State Health Notes

State Health Notes
November 2003 Issues

Volume 24, Number 408: November 17, 2003

Cover Story - Something’s Got to Give: Insurance Costs Soar While Coverage Shrinks
The number of Americans who have no health insurance is on the rise, as is the cost of coverage for those lucky enough to have it. While state and local governments can’t realistically solve the problem by themselves, there are targeted interventions that show promise.

Behavioral Health News - Report: Mentally Ill Prisoners Receiving Inadequate Treatment
An October report from Human Rights Watch documents some of the shortcomings in treatment for prisoners with a mental illness.

Highlights
Medicaid PDLs and diabetes... Insurance and access in DC… SD high-risk pool… Kids & hospitals… CA medication error standards… Medical errors in MA… Malpractice debate in WY … Rx importation issues in IL, NYC, WI… IN “Ready Card”… Personal assistance website.

Tracking Trends - Tobacco Settlement Loopholes
Profits for tobacco firms not taking part in the 1996 settlement are up, which means less money for states.

FYI - Parent Power: Talking to Teens to Prevent Pregnancy
A new guidebook called “Parent Power” seeks to enlist parents in the campaign against teen pregnancy.

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Volume 24, Number 407: November 3, 2003

Cover Story - This Old House: Improving Children’s Health, Starting at Home
For many Americans, home can present a hornet’s nest of hazards, from lead paint and noxious molds to carbon monoxide and radon. The federal government is offering help in the form of grants, and states are involved in clean-up efforts as well.

Highlights
IL Rx drug reimportation petition… MT Rx drug meeting… Hispanics and health insurance… Disparities grants… Study on severe obesity… NM council on physical fitness.

Public Health News - Childhood Cancer: Looking for the Environmental Link
Though it’s relatively rare, cancer affects some 12,500 children and adolescents in the U.S. Scientists know little about causes but some suspect that environmental factors are contributors to the disease.

Health Talk - Smith: The Challenge of Childhood Cancer
Malcolm Smith, M.D., who heads the National Cancer Institute’s Children’s Oncology Group, talks about trends in childhood cancer.

Vital Signs
Cancer and children: incidence & mortality rates, distribution by type.

FYI - Time Out: Students Step Into the Caregiving Role
“Time Out”—run by Temple University’s Center for Intergenerational Learning—matches students with families in need of a break from caregiving.

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