Legislation Introduced to Help with Neurologist Shortage

Nearly 75% of people living with MS depend on a neurologist for regular assessment and care of MS. Without additional incentives, however, it is expected that the number of neurologists who enter the MS field will decrease considerably. In the middle of June, Congressman Michael Grimm (NY-13) along with 9 other original co-sponsors introduced the Improving Physician Access in Teaching Hospitals (PATH) Act (H.R. 2224) to address this issue and prevent a physician shortage in the United States.

Although not identical, H.R. 2224 complements S.597, which was introduced in March by Senators Amy Klobuchar (MN) and Susan Collins (ME) to allow neurologists to qualify for a payment incentive in Medicare. Varying in approach, the House version would include two components that would address the physician shortage generally by phasing in additional residency slots to participating teaching hospitals, as well as give tax incentives to practicing physicians who provide opportunities for resident rotations in their practices. The third piece of the bill specifically focuses on underserved specialties, like neurology, and allows these specialties to qualify for a Medicare incentive payment.

The National MS Society has long advocated for better access to the appropriate medical professionals for people living with MS. Neurologists provide coordinated, specialized care for people living with neurological conditions, including people living with MS. The number of American physicians entering the field of neurology, however, has decreased. Even the U.S. military has indicated that the shortage is becoming ‘critical’ as the needs of service men and women increase due to the conflicts in the Middle East. Ignoring the issue much longer will have long-lasting ramifications for people living with MS as their access to important specialized care becomes limited due to the scarcity of specialists available. Click here to email your Representative today and urge him/her to ensure the proper care of people with MS by cosponsoring H.R. 2224!

Affordable Care Act Implementation Moves Forward

As of June 24, 2011, 32 states and the District of Columbia have introduced legislation to create health insurance exchanges, or web-based marketplaces through which individuals will purchase health insurance. The Affordable Care Act, which was enacted in 2010, requires states to establish exchanges by 2014 unless state lawmakers opt for the federal government to operate one for them. Ten states’ legislatures have passed exchange legislation, while the District of Columbia and 9 states have bills still pending. Thirteen states failed to pass exchange establishment legislation prior to the close of their 2011 legislative sessions, and certain others have filed multiple exchange bills with differing provisions. Click here to learn more.

Among the many consumer protections included in the Affordable Care Act of particular interest to the MS community is the right to appeal an ‘adverse’ decision made by a health plan. The intent is for everyone to have access to the same rights to appeal. Specifically, beneficiaries are entitled to one initial or ‘internal’ appeal (in which the insurer must re-consider its previous decision to deny or limit coverage), as well as one ‘external review’ through which consumers can appeal for another round of review. These assessments should be conducted by knowledgeable individuals with no ties to the patient’s insurer. Regulations proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services that clarify the requirements and procedures that health plans must follow have generated many formal comments to HHS, as well as calls and meetings with key department personnel. For additional details about recently revised proposed rules, click here.

Congress Focused on Deficit Reduction, with Potential Impact on Health Programs

For the past several weeks, members of Congress and the Administration have been engaged in numerous conversations regarding long-term deficit reduction. A bipartisan group of Senators had been meeting Vice President Biden to try and negotiate an overall package but those talks recently broke off. There are significantly different perspectives on how best to rein in federal spending therefore the process can be very slow and cumbersome. While much of the debt and deficit deliberation has been ‘behind closed doors’, it is widely believed that major health programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare, could be dramatically affected. Both programs are vital to the health and well-being of persons living with disabilities and those living with MS.

Medicaid provides health coverage to 8 million individuals living with disabilities and to approximately 9 million low-income Medicare beneficiaries who depend on Medicaid to fill coverage gaps. Medicaid provides a variety of benefits and services to individuals living with MS, ranging from access to medical equipment like wheelchairs to providing prescription drugs. In addition, it serves as the primary public source of funding for long-term services and supports for people with disabilities of all ages, and provides access to home-and-community-based services that allow individuals with MS to live and work in their communities and avoid costlier and premature admission to institutional facilities. In addition to all seniors, Medicare provides health coverage to 8 million people living with disabilities. Currently, approximately one-quarter of people living with MS rely on Medicare as their primary payor for essential medical care. Medicare helps beneficiaries access doctors, diagnostic equipment, durable medical devices, skilled nursing, and prescription drug treatments.

It is unclear at this point exactly how these programs would be changed, but their importance to all persons living with disabilities is certain. The National MS Society has been very engaged, urging that the programs remain robust. Stay tuned for opportunities to weigh in as more specific information becomes available about potential changes or reductions to these programs.

FINAL REQUEST: Invitation to Participate in Housing Needs Survey

OUR HOUSING SURVEY WILL CLOSE ON JULY 15TH! IF YOU HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THE SURVEY EITHER ON LINE OR HARD COPY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE. PLEASE DO NOT COMPLETE IT A SECOND TIME. If you’d still like to participate, there is still some time left. You may access the survey questions online at the link below or you may request a hard copy by responding to this email.

Dear Friend of the National MS Society, Greater New England Chapter:

We are very excited to announce that we are beginning a movement to answer your needs for accessible independent housing. As you are aware, we take pride in listening to your concerns and then work diligently for you, our friends who have MS. The awareness of these needs has led the Chapter to partner with other interested organizations and to explore the development of housing alternatives.

To learn more about the needs of people who live with MS everyday, we have developed a survey and we ask for your participation. This will add to our understanding of issues that have been reported in previous surveys that you and others have completed. Your answers will provide us with information about the many needs and desires regarding appropriate housing arrangements for people who are disabled from the effects of MS. Your input is valuable and we look forward to tabulating the results and sharing it with funding resources, government agencies and partnering organizations in moving toward our goal of providing housing opportunities.

Please know that this survey is confidential and at this time we cannot guarantee housing. This is our first step in assessing the housing needs of people who live with MS of all income levels. This information is absolutely crucial in our efforts to influence state and federal funding sources to help create housing.

Certainly, as the Chapter moves forward with any housing plans, we will contact those that have completed this survey. You may access the survey via the following link:

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/MAMHousingSurvey

The deadline for participation is JULY 15, 2011. If you prefer, we can send you a hard copy of the survey to complete and return via US Mail. Please call me to receive the printed version or if you have any questions. Thank you for taking the time to help us to collect the information we need about the housing needs of people with MS.

Sincerely,

Linda R. Guiod, RN, MSSMC
National MS Society, Greater New England Chapter
101 A First Ave.
Waltham, MA 02451
781.693.5124