June 22, 2001 - HHS Announces New SCHIP Rules

Health and Human Services Secretary, Tommy Thompson, announced today that revised regulations for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) will be published in the Federal Register June 25 as an interim final rule, with a 30-day public comment period. The regs will take effect August 24. The regs amend some of the requirements that would have been imposed on states in a version published January 11. Among the changes, states will now have the option of requiring Social Security numbers for SCHIP applicants as they now must do for Medicaid applicants, a change HHS believes will make it easier to use common forms and enrollment procedures for the two programs. Overall, the regs codify policies and practices the federal government has already developed in partnership with the states, including how to determine if a child is eligible for SCHIP; how children must be screened and enrolled in Medicaid, if eligible; how limits are set on out-of-pocket costs for SCHIP families; and how a benefits package can be designed to meet the Secretary's requirements for coverage. The announcement appeared in the Federal Register June 25, 2001.

June 15, 2001 - SAMHSA Grants to Improve Child, Adolescent Trauma Care

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration today announced the availability of $9.5 million in fiscal year 2001 funds for cooperative agreements in three categories to improve child and adolescent trauma treatment and services. Approximately $2.5 million will go to a National Center for Child Traumatic Stress, which will provide leadership and focus. Up to five awards ranging between $500,000 and $600,000 each will be made for the Treatment/Services Development Program, to improve specific areas of child and adolescent trauma treatment and services. Up to 12 awards of $250,000 to $400,000 each will be made in the Community Practices Program; these projects will asume primary responsibility for implementing treatment and delivery of services in community and specialty services settings. Deadline for receipt of applications is July 30. 2001. The announcement appeared in the Federal Register June 15, 2001.

June 12, 2001 - NY School Health Centers to Remain Open

Fifteen school-based health centers in New York City that were scheduled for closing as a budget measure will remain open until next year with a $530,000 infusion of capital from the city's Department of Health. The financially strapped Health and Hospitals Corporation, a legislatively created body that oversees New York City's publicly owned hospitals and clinics, planned to close 27 school centers and community clinics because they were "bleeding cash." Advocates for the poor, public officials, and neighborhood groups protested the closings, arguing that the centers are the only place poor and often sickly children can receive care. In a letter announcing the availability of the bailout funds, the Health Department said, "Uninterrupted services will ensure that families continue to have access and linkages to preventive and primary health care." But the president of the hospitals corporation pointed out that even with the city's new money, the corporation expects to lose $2.7 million on the school-based centers, and he called on city, state, and federal officials to "adequately cover the cost of health care."

June 12, 2001 - CDC Reports Teen Pregnancy at Record Low in 1997

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today released a report indicating that America's teenagers were less likely to become pregnant in 1997 than at any time since 1976, when national data on pregnancy rates first became available. The teen pregnancy rate fell 19 percent from its all-time high in 1991 to reach a record low of 94.3 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15-19 years in 1997. "Among the factors believed to be driving this downturn in teen pregnancies," the CDC said, "are increases in condom use, the adoption of the effective injectable and implant contraceptives, and the leveling off of teen sexual activity."

In a press release immediately following the CDC's release of its report, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson called the report "greatly encouraging" and said, "We must continue to build on this success, for there is more we can do to further reduce the rate of teen pregnancies."

Without explanation, that press release was followed by a second, "updated" statement from Thompson, which added the following paragraphs:

"The administration is dedicated to doing its part to further reduce teen pregnancies as well as to strengthen America's families. President Bush is committed to creating parity between funding for abstinence education and programs that teach about contraception use. In addition, we are providing support for young parents to break the cycle of teen parenthood and strengthen families, including $64 million to strengthen the role of fathers in the lives of families and $33 million for teen maternity group homes."

"We encourage parents to talk to their teenagers about issues surrounding adolescent pregnancy prevention, as they can have the greatest influence on their children. Working together, we are succeeding in preventing teens from becoming parents and strengthening society as a whole."

The CDC report, "Trends in Teen Pregnancy Rates for the United States, 1976-1997: An Update," is available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/releases/01news/trendpreg.htm.

June 11, 2001 - HCFA Postpones SCHIP Regulations Two More Weeks

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson announced today that final regulations for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which were scheduled to go into effect June 11, are being postponed to June 25. Thompson explained that the Health Care Financing Administration needs additional time "to properly consider and promulgate necessary revisions" to the voluminous regulations, which were originally written by the Clinton administration. There will be no further public comment between today and the June 25 effective date, Thompson said. The final rule covers state plan requirements and administration, coverage and benefits, eligibility and enrollment, enrollee financial responsibility, allowable waivers, and applicant and enrollee protections. Announcement of the postponement of effective date for the regs appeared in the Federal Register June 11, 2001.


June 8, 2001 - Controlling Childhood Asthma in Cities

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is making $3 million in 2001 funds available for four to six planning projects, with a maximum award per project of $500,000, in the first phase of a program to decrease asthma-related morbidity in children ages 0 to 18 living in American cities. Grantees will be expected to develop comprehensive and innovative approaches based on current scientific knowledge and in-depth knowledge of the communities being served, with the objective of improving medical care and self-care in families for children with asthma. Grantees will be expected to form consortia with other public and private groups working with childhood asthma. Announcement of availability of funds appeared in the Federal Register June 8, 2001.