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Wednesday, December 01, 1999
A State Government Reporter's Guide To The Web: Healthcare Resources
By Sunny Kaplan, Staff Writer
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Although covering healthcare is not all about analyzing numbers--the number of uninsured, the number of teens who get pregnant each year or the number of HIV or AIDS victims--numbers do provide the big picture. That is why I have suggested many sites that not only provide archived reports, issue briefs and fact sheets but also post useful state-by-state statistics that are frequently updated, such as those found at the U.S. Census Bureau's and the National Center for Health Statistics' Web sites.
These sites will also help you understand what is behind the numbers. Organizations like the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Families USA put all their publications online so that you can read up on profiles of the uninsured, ways that states are going about implementing their Children's Health Insurance Programs and how independent panels that review managed care decisions are helping consumers.
GOVERNMENT
Healthcare Financing Administration
http://www.hcfa.gov
The Healthcare Financing Administration (HCFA) is the federal agency that administers the Medicare, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs--which provide healthcare for more than 74 million Americans. The site provides annual, state-by-state statistics on all of their programs as well as electronic access to the states' first CHIP status reports. You can also access the states' Medicaid contacts at http://www.hcfa.gov/ medicaid/mcontact.htm.
U.S. Census Bureau--Health Insurance Statistics
http://www.census.gov/
hhes/www/hlthins.html
The U.S. Census Bureau's Health Insurance Statistics page allows you to access data on uninsured children and adults--important numbers to include in any story that discusses health insurance. The Census Bureau also has state population data that is broken down by age and sex at http://www.census.gov/population/
www/estimates/statepop.html.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site is the place to go for information and data on infectious diseases and to access the agency's publication, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which can be a great source for story ideas. Highlights of the report can by sent to you by e-mail each week. |
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National Center for Health Statistics
http://www.cdc.gov/nchswww
The National Center for Health Statistics is administered by the CDC and compiles state health data on subjects ranging from annual AIDS to whooping cough cases. NCHS also provides information on total births by race and sex, out-of-wedlock childbearing and total deaths by age, race and sex. Go to their "fastats" page to access an A-to-Z list of subjects for which they compile data.
Insure Kids Now
http://www.insurekidsnow.gov
The White House and the National Governors' Association put together this Web site as a gateway to information about all the states' Children's Health Insurance Programs. It provides information, such as who is eligible and what the health insurance pays for as well as providing direct links to state program home pages. |
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THINK TANKS, POLICY INSTITUTES AND ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS
National Conference of State Legislatures--Health Policy
http://www.ncsl.org/
programs/health/health.htm
The National Conference of State Legislatures' Health Policy portion of their Web site is frequently updated with current news on state health policy. The site also provides an A-to-Z list of health issues along with accompanying fact sheets, issue briefs and charts tracking the status and actions of issues such as the Children's Health Insurance Program. New on the site is a 1999 state-by-state listing of legislators and staff who are involved with a broad range of health policy issues.
Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
http://www.kff.org
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, an independent philanthropy focusing on major healthcare issues, provides facts and analysis for policy makers, the media, the healthcare community and the general public. Their Web site is updated daily with state and federal health news as well as with an HIV/AIDS daily report. The Web site also has state-by-state health facts with population, demographic and health data.
Families USA
http://www.familiesusa.org
Families USA, an advocacy group for healthcare consumers, is the leading watchdog organization for health consumers, and their Web site will link you to their latest publications on Medicare, Medicaid, managed care and children's healthcare. Their media center also provides links to all of their press releases and statements. The organization's internal database, which lists contacts for families around the country who want to share their healthcare stories, is not online, but their communications director will search the database on request.
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
http://www.nami.org
NAMI is the advocacy group representing people with severe mental illnesses and their families. Their Web site has a wealth of information that includes all the organization's published papers and press releases as well as links to other sites that cover particular illnesses in more depth. For instance, follow their links to other sites to find a chat group on bipolar disorders or an electronic mailing list on eating disorders. |
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Health Privacy Project
http://www.healthprivacy.org
The Health Privacy Project is a part of the Institute for Healthcare Research and Policy at the Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The organization tracks health privacy legislation at the state and federal levels, and their publication, The State of Health Privacy: An Uneven Terrain/A Comprehensive Survey of State Health Privacy Statutes, is available online at: http://www.healthprivacy.org/resources/
statereports/contents.html.
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
http://norml.org
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws has been the principal national advocate for legalizing marijuana since its founding in 1970. Voters in Alaska, Arizona, California, Oregon, Nevada and Washington have voted to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes, and most recently there have been efforts in some states to legalize or decriminalize the drug. NORML's site publishes a weekly news bulletin and follows current legislation.
The Georgetown University Institute for Healthcare Research and Policy
http://www.georgetown.edu/research/
ihcrp/hipaa
The Georgetown University Institute for Healthcare Research and Policy has written consumer guides describing citizen's rights to buy and keep health insurance in each state under "Kassebaum-Kennedy" and other state laws. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), also known as Kassebaum-Kennedy, was enacted in 1996, creating new national protections for people who want to buy, keep or switch their health insurance, even when they have a pre-existing condition.
The Health Insurance Association of America
http://www.hiaa.org
The Health Insurance Association of America is a trade association representing the private healthcare system. HIAA has about 260 members, including managed care plans such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield. The organization lobbies in both the state and federal arenas and in general opposes all mandates on health plans, such as requiring insurers to cover mental as well as physical illnesses. Through the "News Room" section of their site, press releases, press kits, statements and reports are made available. |
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For more information, click on Healthcare
A State Government Reporter's Guide To The WebIntroductionGeneral ResourcesWelfare Reform ResourcesUtility Deregulation ResourcesEducation ResourcesTax and Budget ResourcesGovernors'/Legislative/State Sites Staff Writer Bios
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 | Stateline.org has put together a list of state public policy resources organized by issue. Here, you will find useful links to essential information from government, academia, and think tanks. If you have a link to add, please email us.
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