Saturday, February 27, 2010

plus 3 more, “Existing Health Programs Could Help More Kids With Asthma - US News and World Report”

plus 3 more, “Existing Health Programs Could Help More Kids With Asthma - US News and World Report”

Existing Health Programs Could Help More Kids With Asthma - US News and World Report

Posted: 24 Feb 2010 07:06 AM PST

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WEDNESDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- The United States could lower the number of uninsured children with asthma by 75 percent by enrolling all those who are eligible for federally funded insurance programs and expanding eligibility, a new report suggests.

At the same time, the report notes health care for kids with asthma costs an average of 50 percent more than for other children.

"Childhood asthma presents one of the nation's starkest examples of what is wrong with the health-care system. Even as more than 1 million children with asthma lack coverage, the nation is squandering health-care dollars on costly treatment while missing key prevention opportunities," Sara Rosenbaum, chairwoman of the department of health policy at George Washington University and co-lead author of the report, said in a news release from the school.

"To date, the knowledge, programs and infrastructure America has amassed about childhood asthma is like an unassembled puzzle. We have the pieces; it's time that we put them together," Rosenbaum said.

The report stated that of the estimated 1.17 million children with asthma who aren't insured, there are 600,000 that are eligible, but haven't been enrolled in Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP. In addition, 180,000 children aren't eligible for coverage but would be if the entire country expanded eligibility to the levels already in place in seven states (that level being 300 percent of the federal poverty level).

"The good news is that significant improvements in childhood asthma could result from better use of existing programs," Dr. Floyd Malveaux, former dean of the College of Medicine at Howard University, explained in the news release. "For those children most at risk, stable and continuous health insurance could lead to greater access to care, controlled health spending and improved overall health."

The report is funded by Merck Childhood Asthma Network, a non-profit group founded by a philanthropic arm of the Merck pharmaceutical company, and RCHN Community Health Foundation.

More information

The Nemours Foundation has details on asthma in children.

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CORRECTING and REPLACING No More Secrets Growing in the Home: 1-800 ... - Investors Business Daily

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 05:27 PM PST

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No More Secrets Growing in the Home: 1-800-GOT-MOLD? Is On a Mission ... - Forbes

Posted: 26 Feb 2010 02:56 PM PST

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BusinessWire - Put a hold on mold; 1-800-GOT-MOLD? is actively combating mold-induced health problems, such as asthma and sinusitis, affecting millions of families nationwide. 1-800-GOT-MOLD? is passionate about the welfare of children and adults who suffer from the adverse effects mold can have on one's health.

With the use of state-of-the-art technology, specially trained mold-detecting dogs (Mold Dogs(TM)), and extensive knowledge and training, 1-800-GOT-MOLD? sets the standard for hidden mold detection, as well as prevention and education.

Mold is much more than an unsightly attribute in the home; black mold in particular can be extremely dangerous and poses a broad range of health risks. Many families endure serious health complications such as asthma, sinusitis, allergies and other respiratory ailments as a result of living with black mold. Children exposed to mold growth have a greater risk of allergic reactions as well as other debilitating medical ailments.

Medical studies have found that 96 percent of the 37 million chronic sinus infections (sinusitis) are directly caused by mold, 21 percent of all asthma is mold-related, and a moldy environment may even lead to depression.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside the average American home can be over 100 times more polluted than the air outside. Mold can grow hidden beneath carpets, inside walls, in the ceiling, and in attics and crawl spaces. Unseen and unnoticed, indoor mold growth can ruin a family's health and peace of mind.

Founder of 1-800-GOT-MOLD?, Jason Earle, considers educating the public on mold to be a labor of love. As a result of living in a damp, moldy home as a child, Earle was plagued with sinusitis, asthma, compounded by pneumonia and extensive allergies.

"I now know it was mold and the other unhealthy byproducts of dampness indoors which were at the root of my severe allergies and asthmatic condition as a kid," says Earle. "Without the constant exposure to mold, I have become incredibly healthy."

Earle's mission is clear and focused when it comes to the protection of America's youth.

"There is absolutely no reason why people should have to needlessly suffer when there are so many solutions available for mold detection and remediation," said Earle. "If only the resources available now were in existence when I was a child, my family would never have suffered the constant panic and worry associated with such a common household issue.

"Peace of mind is priceless, but it's what we sell."

While "black mold" is often linked to asthma, allergies, sinusitis and other respiratory conditions in the media, any mold - regardless of its color - can serve as a trigger for these ailments.

For media inquiries and/or to arrange an interview, please contact Tyler Barnett at 323.937.1951 or tyler@tylerbarnettpr.com.

