ASCOG Advocate: April 5, 2013

Soviet spy couple

Good Morning!  It's Friday! 

On this date, in 1951, this couple was sentenced to death for spying on behalf of the Soviet Union.


What were their names?

President Obama announced a compromise that will cut social security.

Blaming sequester cuts, cancer clinics across the country are turning away thousands of Medicare patients.

South Carolina's Medicaid director explains why he is against the Arkansas Medicaid expansion plan to move dollars to private insurance companies.  Meanwhile, Pennsylvania's governor plans to move forward with a plan to expand Medicaid using private insurance.  Oklahoma, North Dakota, Missouri and North Carolina are considering similar bills. 

Oklahoma Senate Bill 276, allowing persons with disabilities to file absentee ballot with the help of an agent, passed the House Rules Committee.

SB 235, specifying the authority of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs to run veterans centers, passed the House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.

SB 587, permitting use of electronic recording devices in long-term care facilities, passed the House Long-term Care and Senior Services Committee.  That committee also passed SB 592, creating a dispute resolution panel for assisted living centers, SB 900, authorizing investigations in hospice facilities and SB 915, the Nondiscrimination in Treatment Act (see also HB 1403, a mirror bill which passed the Senate Health and Human Services committee).

SB 970, providing an annual update on Alzheimer's to the Oklahoma legislature, passed the House Public Health Committee.

House Bill 1552, which would have reformed Medicaid in Oklahoma, lies dormant because it did not get out of committee before the April 4 deadline.  Other bills that met the same fate include the Parole of Aging Prisoners Act (HB 1056), an act amending grandparent visitation rights (HB 1520), an act creating a task force on hospice care standards (Senate Bill 459), a bill giving treatment advocates certain access (SB 755), and a bill amending the requirements for nursing home administrators (SB 852).

Private health insurance companies lead growth in the S&P. 

A criminal investigation is ongoing in a Louisiana Medicaid contract with a private company responsible for Medicaid claims processing and bill payment.

The most costly disease in America is Alzheimer's along with other types of dementia.  The cost has to do with the time spent in caring for patients.  Dementia care costs are expected to double by 2040.

ASCOG Senior Day was held this week at the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan.