The Catalyst Center always welcomes your feedback on our communications efforts, and to make it easy for you to tell us what you think, we have put together a quick user survey! This survey asks you about components of our website, the Week in Review, and the e-newsletter. We appreciate your participation in the survey, as your feedback will help us continue to improve our methods of communication. Your answers to the survey are anonymous, and completing it should only take about 10 minutes of your time. Access the survey on the Catalyst Center website. Thanks again for your participation!

Administration's Balancing Act: Health Insurance Benefits Vs. Costs

By: Julie Appleby
Kaiser Health News
January 11, 2011 

One of the signature components of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the requirement that insurers offer a comprehensive set of benefits through the Exchange plans starting in 2014.  A promising list of general categories for these 'essential benefits' was included in the legislation but details of specific services were not.  The independent Institute of Medicaid (IOM) has convened a panel this month to begin work on recommending the policy principles to be used in determining the essential benefits.  Visit the IOM website to view the meeting agenda, see the list of panel members and read presentations to the panel by representatives of interested stakeholder groups such as the ARC/United Cerebral Palsy, the American Academy of Pediatrics and Autism Speaks. 

...Click here to read the entire article on the KHN website
 

... To read an overview from the meeting by Joe Touschner please visit the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families Say Ahhh! blog.  
 
 

New report: 129 million Americans with a pre-existing condition could be denied coverage without new health reform law

HHS Press Office
January 18, 2011

A new HHS analysis was released showing that, without the Affordable Care Act, up to 129 million non-elderly Americans who have some type of pre-existing health condition would be at risk of losing health insurance when they need it most, or be denied coverage altogether.  The report also comments on current coverage levels for children under the age of 18 with pre-existing conditions. The report can be found at HealthCare.gov. 

...Click here to read entire HHS Press Release
  

Data and Multimedia
 

Video: It's Natural
National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM)
 In this new video, NCHAM presents an important message encouraging parents of newborns to find out the results of the newborn hearing screening.
 ...Click here to view the video on NCHAM's website
 

Catalyst Picks

26 states to be part of health care lawsuit
Associated Press
January 19, 2011
 Six new states have joined Florida in filing a lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act. The states claim that the new health care law surpasses constitutional boundaries. Joining the coalition in the Florida case are: Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Ohio, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The other states that are suing are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington.
 ...Click here to read entire article
 

House budget cuts $340M from current deficit (Washington)

By: Manuel Valdes
Associated Press
January 19, 2011

State House Democrats have unveiled $340M in possible budget cuts that can can be used to cover the $600M budget gap. This proposal would counter others to balance the budget by making cuts to some health care for children, education and assistance to the disabled.
 ...Click here to read entire article on Bloomberg
  

Recap: States Roll Out Autism Insurance Mandates in the New Year

In our last issue of the Week in Review we highlighted some recent news about 7 states that were rolling out new mandates that private insurance companies provide coverage for autism diagnosis and treatment. We have since learned that the legislation in New Jersey, the first of its kind, is more expansive and covers children with both autism and other developmental disabilities.  New Jersey's Family Voices affiliate, the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, played a key role in this expansion. The mandate for coverage also includes medically-necessary occupational, physical and communication therapy.
 ...Click here to read 2009 article on N.J.'s insurance coverage mandate
 

Events
 

 Webinar: The Affordable Care Act and Children with Special Health Care Needs: An Analysis and Steps for State Policymakers

Date: January 27, 2011
 The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides states with some important tools that can be utilized to help children with special health care needs (CSHCN) and their families access coverage that is universal and continuous, adequate and affordable. However, interpretation of the law and addressing implementation challenges with the unique needs of CSHCN in mind will shape how well the ACA fulfills its promise to this vulnerable population.  A new paper developed by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) for the Catalyst Center reviews and analyzes key provisions of the ACA relevant for CSHCN to help inform state policymakers' decisions in implementing health care reform.  The 48-page paper is available now to download for free on the Catalyst Center website. Click here to access the paper. 
 

As a companion activity to the release of the paper, NASHP and the Catalyst Center are hosting a joint webinar on Thursday, January 27th from 1:30 - 3:00 PM (ET).  Policy experts from the NASHP and Catalyst Center teams will present highlights from the analysis.  A panel of state and federal officials will share their perspectives on the report, and the entire panel will welcome questions from participants. 

 ...Click here to register for the webinar

 NASHP Seeks Applications for Consortium Membership from States with Emerging Medical Home Initiatives. 

Deadline: February 2, 2011
 NASHP is offering assistance to states seeking to strengthen, expand, and sustain their Medicaid and CHIP-focused medical home initiatives.  States interested in joining the Consortium should submit an application by Wednesday, February 2, 2011.  More details on the Consortium, the benefits it offers to participants, and the state selection process are available on the NASHP website.  The program will be structured around a March 30-April 1 kick-off meeting and three learning communities.  The Consortium is supported by The Commonwealth Fund.

 Genetic Diseases of Children: Advancing Research and Care Conference
Date: March 8 - 9, 2011

Hosted by: New York State Department of Health
 More than 85 speakers will be present at this national conference which brings together researchers, clinicians, affected families, federal and state government and industry leaders for the purpose of advancing research to improve health outcomes for children with genetic diseases. Conference themes include the following: researching early diagnosis, sharing family experiences, optimizing care and coordination of services etc. The registration deadline is February 21, 2011. Sponsor and exhibit opportunities are available.
 ...Click here for more information and to register
 

Research
 

Paper - Assessing and Ensuring a Comprehensive System of Services for Children With Special Health Care Needs: A Public Health Approach

Strickland B, van Dyck PC, Kogan MD, Lauver C, Blumberg SJ, Bethell CD, Newacheck PW
American Journal of Public Health
February 2011

Policy Brief - Increasing Primary Care Rates, Maximizing Medicaid Access and Quality 

McGinnis T, Berenson J, Highsmith N
Center for Health Care Strategies
January 2011

If you have suggestions for news items related to coverage and financing of care for CYSHCN please email Sheila Phicil, Catalyst Center Research Assistant, by 12 pm EST on Friday at sphicil@bu.edu.