ACTING SURGEON GENERAL LUSHNIAK DECLARES THANKSGIVING "FAMILY HEALTH HISTORY DAY"

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 
Acting Surgeon General Boris Lushniak Declares Thanksgiving “Family Health History Day”

As we celebrate the Nation’s 10th annual Family Health History Day this Thanksgiving, I encourage everyone to spend time talking with their family members about their health.  National Family Health History Day is a great opportunity to draw attention to the importance of sharing family health history.
Both rare diseases and common ones, like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, can run in families. Understanding your family health history can help you and your health care provider predict your risk for health problems and keep you and your family healthy.

As a physician, I know that a patient’s family health history is an easy, quick and inexpensive way to get a rough estimate of how strongly a particular disease runs in a family. Knowing your family health history can help your clinician identify screening and treatment options that are personalized for you.  For example, heart disease, which is the number one cause of death in women, can run in families.  If someone in your immediate family—mother, father, sister or brother—has heart disease, you have twice the risk of developing heart disease as someone without that family history. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, many preventive screenings are now covered under health insurance with no cost share for Americans.

While you can’t change your family health history, you can act to reduce your disease risk and keep yourself and your family healthy. Making healthy choices is important for everyone, but it’s especially important for those at higher risk because of a family history of disease.  If you or others in your family have a history of heart disease or stroke, you can take steps to reduce risk by discussing with your physician the “ABCS” of the Million Heart Campaign: Aspirin for people at risk, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management and Smoking cessation. These are all steps that can help prevent heart attacks and strokes.

The Surgeon General’s My Family Health Portrait tool provides consumers with a free and easy way to record their family health information. Consumers are able to organize their family history information and share it with their family and health care professionals.

During this Thanksgiving holiday, I hope you and your family will take a few minutes to create a family health portrait.  Learning your family’s health history is a great way to invest in the future of your health and your family’s health.

HHS LAUNCHES VIDEO CONTEST TO INFORM YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE COVEAGE

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

HHS launches partnership and video contest with Young Invincibles
HOUSTON, Texas – Today, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Young Invincibles announced the Healthy Young America video contest in an effort to inform young people about health insurance coverage and new options under the Affordable Care Act.  People can submit entries and vote for their favorite videos at www.healthyyoungamerica.org.

“Health insurance is out of reach for millions of young people today—because it costs too much, or isn’t offered through a job,” Secretary Sebelius said.  “Soon the Health Insurance Marketplace will give uninsured young people the opportunity to enroll in affordable health insurance, and the Healthy Young America video contest will help them tell their stories to other young people.”

The Affordable Care Act is making health care more affordable and accessible for 19 million uninsured young adults across the country.  Three million previously uninsured young adults have joined their parents’ health insurance plan because of the health care law.

“The Millennial generation has always been a creative generation, which is why we are so pleased to partner with HHS in launching the Healthy Young America video contest.  “Educating millions of young people about the changes coming this year is vital to helping them achieve economic security,” Aaron Smith, co-founder and executive director of Young Invincibles. “This competition will engage young people by reaching them through a medium that they prefer to use when sharing and receiving content.”

Young Invincibles is in the midst of a nationwide campaign designed to inform young adults about coming changes and new options.  “The campaign includes health care “train the trainers” to help community leaders be informed about new changes. A website with frequently-asked questions and a mobile app to help consumers learn about their options, find local health care services, and get information on enrollment events this fall are also included in the campaign.

Young people can access a variety of online tools now, through HealthCare.gov, and count on in-person help to get answers to their questions to help them enroll October 1. Young people can use HealthCare.gov to join web chats or call toll free 1-800-318-2596, to get help from a trained customer service representative.

There will also be people in local communities who can provide direct help with their coverage choices. Last week, HHS awarded $67 million to 105 Navigator grant applicants and recognized more than 100 national organizations and businesses who have volunteered to help Americans learn about the Marketplace.  More than 1,200 community health centers across the country are preparing to help enroll uninsured Americans in coverage, and a partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services will help trusted local libraries be a resource for consumers who want information on their options.

GOVERNMENT AWARDS $150 MILLION FOR ENROLLMENT ASSISTANCE

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health centers to help uninsured Americans gain affordable health coverage
Obama administration awards $150 million to provide enrollment assistance

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $150 million in grant awards to 1,159 health centers across the nation to enroll uninsured Americans in new health coverage options made available by the Affordable Care Act.  Speaking at the Mountain Park Health Center in Phoenix, Ariz., later in the day the Secretary noted that, with these funds, health centers are expected to hire an additional 2,900 outreach and eligibility assistance workers to assist millions of people nationwide with enrollment into affordable health coverage.

HHS Secretary Sebelius said, “Investing in health centers means that people in neighborhoods and towns across the country have one more resource to help them understand their insurance options and enroll in affordable coverage.”
Health centers have a long history of providing eligibility assistance to patients along with delivering high-quality, primary health care services in communities across the nation.  Today, health centers serve more than 21 million patients annually.

With these awards, which health centers in all 50 states have received, consumers will get help understanding their coverage options through the new Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program; determine their eligibility and what financial help they can get; and enroll in new affordable health coverage options.

These awards, issued by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), complement and align with other federal efforts, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services-funded Navigator program.

Today’s announcement is part of the administration's broader effort to make applying for health coverage as easy as possible. The new, consumer-focused HealthCare.gov website and the 24-hour-a-day consumer call center help Americans prepare for open enrollment and ultimately sign up for health coverage.  These new tools will help Americans understand their coverage options and select the plan that best suits their needs when open enrollment in the new Health Insurance Marketplace begins Oct. 1, 2013.

“Health centers are excited to help individuals in their communities take advantage of the benefits of new health insurance coverage options that start January 2014,” said HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield, Ph.D, R.N. “Having trained, face-to-face assistance in enrollment from trusted resources at local health centers means that more people will get the help they need.”

