CCPS is the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland. Their mission is to identify, represent, promote and safeguard the interests of third sector and not-for-profit social care and support providers in Scotland, so that they can maximise the impact they have on meeting social need.

California's early childhood care system has long been held together by women such as Tanya García, whose Hollywood duplex is home to two licensed day-care operations serving as many as 28 youngsters — among them the children of healthcare workers and public school teachers.

Exclusive: Couple's annual policy rises by more than £900

Many of these hard-working people do not qualify for unemployment benefits because they are considered independent contractors, a letter says.

Community care providers across the UK "are down to about 24 hours' worth of PPE" for their staff, Sky News has learned. 

The provincial government has announced it will support child care centres that have been closed since March with their fixed operating costs as the fight against COVID-19 continues.

Beatrice K. Gandara
Nov 1, 2011; 24:199-205
From Research to Practice

American Diabetes Association
Jan 1, 2018; 36:14-37
Position Statements

American Diabetes Association
Jan 1, 2019; 37:11-34
Position Statements

American Diabetes Association
Jan 1, 2020; 38:10-38
Standards of Care

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced March 24 that it is alerting health care professionals, patients and caregivers of EpiPen autoinjector errors related to device malfunctions and user administration.

Karen L. Herbst
Jan 1, 2002; 20:
Feature Articles

American Diabetes Association
Jan 1, 2019; 37:11-34
Position Statements

American Diabetes Association
Jan 1, 2016; 34:3-21
Position Statements

American Diabetes Association
Jan 1, 2018; 36:14-37
Position Statements

American Diabetes Association
Jan 1, 2017; 35:5-26
Position Statements

American Diabetes Association
Apr 1, 2015; 33:97-111
Position Statements

BACKGROUND:

Long delays between parents’ initial concerns about their children’s development and a subsequent autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis are common. Although discussions between parents and providers about early ASD concerns can be difficult, they are critical for initiating early, specialized services. The principles of shared decision-making can facilitate these discussions. This qualitative study was designed to gain insights from parents of young children with ASD about their experiences communicating with primary care providers with the goal of identifying strategies for improving conversations and decision-making regarding the early detection of ASD.

METHODS:

Three 2-hour focus groups were conducted with 23 parents of children with ASD <8 years old. Qualitative analysis employed an iterative and systematic approach to identify key themes related to parents’ experiences.

RESULTS:

Eight themes related to communication about early ASD concerns emerged: characteristics of the child that caused parental concerns, the response of others when the parent brought up concerns, how concerns were brought up to the parent by others, parental responses when others mentioned concerns, information seeking, barriers to and facilitators of acting on concerns, and recommendations to providers. Parent responses suggest the need for increased use of shared decision-making strategies and areas for process improvements.

CONCLUSIONS:

Primary care providers can play a key role in helping parents with ASD concerns make decisions about how to move forward and pursue appropriate referrals. Strategies include responding promptly to parental concerns, helping them weigh options, and monitoring the family’s progress as they navigate the service delivery system.

Previous studies have revealed misconceptions among pediatric patients, their families, and athletic coaches surrounding concussion. Little is known about pediatric primary care and emergency medicine providers’ attitudes and beliefs about diagnosis and management of this mild traumatic brain injury.

Although pediatric primary care and emergency medicine providers regularly care for concussion patients and value their role in management, they may not have adequate training or infrastructure to systematically diagnose and manage these patients. (Read the full article)

Health care professionals face problems managing obesity and often fail to follow guidelines for its management in practice. Only a few single-country reports are available describing delivery of primary care to children with obesity.

Nearly all primary pediatric care providers from 4 European countries recognize the importance of obesity in pediatric practice, but only half use BMI clinically, and many lack the confidence and the infrastructure needed for providing care to patients with obesity. (Read the full article)

Existing literature discusses the unique medical and psychological needs of sex trafficking victims and highlights the importance of screening patients with risk factors. However, little is known about providers’ knowledge and confidence in their ability to provide care to victims.

The study summarizes the knowledge gaps and barriers providers face when assisting pediatric sex trafficking victims. It also highlights the impact of training on providers’ confidence and ability to appropriately care for victims. (Read the full article)

Ana L. Creo
Dec 1, 2017; 140:e20171486-e20171486
STATE-OF-THE-ART REVIEW ARTICLES

NEW CASTLE (July 26, 2018) – As part of the State Innovation Model (SIM) initiative, the Delaware Health Care Commission is seeking applications from Delaware health care providers for one-time, value-based payment reform mini-grants to grow their capacity to integrate data, improve the coordination of patient care or increase their readiness to integrate into a […]

NEW CASTLE (Dec. 4, 2018) – As part of the State Innovation Model (SIM) initiative, the Delaware Health Care Commission has awarded eight additional value-based payment reform mini-grants to Delaware health care providers in order to facilitate data integration, improve the coordination of patient care or increase readiness to integrate into an Accountable Care Organization […]

NEW CASTLE (Sept. 26, 2019) – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently awarded the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services a $3.58 million planning grant to increase the treatment capacity of Medicaid providers to deliver substance use disorder treatment and recovery services to Delawareans in need. Delaware was one of 15 […]

DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE: Office of the Commissioner

SMYRNA (March 14, 2020) – The State of Delaware issued guidance today to assist non-public school child care facilities with their response to the global outbreak of respiratory coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Based on advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Delaware Division of Public Health does not recommend closing non-public school […]

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Wednesday announced a partnership with the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH), the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), the Delaware Emergency Management Agency, the Delaware Department of Agriculture, Westside Family Healthcare, local hospital systems, poultry industry employers, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and trusted community partners […]

Registered Providers to face longer, more complicated and more expensive claims? The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 ("LAPSO") LAPSO received Royal Assent on 1 May 2012 and will come into force on 1 April 2013. It will hav...

