Senators Leave for Vacation, Allowing Medicare Meltdown to Begin June 1

WASHINGTON, May 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following statement is attributable to J. James Rohack, M.D., President, American Medical Association:

“The Senate has turned its back on seniors, and America’s physicians are outraged that Congress has deserted patients by failing to address this year’s Medicare cut before the June 1 deadline.  Senators are more interested in heading home for the holiday than in preventing a Medicare meltdown for seniors.  The 21 percent Medicare physician payment cut has been looming all year, and yet all Congress has managed to do is repeated short-term delays.  This is complete mismanagement of a health care program that America’s seniors and the disabled rely on.  Already, about one in four Medicare patients looking for a new primary care physician have trouble finding one, and congressional inaction will make it much worse.

“It is sad and ironic as we enter the Memorial Day holiday that Congress’ inaction on the 21 percent cut puts health care for America’s military heroes and their families at risk. TRICARE, the health care program for military families ties its payment rates to Medicare.

“Enough is enough: nine times in eight years Congress has delayed the cut and not fixed the problem.  Congress needs to buckle down, stop growing the problem and fix it once and for all to save the Medicare and TRICARE programs for America’s seniors and military families.”

SOURCE American Medical Association

Statewide Celebrity tour urges Black community to get tested for HIV

CINCINNATI, April 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — This week, the Buckeye state will become Black Hollywood East, as movie and TV stars flock to participate in the Test 1 Million Ohio Celebrity Tour.

From April 21 to April 24, 2010, celebrities Danny Glover (“Death at a Funeral”), Rockmond Dunbar (“The Family that Preys”), Lamman Rucker (“Why Did I Get Married Too?”), and Sheryl Lee Ralph (Tony Award nominee) will visit Dayton, Oxford, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus to fight AIDS stigma, raise awareness about the magnitude of HIV/AIDS in Black communities, and encourage people to get tested for HIV.

“There has never been an effort to mobilize the Black community in Ohio like this,” says Mamie Harris, CEO and founder of IV Charis (www.4charis.com), a Cincinnati- and Northern Kentucky-based AIDS-service organization and the event co-sponsor. Other tour supporters include the Ohio Minority Health Commission, Orasure Technologies and a statewide coalition of 27 organizations. “We hope that combining the efforts of local organizations, including colleges and universities, churches, elected officials and health departments, with a mobile ‘billboard’ featuring Hollywood celebrities will get people’s attention,” says Harris.

“We are fortunate to have all these talented performers participating,” Read More »

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In the midst of the great recession, a depressed job market is hitting veterans particularly hard. Unemployment numbers for all veterans continues to hover near 12 percent, but for service members who left the military in the past three years unemployment is 18 percent, nearly twice the national average.

“The way we treat our veterans when they return home is an indication of our national character,” said J. David Cox, AFGE national secretary-treasurer, who was a registered nurse in the VA for over 20 years prior to being elected to the union’s executive leadership. “These brave men and women volunteered, served valiantly, and have to come home to stand in the unemployment line. There is something very wrong with that.”

The high unemployment rate of returning service members has not escaped the attention of the White House. On Nov. 9, President Obama issued an executive order aimed at enhancing the recruitment and promotion of employment opportunities for veterans. The order established a multi-agency “Council on Veterans Employment” and is supposed to develop a strategic plan on how to recruit and employ veterans for federal civilian service. According to the union, however, any plan developed by the Council should address the systemic risk to federal civilian employment of veterans posed by the expanded use of for-profit contractors. Ironically, the VA – the agency that strives to be the model employer of veterans — has contracted out more jobs held by veterans than most other agencies. Read More »

National Poll on Infant Feeding Shows Mothers Need Support and Want Choice and Education

RED BANK, NJ – (December 1, 2009) A new national survey reveals the majority of mothers in the United States know breastfeeding is ideal for their babies and themselves but at the same time want the right to decide what works best for them and their families. The nationally representative survey, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (GQRR) in partnership with Public Opinion Strategies, sampled opinions from 876 mothers of children aged 12 months and younger throughout the country.

“The findings speak volumes,” says Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, a registered nurse and executive director of HealthyWomen. “It’s clear mothers recognize breastfeeding as the gold standard; however, they also were clear that they want a choice when it comes to feeding their infants.”

The survey found that most mothers (83%) made their infant feeding decision prior to going to the hospital to give birth. The vast majority (82%) breastfed at some point during the first year; however, over half of the moms changed their baby’s diet during the first year. Read More »

Permanent repeal of the Medicare physician payment formula is essential to comprehensive health system reform

Statement attributable to: J. James Rohack, M.D. President, American Medical Association:

“The AMA is deeply disappointed that the Senate today blocked consideration of S. 1776, legislation to preserve access to health care for America’s seniors, baby boomers and military families. Senator Stabenow is a long-time champion for patients and physicians, and the AMA, AARP and MOAA strongly supported her bill that would have laid the foundation to permanently fix the Medicare physician payment formula and keep Medicare strong as millions of baby boomers enter the program in just two years.

“As we work to improve the health system, permanent repeal of the payment formula is essential to ensuring the security and stability of Medicare. On January first, Medicare physician payments are scheduled to be cut by 21 percent, with more cuts in years to come. Nearly 90 percent of people age 50 and older are concerned that the current Medicare physician payment formula threatens their access to care.

“While short-term fixes have temporarily averted widespread access problems, they have also grown the size of the problem – and the cost of reform. The AMA is committed to fixing the Medicare payment problem once and for all for seniors, baby boomers and the physicians who care for them.

“There is widespread agreement among Republicans and Democrats that the formula is broken and needs to be repealed. Congress created the Medicare physician payment system, and Congress needs to fix this problem once and for all to fulfill its obligation to seniors, baby boomers and military families. Permanent repeal of the Medicare physician payment formula is essential to comprehensive health system reform.”

Chicago Bears Quarterback Jay Cutler, Eli Lilly and Company and the American Diabetes Association Team Up to Fund Diabetes Camp Scholarships Through “Touchdowns for Diabetes”

Lilly to donate funds to ADA camp program for every Cutler TD, pass completion

CHICAGO, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — When the 2009 NFL season begins this weekend, rooting for Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler means rooting for kids with diabetes.

Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) announced today they’re teaming up to help send children with diabetes to summer camps through the Touchdowns for Diabetes camp scholarship program (www.touchdownsfordiabetes.com).

For every touchdown pass Cutler throws during the 2009 season, Lilly will send a child to diabetes camp by donating $1,000 to the ADA’s “Camp Scholarship” fund – roughly the cost of providing tuition for one child to attend a week of diabetes camp.

And for every pass Cutler completes in 2009, Lilly will donate $100 to the ADA Camp Scholarship fund to allow even more kids the chance to attend camp next summer. The ADA is the largest provider of diabetes camps in the world and is serving as the national champion for Touchdowns for Diabetes.

Since learning he had type 1 diabetes after his second season in the NFL, Cutler has worked to help inspire children with diabetes to achieve their goals – and let them see that diabetes doesn’t have to stop them from being who they want to be.

After playing in his first NFL Pro Bowl Read More »