Here is a round-up of some of the most interesting news in Long-Term Care this week by AHCA/NCAL Gazette.  To follow the link, hold down the “control” button while clicking on the title.

Tort reform must be part of health care reform	By Gov Rick Perry (TX)
San Francisco Examiner
Article Date: 8/13/2009
The insurance rates of Texas doctors have been reduced by an average of 27 percent since 2003, when the state placed caps on noneconomic damages awarded in lawsuits. Patients may still be awarded uncapped amounts in economic damages such as lost wages and medical costs. Since these reforms were enacted, Texas has seen the numbers of doctors applying to practice in the state rise by 57 percent, and the changes have brought critical specialists to many of the state’s underserved and rural areas.
Buyers of Long-Term Care Insurance Riled by Premium Increase	By Joe Davidson
The Washington Post
Article Date: 8/13/2009
On page 21 of the benefits booklet issued to beneficiaries by John Hancock and MetLife insurance companies, there is a statement that reads, “We may only increase your premium if you are among a group of enrollees whose premium is determined to be inadequate. While the Group Policy is in effect, OPM must approve the change.” This statement went into effect for 150,000 policy holders recently when the company enacted fee increases ranging between 5 and 25 percent. Policy holder, Donna Joy lamented, “there needs to be disclosure of this ‘inadequate’ calculation. Otherwise, how can current and potential policy holders have any hope of understanding the range of future premium payments that they are committing themselves to paying during retirement when they are living on a fixed income?”
Nursing home to develop new center for the obese	By Eric Timmons
The Register-Mail -
Article Date: 8/13/2009
A grant of $200,000 has been awarded to the Knox County (IL) Nursing Home for the purpose of developing a bariatric branch to serve the obese. This wing of the facility will be equipped with specialized lifts, beds designed especially for obese patients and gym facilities. The facility will provide services to both in and outpatients to help meet the rising demand for services for the obese.
State/Province: Illinois
Disaster planning for disabled faulted	By Bruce Alpert
The Times-Picayune
Article Date: 8/13/2009
According to a report released by the National Council on Disability on Wednesday, the federal government still has much to do to insure emergency preparedness for disabled Americans. According to the report, “People with disabilities are often left out of planning activities such as analyzing and documenting the possibility of an emergency or disaster and the potential consequences or impacts on life, property and the environment. These activities include assessing the hazards, risks, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery needs.” The report continued, “Although some improvement in this area is evident, catastrophic events, such as Hurricane Katrina and the California wildfires, exposed the gaps that still exist in many emergency plans and preparedness efforts.”
HHS awards more than $13 million to help lessen nursing shortage
McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living
Article Date: 8/13/2009
On Wednesday, HHS announced it is setting aside $13.4 billion in stimulus funding to bolster the ranks of the nursing force in the U.S. Currently, $8.1 million is slated to assist some registered nurses pay off education loans and $5.3 million will be used to help increase the number of trained nursing school faculty members. Deputy Secretary Bill Corr made the announcement, saying, “The need for more nurses is great. Over the next decade, nurse retirements and an aging U.S. population, among other factors, will create the need for hundreds of thousands of new nurses.”
Many Nursing Homes On Brink Of Collapse
WFSB Eyewitness News 3
Article Date: 8/13/2009
Article Date: 8/13/2009 Matthew Barrett, the director of the Connecticut Association of Healthcare Facilities, said of the state’s reduced federal funding and proposed future cuts, “The kind of cuts that are on the table are certainly, without a doubt, going to create financial distress in this industry.”
State/Province: Connecticut
Texas, Pennsylvania prohibit mandatory overtime for nurses	Patty Enrado
Healthcare Finance News
Article Date: 8/12/2009
At the end of August, Texas Governor Rick Perry (R) is expected to sign a bill that would do away with mandatory overtime for the state’s nurses. Pennsylvania already has a similar law and many states have put restrictions on the amount of mandatory over time employers can require from nurses.
FDA Details Access to ‘Investigational’ Drugs	By Amanda Gardner, HealthDay
U.S. News and World Report
Article Date: 8/12/2009
Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Janet Woodcock explains, “The fact that patients can get the drugs hasn’t changed, but there is now a clearer pathway. We have always been afraid that only those in the know about this can get these drugs. Better dissemination is another piece of transparency that’s being provided.” FDA Commissioner, Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg adds, “We want to achieve a balance between the need to gather information to demonstrate whether drugs work and the fact that critically ill patients urgently want access and may be willing to take greater risks if they have no reasonable alternatives. The expanded access procedures will allow patients to get access without disrupting the gathering of information.”
Patients Are Reminded of Aspirin’s Risks	By Roni Caryn Rabin
The New York Times
Article Date: 8/12/2009
Medical experts remind people that though aspirin has many beneficial uses, caution must still be practiced when taking the drug due to the risks of gastrointestinal bleeding and elevated risks for bleeding of the brain or hemorrhagic strokes.
Ventilation After Breathing Tube Removal May Alter Outcomes	Robert Preidt
Health Day News
Article Date: 8/12/2009
Findings that “Early non-invasive ventilation after extubation diminished risk of respiratory failure and lowered 90-day mortality in patients with hypercapnia during a spontaneous breathing trial,” were noted by Dr. Miquel Ferrer and his colleagues at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona. Their report also suggested that, “Routine implementation of this strategy for management of mechanically ventilated patients with chronic respiratory disorders is advisable.”