Colorado “Blitz” to Cover Children
Children’s health advocates in Colorado are planning a “kids blitz” to enroll eligible children in Medicaid. The Centennial State is home to 175,000 children who lack health insurance, 115,000 of whom are eligible for Medicaid but are not enrolled. The blitz campaign will train 2,000 volunteers to find uncovered children and help them enroll. It is not known how much the expansion would cost the state, but it is more than likely that the state can afford it, Senator Bob Hagedorn told the Associated Press. Colorado could soon have an additional $13 million to cover some of these children because fewer individuals than expected have enrolled in Medicaid recently. Senator Hagedorn added that the 115,000 children are eligible by law to receive coverage.
Kentucky May Test Inmates
The Kentucky Legislature is currently debating a bill (SB 201) that would require HIV/AIDS testing of state inmates scheduled for release. The bill also would require that spouses be notified of the results. HIV infection rates among prisoners are five times higher than in the general population, and supporters of the bill believe that testing will help protect women and families. “HIV and AIDS is really affecting primarily black women and obviously their children,” bill sponsor Senator Dan Suem told the Courier Journal. “It's coming about because of the prisoners coming out of our prison system.” Others want to test inmates upon incarceration so that treatment could be provided earlier. Senator Seum commented that this would triple the state’s HIV treatment costs. The bill as introduced would increase annual testing costs by about $275,000. Under current law, inmates are tested when risky behavior, such as sex in prison, intravenous drug use or tattooing, is suspected.
Producing More RNs
A Michigan legislative task force is debating a controversial proposal to lessen the shortage of registered nurses in the state. The proposal would change state law to allow Michigan community colleges to offer four-year bachelor’s degrees in nursing. Currently, community colleges may offer only two-year associate’s degrees in nursing, while universities may provide four-year bachelor’s degrees. According to the Michigan Community College Association, the move would enable more students to obtain bachelor’s degrees because community colleges are generally cheaper than universities. The association also says the move would lessen a severe shortage in nursing faculty because some of those with bachelor’s degrees would go on to earn the master’s degrees that are required to teach. But the Michigan Association of Colleges of Nursing said many four-year programs already have bachelor’s programs tailored to nurses with associate’s degrees, and there’s room in those programs for newcomers. “It’s very controversial,” task force member Jeanette Klemczak told Mlive.com. “It needs work yet.” The task force did not formally propose the idea, but passed it on to the Legislature for consideration. Michigan has an estimated 119,000 RNs; by 2012, the state will need 31,300 new nurses, Mlive.com says.
Problems in Readapting
At least 13 percent of members of the Maine Army National Guard who have returned from the war in Iraq qualify for a diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a survey conducted in 2006 by Community Counseling of Maine (CCM). To be diagnosed with PTSD, an individual must have three symptoms, according to the researchers: hyperarousal (including feeling keyed-up and irritable); re-living experiences (through flashbacks and nightmares); and feeling emotionally numb. The 2006 survey noted that almost 90 percent of the Maine Army National Guard has been deployed to Iraq. Very few of the veterans had sought counseling or other types of help in readjusting. According to the Portland Press Herald, the Maine National Guard includes 2,100 men and women, 1,700 of whom have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. The survey was given to all of them, and 532 responded. Of those, 292 were Iraq veterans.
© Copyright 2007, State Health Notes
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