healthwise Knowledgebase for Web Content
Mar 25, 2002	A Call for Reform: Crossing the Quality Chasm for People with Chronic Conditions Presentation by Reed V. Tuckson, M.D., UnitedHealth Group, at the NCCC 2002 Working Session on Regulatory Reform
Mar 19, 2002	New NCCC Reports Target Regulatory Reform on Chronic Illness Care
Mar 14, 2002	NCCC will make specific recommendations for regulation changes around better care for people with chronic conditions
Feb 27, 2002	Former HCFA Leader Proposes M+C Value Purchasing with Focus on Chronic Illness Care Health Affairs Medicare Reform Web Exclusive
Feb 24, 2002	Guidelines for Alzheimer's Disease Management Available Published by the California Workgroup on Guidelines for Alzheimer's Disease Management
Feb 13, 2002	Profile on Older Americans New profile available from The Administration on Aging
Feb 4, 2002	Targets of Opportunity in Chronic Illness Care Policy
Jan 28, 2002	Depression in Primary Care: Linking Clinical & System Strategies The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Announces a Call for Proposals
Jan 16, 2002	Challenges for the 21st Century: Chronic and Disabling Conditions New Data Profile Is Available from the Center on an Aging Society
Jan 11, 2002	Hospital-Hospice Partnerships in Palliative Care: Creating a Continuum of Service New report by the Center to Advance Palliative Care
Dec 22, 2001	Chronic Care Improvement Legislation Acquires Additional Sponsors
Dec 20, 2001	Partnership for Solutions Makes Case for chronic Illness Care Reform Two new fact sheets are now available
Dec 12, 2001	NCCC Board approves 2002 agenda Dedicated to finding real-world solutions to chronic illness care
Nov 14, 2001	Don't Miss Nov/Dec issue of Health Affairs! Chronic Illness in America Includes article by NCCC President and CEO who makes a business case for high-quality chronic illness care
Nov 8, 2001	Download Now! Comorbidity Fact Sheets Available from Partnerships for Solutions
Nov 4, 2001	Who Cares: Chronic Illness in America NCCC President and CEO serves as keynote for National Family Caregivers Association Forum
Nov 2, 2001	Institute of Medicine Committee: Enhancing Healthcare Quality NCCC President and CEO makes recommendations for enhancing care for people with chronic conditions
Oct 30, 2001	Medicare Chronic Care Improvement Act of 2001 Introduced by Representative Pete Stark and Senator Jay Rockefeller
Oct 3, 2001	PBS Program: Who Cares: Chronic Illness in America Airs October, November
Sept 27, 2001	Social HMOs: An Answer for an Aging Population HealthPlan
Sept 21 2001	Open-Access Appointment Scheduling in Family Practice: Comparison of a Demand Prediction Grid With Actual Appointments Journal of the American Board of Family Practice
Sept 15, 2001	Drugs Take Bigger Slice of Total Health Care Expenditures Drug Benefit Trends
Sept 6, 2001	U.S. Medical Care Still Far From Standardized Medscape Money and Medicine, 2001
Aug 26, 2001	NCCC Actively Supports Key Legislative Initiatives
Aug 24, 2001	On Transforming Organizations through Creative Destruction
Aug 21, 2001	Dementia Practice Guidelines Support CCN/AD Model
Aug 5, 2001	37% of consumers who visited a Web site after seeing an Rx ad requested that prescription from their physician
July 31, 2001	URAC Releases Final Quality Standards For Health Web Sites
July 25, 2001	HCFA Reorganizes and Changes Name to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
July 13, 2001	VA Selects Sites for End-Of-Life Care Initiative
July 1, 2001	Community Partnerships for Older Adults: $28 Million RWJF Initiative
June 14 2001	Dually Eligible Technical Assistance Reports Are Published
June 01 2001	Sharing What Works: Proceedings from the MSHO Annual Meeting
May 31 2001	Senator Lincoln Introduces Geriatric Care Act of 2001
May 25 2001	The Internet and New Technology Applications Progressing Slowly
May 21 2001	A Better Way to Grow Old: Alternatives to Nursing Home Care NCCC member, SCAN, of Long Beach in U.S. News & World Report
May 05 2001	Christian Science Monitor: SHMOs as Model for Health Reform?
May 04 2001	Hartford Institute: Best Practice in Nursing Care for Elderly
Apr 26 2001	Chronic Care Coalition Reaches Final Agreement on Medicare Modernization
Apr 26 2001	NCCC NRC Signs Contract for Medicare/Medicaid Survey
Apr 26 2001	Medicare Payment Coalition Defines Legislative Agenda for Frail Beneficiaries
Apr 12 2001	NCCC-AHA Announce New Chronic Care Collaboration
Apr 9 2001	Results from Minnesota Senior Health Options Survey of Care Coordinators, Nurse Practitioners, and Physicians
Mar 17 2001	Medicare Payment Coalition Defines Payment Reform Agenda
Feb 26 2001	Congressional Staff Briefing Who Will Care for the Chronically Ill?
Feb 22 2001	Harris Survey Chronic Illness and Caregiving Overwhelming majority worry that 125 million Americans living with chronic conditions are not getting the care they need.
Feb 7 2001	Learn more about the Partnership for Solutions (69 kB PDF)
Feb 7 2001	Fact Sheet View fact sheet on Prevalence and Cost of Chronic Condictions (500 kB PDF)