Results of a recent survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that many nonelderly adults with permanent physical or mental disabilities face difficulties paying for the necessary health care. Nearly one half (46 percent) of the 1,505 survey resp
More than 40 professional medical associations and organizations, including the AAFP, recently endorsed the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' (JCAHO's) Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure, and Wro
The National Conference of Special Constituencies (NCSC), April 29 to May 1, and the Annual Leadership Forum (ALF), April 30 to May 1, will be held in Kansas City, Mo. The ALF focuses on leadership training and provides participants with the knowledge
The editors of AFP welcome submission of photographs and material for the Photo Quiz department. Contributing editor is Dan Stulberg, M.D. Send photograph and discussion to Genevieve Ressel, AFP Editorial, 11400 Tomahawk Creek Pkwy., Leawood, KS 66211
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released a policy statement on the revised indications for the use of palivizumab and respiratory syncytial virus immune globulin intravenous (RSV-IGIV) for the prevention of RSV infections. The full statem
The Committee on Practice Bulletins-Gynecology of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has released a practice bulletin on sterilization. "ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 46: Benefits and Risks of Sterilization" appears in the Sep
* Even so-called "good" air quality affects some children with asthma. A study published in JAMA showed that ozone levels below the current standard of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (120 parts per billion [ppb], one-hour average; 80 ppb, ei
Clinical Quiz questions are based on selected articles in this issue. Answers appear in this issue. American Family Physician has been approved by the American Academy of Family Physicians as having educational content acceptable for Prescribe
Synopsis: Eplerenone, a potassium-sparing diuretic similar to spironolactone, selectively blocks aldosterone to lower blood pressure. However, its safety profile is improved over spironolactone because of reduced progesterone and androgen-receptor eff
Increased use of brain imaging has resulted in more frequent recognition of unruptured intracranial aneurysms. The optimal management of these lesions is highly controversial because of uncertainty about the probability of rupture and the risks of sur
Author: Matthew Neff
Date: March 1, 2003
According to statistics from the HHS' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, approximately 5.3 million children were enrolled in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) at some point during the fiscal year 2002, which was a 15 percent increase from the 4.6 million children who were enrolled at some point during the fiscal year 2001. The SCHIP program was created in 1997 to improve children's access to health insurance, many of whom came from working families with income too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private health insurance. The SCHIP law appropriated $40 billion in federal funds over 10 years. Since January 2001, HHS has approved more than 2,500 SCHIP and Medicaid waivers and plan amendments that have expanded eligibility to about 2.4 million people and enhanced benefits for about 6.5 million people. The original SCHIP law required states to return any unused funds from the previous three years. However, President Bush's fiscal year 2004 budget makes an estimated $830 million in unused SCHIP funds available to states to give them more time to take advantage of these funds. For a listing of SCHIP enrollment by state, go online to www.cms.gov/schip.
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