1-800-GOT-MOLD? is an indoor air quality company specializing in mold inspections, mold testing and mold remediation consulting. Based in New Jersey, the company is expanding nationwide via franchising.

SOURCE: 1-800-GOT-MOLD

1-800-GOT-MOLD? Tyler Barnett Media Representative Ph. 323-937-1951 Cel. 818-929-8166 Tyler@TylerBarnettPR.com

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Startling new childhood asthma data - PhysOrg

Posted: 23 Feb 2010 06:39 AM PST

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A new report from GW, Changing pO2licy: The Elements for Improving Childhood Asthma Outcomes, found that asthma adds about 50 cents to every health care dollar spent on children with asthma compared to children without asthma. Those most at risk - low income, medically underserved, and African-American and Hispanic children - have the least access to preventive care and the most visits to the ER.

"Childhood asthma presents one of the nation's starkest examples of what is wrong with the health care system. Even as more than 1 million children with asthma lack coverage, the nation is squandering health care dollars on costly treatment while missing key prevention opportunities," said Sara Rosenbaum, JD, Chair of GW's, Department of Health Policy and co-lead author of the new report. "To date, the knowledge, programs and infrastructure America has amassed about childhood asthma is like an unassembled puzzle. We have the pieces; it's time that we put them together."

The report, supported by the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc., (MCAN) and the RCHN Community Health Foundation (RCHN CHF), is the result of a year-long investigation into America's childhood asthma problem to discover why the country has not benefitted more from what is known about asthma, the single most common chronic disease among children.

GW researchers found that of the 1.17 million children with asthma estimated to be uninsured, 600,000 are estimated to be eligible but not enrolled in Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Another 180,000 children with asthma would be eligible for coverage if all states were to increase coverage to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, as seven states already do. With these two simple steps, America could reduce the number of uninsured children with asthma by 75 percent.

"The good news is that significant improvements in childhood asthma could result from better use of existing programs," said Dr. Floyd Malveaux, Executive Director of MCAN and former Dean of the College of Medicine at Howard University. "For those children most at risk, stable and continuous health insurance could lead to greater access to care, controlled health spending and improved overall health."

GW identified community health centers as another resource that can be deployed to improve asthma management for children - one in every three of whom is poor.

"Located in medically-underserved and low income communities, health centers report that 20 percent of the children they serve have asthma," said Feygele Jacobs, MPH, MS, Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of the RCHN CHF. "Community health centers could be the front door to better disease management for children with asthma."

GW identified five essential elements that are key to improving asthma outcomes and provided practical and evidence-based recommendations about how to bring these elements to life to improve childhood asthma outcomes:

  • Stable and continuous health insurance

    • Make continuous Medicaid and CHIP enrollment a part of every eligible child's asthma treatment plan developed by the child's health care provider team.
    • Encourage all states to expand Medicaid and CHIP to at least 300 percent of the federal poverty level and to adopt new options to fully cover legally resident children.
    • Encourage all states to adopt Medicaid and CHIP enrollment and retention reforms, especially reforms aimed at making enrollment and retention activities possible through community health care providers, schools, and other locations where children and families can easily apply for and renew coverage.
    • Make enhanced asthma treatment and management a specific focus of quality performance improvement in Medicaid and CHIP.
  • Provide high quality clinical care and case management for children whose asthma is hard to manage or control, and reach all children regardless of whether they have health insurance coverage
    • Create an HHS-led, cross-agency, Administration-wide national plan for changing childhood asthma outcomes, involving: CMS, HRSA, CDC, IHS, ONCHIT, ED, HUD and EPA.
    • Make performance improvement in childhood asthma a key program aim for community health centers and the Indian Health Service, which together are health care homes for over 7.5 million of the nation's most at risk children.
  • Continuous information exchange and monitoring, using heath information technology (HIT) as much as possible
    • Enhance asthma monitoring through model registries and target use of comprehensive integrated HIT systems to promote clinical reporting as well as coordination and communication among care providers, public health agencies and schools.
  • Asthma trigger reduction in homes and communities
    • Encourage public health agencies, housing authorities and environmental agencies to promote evidence-based interventions and services that are essential to reducing the many environmental asthma triggers that lie beyond the control of any one family and fall outside of traditional "health care" interventions.
  • Learning what works and increasing knowledge
    • Promote a strengthened and diversified Administration-wide research agenda to include basic, clinical and translational/ implementation investigations.
"For the first time, we have a national plan that turns decades of research and lessons learned from on-the-ground programs into recommendations that will improve outcomes," said Rosenbaum. "It's time to aim higher for the millions of children with asthma and their families."

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