...

Despite advances in oral health care, inequalities in oral health outcomes persist due to problems in access. With proper training, primary care providers can mitigate this inequality by providing oral health education, screening, and referral to advanced dental treatment. Diverging sets of oral health competencies and guidelines have been released or endorsed by multiple primary care disciplines. The aim of this study was to transform multiple sets of competencies into Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for oral health integration into primary care training. A scoping review of the literature between January 2000 and December 2016 was conducted according to PRISMA methodology to identify all existing sets of competencies. The following primary care disciplines were included in the search: allopathic/osteopathic medical schools and residency programs in family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics; physician assistant programs; and nurse practitioner programs. Competencies were compared using the Health Resources and Services Administration Integration of Oral Health and Primary Care Practice competencies as the foundational set and translated into EPAs. The resulting EPAs were tested with a reactor panel. The scoping review produced 1,466 references, of which 114 were selected for full text review. Fourteen competencies were identified as being central to the integration of oral health into primary care. These were converted to seven EPAs for oral health integration into primary care and were mapped onto Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education residency competency domains as well to the Association of American Medical Colleges EPAs for graduating medical students. The resulting EPAs delineate the essential, observable work required of primary care providers to ensure that oral health is treated as a critical determinant of overall health.

People with type 1 diabetes may receive a significant portion of their care from primary care providers (PCPs). To understand the involvement of PCPs in delivering type 1 diabetes care, we performed surveys in California and Florida, two of the most populous and diverse states in the United States. PCPs fill insulin prescriptions but report low confidence in providing type 1 diabetes care and difficulty accessing specialty referrals to endocrinologists.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the government will cover fixed operating costs and waive all fees related to licensing applications, renewals and revisions.

TORONTO - The provincial government said it will help cover operating costs for child-care providers and waive their licensing fees in an effort to keep them from permanently shutting during the COVID-19 crisis. Education Minister Stephen Lecce said Saturday that the government will give out

The urgent intervention was sought after appeal courts twice ruled that special coronavirus laws meant only women who might not be able to receive an abortion before the state's 22-week limit could receive a waiver.

Medicaid and other parts of the healthcare safety net get left behind in the Trump administration's plans for distributing aid to battle the coronavirus.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) called on the Trump administration to address the lack of financial relief for Medicaid providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The two Committee leaders voiced concerns that, to date, roughly $70 billion has been distributed to health care providers under the CARES Act in a way that discriminates against Medicaid-dependent health care providers. “HHS’s continued neglect for the needs of Medicaid-dependent providers struggling to deal with the COVID-19 crisis is unacceptable,” the members wrote. “The country is in the middle of a pandemic. The Medicaid program is a first responder, and the providers it relies on must be treated with equity. At a bare minimum that should include expeditious access to the [provider fund] as intended by Congress.”  The Provider Relief Fund that Congress created as a part of the CARES Act, within the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund (PHSSEF), was intended to support health care providers including those who participate in Medicare and Medicaid. However, to date only Medicare-enrolled providers have been able to access funds, and these funds are being allocated according to a methodology that rewards providers with high levels of privately-insured individuals while providers supporting the safety net are left waiting. This imbalance discriminates against critical health care providers that primarily service the Medicaid population, such as frontline hospitals, nursing homes and home-based providers, behavioral health providers, maternal health care providers and pediatricians. In the letter, sent to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, Pallone and Wyden called on the Trump administration to describe how much funding will go to Medicaid-dependent providers and the steps it has taken to understand the needs of these providers during the pandemic. The full letter is available here. ###

Clinicians and policymakers alike are raising the alarm about potential legal liability for following crisis standards of care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The post How States are Protecting Health Care Providers from Legal Liability in the COVID-19 Pandemic appeared first on Bill of Health.

This week, I’m rerunning some popular posts while I prepare for this Friday’s video webinar: Industry Update and COVID-19 Impact: PBMs & Payers.

Life was very different when I originally published today’s article. 2020 is not turning out to be quite what any of us expected. However, the pandemic has exposed some intriguing pros and cons of vertical consolidation. Click here to see the original post and comments from December 2019.

---

The largest insurers, PBMs, and specialty pharmacies have now combined into vertically-integrated organizations. As I explain below, these companies have also been rapidly integrating with healthcare providers.

I also provide an updated look at these companies and highlight strategies that they are using—or could use—to control the channel. I believe that these insurer / PBM / specialty pharmacy / provider organizations are poised to restructure U.S. drug channels by exerting greater control over patient access, sites of care/dispensing, and pricing.

If they can effectively coordinate their sprawling business operations, they will pose a substantial threat of disruption to the existing commercial strategies of pharma companies.

Will they succeed by better managing care and costs, or merely by extracting higher profits from our convoluted system?
Read more »

The United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia have intervened in a False Claims Act suit in the Western District of Virginia against the Medicaid providers Universal Health Services Inc., Keystone Marion LLC and Keystone Education and Youth Services LLC.

The United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia have filed a False Claims Act complaint in the Western District of Virginia against Medicaid providers Universal Health Services Inc., Keystone Marion LLC and Keystone Education and Youth Services LLC.

The United States has intervened and filed a complaint in a whistleblower suit against AseraCare Hospice, the Justice Department announced today.

The Justice Department announced that it has reached two settlements today resolving claims that health care providers refused to serve people with HIV in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Justice Department announced today that Chattanooga, Tenn., based nursing home manager Grace Healthcare LLC and its affiliate Grace Ancillary Services LLC (collectively, Grace) have agreed to pay $2.7 million, plus interest, to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting or causing the submission to the Medicare and TennCare/Medicaid programs of false claims for medically unreasonable and unnecessary rehabilitation therapy.