THIS ISSUE AVAILABLE ONLINE WITH EXPANDED INFORMATION AND PHOTOS AT:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/newsletter/weekly
IN THIS ISSUE:
1) HHS Gives Seal of Approval to Medicare Drug Discount Cards
2) Secretary Thompson Announces FDA Approval of Rapid HIV Test Approval
3) Prevention: Secretary Thompson Attending Diabetes Town Hall Meeting in Ohio
4) Science in the News: 2003 TB Rates Remain High for Foreign-Born, Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations in United States Despite Overall Decline
5) Medicare Minute: The new and improved preventive Medicare benefits will start in 2005
6) Secretary Thompson's Public Schedule
HHS Gives Seal of Approval to Medicare Drug Discount Cards
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced Thursday the approval of 28 private sponsors to provide seniors and people with disabilities savings on their prescription drugs, beginning June 1. With the new cards, Medicare beneficiaries will receive discounts on prescription drugs, and low-income beneficiaries may receive an additional $600 to pay for their prescription medicines in both 2004 and 2005.
Secretary Thompson said the competition between organizations offering cards -- as well as the public display of the prices the cards offer for prescription medicines -- will help drive down prices so that seniors get the best savings on their medicines. HHS will offer several tools to help seniors compare cards and choose the card that provides them with the best savings.
"Seniors will soon be able to get a discount card to help them save money on their prescription drugs, and a $600 credit each year will give low-income seniors even more relief," Secretary Thompson said. "With the new cards, the benefits of the new Medicare law will soon be a reality for millions of Americans who need help paying for prescription drugs."
All Medicare beneficiaries, except those who already receive outpatient drugs through Medicaid, will be able to enroll in a discount card program starting in May. The cards' savings will take effect June. 1. The card providers may charge an annual enrollment fee of up to $30. There is no enrollment fee for people who qualify for the $600 credit. Medicare-approved cards will be marketed to seniors by organizations offering the cards. Seniors will sign up for the cards directly with the organization offering the card they choose. HHS will provide seniors help in selecting a card.
Starting in late April, beneficiaries will be able to compare prices of drugs offered by the drug card programs at www.medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. This information will help them compare discounted prices negotiated by card sponsors, as well as the enrollment fees, and other card program features from card to card. Customer service representatives at 1-800-MEDICARE also will be able to answer questions about the program, help them compare drug cards on price and network pharmacies, and refer callers to other appropriate resources. They will also mail the results of the comparison to seniors.
For a complete press release and a list of Medicare-approved card sponsors, please go to: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040325.html
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Secretary Thompson Announces FDA Approval of Rapid HIV Test Approval
Secretary Thompson announced Friday FDA approval of the use of oral swabs with a rapid HIV diagnostic test kit. The OraQuick Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test provides screening results with over 99 percent accuracy in as little as 20 minutes.
About 850,000 to 950,000 Americans are currently living with HIV and a quarter of these don’t even know they are infected. Approximately 30% of people being tested for HIV in public clinics did not come back a few weeks later for the standard test results. This new test will return results in approximately 20 minutes. This oral test also provides another important option for people who might be afraid of a blood test and will greatly reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to health care workers since they will not be exposed to blood.
The test works as follows:
Because of the potential public health benefits of rapid HIV testing, the CDC and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have worked with state and other health officials to make the test widely available and to offer technical assistance and counseling training for its use.
In November of 2002, the FDA approved the OraQuick test for detection of the HIV-1 antibody in blood. On March 19, 2004, FDA approved this test for the detection of HIV-2 – a variant of HIV prevalent in parts of Africa but rarely found in the US – in blood. The OraQuick test is manufactured by OraSure Technologies, Inc.
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Secretary Thompson Attending Diabetes Town Hall Meeting in Ohio
Secretary Thompson travels to Cincinnati, Ohio on Monday to hold the first of several town hall meetings focused on diabetes prevention. These meetings will allow him to gather input from all members of various communities and use that input to develop a National Diabetes Action Plan.
Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and cost the nation $132 billion in 2002. Approximately 18.2 million Americans have diabetes, yet 5.2 million of those people are unaware they are diabetic. Ten years ago, type 2 diabetes was almost never seen in children. Today, children represent over half of new cases.
Last November, HHS launched the Diabetes Detection Initiative: Finding the Undiagnosed. This community-based effort seeks to identify persons with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes and refer them for follow up blood testing and treatment, if appropriate. Talking with a doctor about diabetes risks and early detection are vital methods in preventing possibly life-threatening complications such as: blindness, renal disease, severe nerve damage, heart disease, strokes, and even death.
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Science in the News
2003 TB Rates Remain High for Foreign-Born, Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations in United States Despite Overall Decline
TB rates declined in the United States in 2003, but significant geographic, racial and ethnic disparities remain, and cases have increased in some parts of the country. California, New York, and Texas accounted for more than 40 percent of the 2003 national case total.
TB rates among foreign-born individuals remain disproportionately high, nearly nine times the rate of persons born in the United States. Persons born outside the United States accounted for more than half (53.3 percent) of all new TB cases in 2003.
After more than a decade of falling rates, the rate of decline for persons with active TB in the country is slowing. New surveillance data for 2003 show that 14,871 persons with active TB disease were reported in the United States, comparable to the 15,075 cases reported in 2002.
Overall, the national TB rate was 5.1 cases per 100,000 persons in 2003, a slight decline of 1.9 percent in case rate since 2002. This is the smallest one-year decline since 1992. Blacks remain at heightened risk for TB. National rates for non-Hispanic blacks are nearly eight times higher than rates for non-Hispanic whites and two times higher than rates for Hispanics.
CDC continues to work with partners to identify contributing factors and to develop strategies to eliminate existing disparities among racial and ethnic minorities, including demonstration projects to eliminate TB in African-American communities in the United States. CDC collaborates with domestic and international partners to assist countries with a high burden of TB. In addition, CDC is working to improve TB screening among applicants for immigrant and refugee visas. For more information about CDC's TB elimination program or World TB Day activities, visit http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5310a2.htm or www.cdc.gov/nchstp/tb/worldtb2004.
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Medicare Minute
The new and improved preventive Medicare benefits will start in 2005. The benefits that will be covered, include:
These benefits add to the preventive services that Medicare already covers, such as cancer screenings, bone mass measurements and vaccinations.
For the latest information about Medicare, visit www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.
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Secretary Thompson's Public Schedule:
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Last updated: March 26, 2004
United States Department of Health and Human Services
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