HHS TO SPEND UP TO $75 MILLION ON SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS

FROM:  DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN RESOURCES
HHS announces available funding for construction, renovation of school-based health centers
Grants from the health care law will help create jobs, improve children’s health
During her remarks at a Healthy Schools Campaign and Trust for America’s Health event, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the availability of funding for the construction and renovation of school-based health centers.

These new investments, totaling up to $75 million, are part of the School-Based Health Center Capital (SBHCC) Program, which was created by the Affordable Care Act, the health care law of 2010.

School-based health centers are an important component of the nation’s health care safety net.  The centers enable children with acute or chronic illnesses to attend school as well as help to improve the overall health and wellness of children and adolescents through health screenings, health promotion and disease prevention activities.  By making the connection to health care easy, school-based health centers ensure that children have access to the services they need to lead healthy lives.

“President Obama’s health care law is helping keep kids healthy and as a mother, I know how important a child’s health is to how they do in school.  Whether establishing a new site or upgrading an existing facility, the availability of funding for school-based health centers that we’re announcing today will help kids more easily get the health services they need to thrive,” said Secretary Sebelius. “The goal is to keep our children healthy so they can learn, grow and prosper.”

The Affordable Care Act appropriated $200 million for the SBHCC Program to address capital needs in school-based health centers.  The funding opportunity announced today is the third in a series of awards that will be made available to school-based health centers through the Affordable Care Act. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) oversees the SBHCC Program.

“It is critical for children and adolescents to be healthy so they can maximize their potential, and being healthy starts with access to primary and preventive care,” said HRSA Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N.  “These grants will greatly improve that access and help make our children, and America’s future strong.”

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. For more information about HRSA and its programs, visit www.hrsa.gov.  For more information about Affordable Care Act investments in community health centers, visit www.HealthCare.gov.

SEC. OF HHS SEBELIUS TALKS ABOUT NURSING DURING NATIONAL NURSES WEEK

Secretary Sebelius Statement in Honor of National Nurses Week 2012

During National Nurses Week, we recognize the tremendous contributions that nurses make to keeping America healthy. As passionate advocates, leaders and innovators for better health, America’s nurses have demonstrated their commitment to meeting the public’s health care needs.

The health initiatives called for by the new health care law, the Affordable Care Act, would not be possible without our nation’s nurses. By expanding investments in primary and preventive care programs in which nurses play a vital role, the Affordable Care Act strengthens the focus on keeping people healthy and managing chronic conditions. Through the law and other efforts, the Department of Health and Human Services is working to ensure that nurses get the support and training they deserve and need to do their job.

Since the beginning of the administration, the number of mostly uninsured or under-insured patients getting care at community health centers has grown by 2.4 million people, primarily due to funding by the Affordable Care Act and the Recovery Act. About 16,000 nurses now work at community health centers, an expansion of about 3,000 nursing positions. With continued support from the Affordable Care Act through fiscal 2014, the number of nurses at health centers will continue to grow.

More nurses are getting assistance in securing needed training or repaying educational loans, partly through an expansion of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), under the Health Resources and Services Administration, which ensures that primary care providers practice in  underserved areas in exchange for receiving scholarship support or loan repayment. The Affordable Care Act allocated $1.5 billion over five years to expand the NHSC.

And recognizing that better training and support for nurses will mean higher quality care for seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced a four-year, $200 million Affordable Care Act demonstration partnering certain hospitals with nursing schools and non-hospital community-based care settings to provide advance practice registered nurses with clinical training to help strengthen primary care across the country.  

Please join me during this National Nurses Week in thanking our nation’s nurses for the critical work they do in bringing better care and better health to all Americans.

DHHS SAYS AFFORDABLE CARE ACT HAS HELPED 86 MILLION WITH PREVENTATIVE CARE

The following excerpt is from the Department of Health and Human Services: Free preventive care also provided to 32.5 million in Medicare  Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that the Affordable Care Act provided approximately 54 million Americans with at least one new free preventive service in 2011 through their private health insurance plans. Secretary Sebelius also announced that an estimated 32.5 million people with Medicare received at least one free preventive benefit in 2011, including the new Annual Wellness Visit, since the health reform law was enacted. Together, this means an estimated 86 million Americans were helped by health reform’s prevention coverage improvements. The new data were released in two new reports from HHS. “Americans of all ages can now get the preventive services they need, like mammograms and the new Annual Wellness Visit, free of charge, as a result of the new health care law,” Secretary Sebelius said. “With more people taking advantage of these benefits, more lives can be saved, and costly, and often burdensome, diseases can be prevented or caught earlier.” The Affordable Care Act requires many insurance plans to provide coverage without cost sharing to enrollees for a variety of preventive health services, such as colonoscopy screening for colon cancer, Pap smears and mammograms for women, well-child visits, and flu shots for all children and adults. The law also makes proven preventive services free for most people on Medicare. The report on private health insurance coverage also examined the expansion of free preventive services in minority populations.  The results showed that an estimated 6.1 million Latinos, 5.5 million Blacks, 2.7 million Asian Americans and 300,000 Native Americans with private insurance received expanded preventive benefits coverage in 2011as a result of the new health care law. The report discussing Medicare preventive services found that more than 25.7 million Americans in traditional Medicare received free preventive services in 2011. The report also looked at Medicare Advantage plans and found that 9.3 million Americans – 97 percent of those in individual Medicare Advantage plans – were enrolled in a plan that offered free preventive services.  Assuming that people in Medicare Advantage plans utilized preventive services at the same rate as those with traditional Medicare, an estimated 32.5 million people benefited from Medicare’s coverage of prevention with no cost sharing.”