Alaska Health Policy Review

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March 5, 2012 • 3:24 pm 0

Alaska Rural Health Conference

We wanted to remind you that the Alaska Rural Health Conference is taking place on 4/24/2012 8:00 AM – 4/26/2012 1:00 PM at

Location:
Marriott Anchorage Downtown
907-279-8000
820 W 7th Ave
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
United States.

We expect the available registrations to fill up quickly. So, we would like to offer you the opportunity to reserve your spot at a reduced early bird rate! To RSVP, click here.
Download the agenda (PDF 164KB)

Visit the website at www.akrhc.org or contact Faith Allard at 907-929-8116.

Filed under: Alaska

February 8, 2012 • 4:03 pm 0

Meet with Director of Division of Insurance

The next meeting will be Thursday, February 23 from 7-9am at the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority located at 3745 Community Park Loop Ste 200. We will be joined by Josh Applebee, Deputy Director for Health Care Policy, Department of Health and Social Services & Linda Hall, Director, Division of Insurance. Mr. Applebee will discuss the State’s strategy to develop an Alaska health insurance exchange and Mrs. Hall will speak to how insurance rates for health care are set by the State of Alaska.

If you would like to participate via teleconference the call in number will be 907-276-4900.

Source: Redacted from www.commonwealthnorth.org 2/8/2012

Filed under: Alaska, Insurance related

December 6, 2011 • 4:26 pm 0

Alaska Primary Care Association Resolutions Available Online

The Alaska Primary Care Association was founded in 1995 to achieve access to care – medical, dental, and behavioral health care – for every Alaskan.  Today they stand at over 81,000 members.  Each year in preperation for the State of Alaska Legislative Session the APCA’s Legislative Resolutions are drafted by the Advocacy & Legislative Affairs Committee, with input from APCA members, CHC staff and CHC Boards.   They are available online at the APCA website.

Source: AlaskaPCA.com  12/5/11

Filed under: Alaska

December 6, 2011 • 3:53 pm 0

The Innovation Center at One Year

One year ago, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation was launched to find new ways to reduce costs and improve the quality of health care. In a new blog post, Mark Zezza, Melinda Abrams, and Stuart Guterman of The Commonwealth Fund review the Innovation Center’s performance to date and point to areas for future development. “The Innovation Center is off to a good start, but it needs to build on its momentum as it attempts to move the country toward a new health care delivery system,” the authors write.

You can also view the archive of a Nov. 30 webinar on the Innovation Center, cosponsored by The Commonwealth Fund and AcademyHealth, which looked at the Innovation Center’s priorities, explored how it can best conduct rigorous, rapid-cycle evaluation, and examined the role of health care providers in identifying and rolling out innovations.

Read More at the Commonwealth Fund

Source: Exerpted From The Commonwealth Fund 12/5/11

Filed under: Alaska, General

October 3, 2011 • 4:31 pm 0

Denali KidCare Hearing Scheduled

Senate Bill 5 is a bill that seeks to expand Medicaid coverage for children from the current income eligibility of 175% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 200% of FPL. Expansion of Denali KidCare is also the number one legislative priority of APCA members. In 2010 125,800 non-elderly Alaskans were uninsured and 24,100 of those (19%) were children. Help to insure these children and lend your voice in support of SB 5! The bill’s sponsor is Senator Bettye Davis, and her office is currently looking for more supporters. There is a chance to show your support for this important bill and help kids get the coverage they need at an upcoming hearing and rally for SB 5 on October 13th. The public hearing for SB 5 – Denali KidCare - begins at 9AM (invited testimony) at the Anchorage Legislative Information Office (LIO). There will be a public rally at noon just outside the Anchorage LIO at 716 W. 4th Avenue. The rally will be followed by public testimony at 1PM in the LIO. If you cannot attend the hearing in person, you can call the teleconference at 1-855-463-5009. According to Senator Davis’ office, “Denali KidCare is part of the Alaska State Medicaid program providing enhanced federal funding for health insurance for children, teens through age 18, and pregnant women who meet income guidelines. SB 5 increases income eligibility in Denali KidCare from 175% to 200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines… Alaska is only one of four states below 200% FPL. Serving over 7,900 children annually, SB 5 will insure that an additional 1300 children and 200 pregnant women…can have the comprehensive health insurance they need for both prevention and treatment.”  If you would like additional information from the bill sponsor, you can call 269-4049.

For more information about APCA’s efforts to support SB 5, contact Mary Sullivan, APCA State Affairs Coordinator at mary@alaskapca.org or 907-727-8773.

Source: Excerpted From an email newsletter received from  Alaska Primary Care Association 10/3/11

Filed under: Alaska, Insurance related, Legislature related

September 26, 2011 • 2:37 pm 0

Upcoming Commonwealth North Health Care Action Coalition Meeting

From Joshua Wilson, Program Director:

Our next meeting will be Thursday, September 29 from 7-9am in the newly constructed Health Sciences Building located at 3795 Piper St. in the WWAMI conference room located on the third floor. We will be joined by Bruce Lamoureux, Providence Hospital, Jim Jordan, Alaska State Medical Association, and Mark Foster, Mark A Foster and Associates who will be discussing Medicaid and how Alaska can preemptively find solutions to this growing problem. The number of Alaskans on Medicaid is projected to increase while already costing the state over a billion dollars. Each of our speakers will address Medicaid from their own perspective and give what they see as having the greatest potential to tackling this issue in Alaska.

If you would like to call into this meeting the call in number will be 907-276-4900.

Filed under: Alaska

September 23, 2011 • 10:59 am 0

Save the Date!

The 29th Annual Alaska Health Summit will take place from January 23rd through January 25th, 2012, at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, AK.

For updates and full information, please visit:

http://www.alaskapublichealth.org

 

Filed under: Alaska, Of interest

September 19, 2011 • 3:48 pm 0

September 2011 Statewide Recovery Calendar

Anchorage:

9/24/11 – Recovery Walk and Poetry Jam.  AWRP Recovery Community Center on Saturday, September 24th. Contact Alaska Women’s Recovery Project (AWRP), 729-5190.

9/24/11 – Alaska Recovery Community Day of Service. Encouraging all Alaskans in recovery to support the national observance of Recovery Month on September 24th by finding a place in your community to volunteer and be of service for the day, e.g. a treatment facility, public park, soup kitchen, homeless shelter, kids program, elder housing, etc. Organizers will collect photos, stories and/or video from individual projects and create a record of how the recovery community can give back to the community at large. Contact Anna Sappah, 242-6638.

Juneau:

9/21/11 – “Life Support” a film based on a true story starring Queen Latifah in a true-life drama about a mother who overcomes a crack addiction to become a positive role model in her community. Free and open to the public. Recovery Film Festival at Gold Town Nickelodeon every Wednesday in September, starting at 6:30pm. Contact Cori Stennett, 738-4762.

9/28/11 – “Lost in Woonsocket” is a documentary film about two men who experience alcoholism and homelessness and who wander across the U.S and who eventually embrace sobriety and normal functioning lives.  Free and open to the public. Recovery Film Festival at Gold Town Nickelodeon every Wednesday in September, starting at 6:30pm. Contact Cori Stennett, 738-4762.

9/30/11 -  SoberFest at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center (JACC). A party with live music, dancing, door prizes, hula hooping, information tables, addiction/mental health professionals’ awards and cheap food, with dance music provided by “Kari Groven and the Wristrockets.” SoberFest is a chance to socialize and have fun in an alcohol-free environment. Free and open to the public. Contact Teri Tibbett, 465-4765.

Sitka:

9/24/11 – Canoe Journey and Recovery Potlatch. Meet at 5 p.m. at Mt. Edgecumbe High School boat ramp for paddle around Sitka Sound, with a potlatch featuring king salmon and other provided foods, dancing & drumming, starting at 6 p.m. at Sheet’ká Kwáan Naa Kahídi. Contact Harry Bradley, 966-8655.

Prince of Wales Island:

All Month – School Presentations on alcohol and substance abuse at various Prince of Wales Island schools

Filed under: Alaska

September 19, 2011 • 11:53 am 0

Upcoming North Health Care Action Coalition Meeting

Commonwealth North Health Care Action Coalition,

Our next meeting will be Thursday, September 29 from 7-9am in the newly constructed Health Sciences Building located at 3795 Piper St. in the WWAMI conference room located on the third floor. We will be joined by Bruce Lamoureux, Providence Hospital, Jim Jordan, Alaska State Medical Association, and Mark Foster, Mark A Foster and Associates. We will be discussing Medicaid and how we may be able to preemptively find solutions to this growing problem. The number of Alaskans on Medicaid is projected to increase while already costing the state over a billion dollars. Each of our speakers will address Medicare from their own perspective and what they see the greatest potential to tackling this issue in Alaska.

If you would like to call into this meeting the call in number will be 907-276-4900.

<For additional information, check under the cut.>

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Alaska, General

July 11, 2011 • 12:30 pm 0

CDC issues report about aircraft fatalities in Alaska

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released a report regarding “Occupational Aviation Fatalities” in Alaska.

Aircraft crashes are currently the second leading cause of occupational deaths in Alaska, and this study helps lend some insight as to why.

For a full story check out the Alaska Dispatch article, which contains a link to the full report as well.

Filed under: Alaska

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