Melanie Feazell works with Declan Byrne during an ABA session. Federal officials say states must provide treatment services like ABA for kids with autism on Medicaid. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times/MCT) In what advocates are calling a major win, federal officials are for the first time telling states that Medicaid coverage must include treatments like applied behavior analysis for childrenwith autism. Medicaid programs nationwide must offer medically necessary diagnostic and treatment services to kidswith autism, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services told states in a bulletin this month. That includes everything from speech and occupational therapy to personal care services and medical equipment, the agency said. The services must be included in whats known as the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment program, or EPSDT, a package of offerings that every state is required to provide children under age 21 who qualify for Medicaid. The move comes in response to an increasing number of inquiries in recent years from states facing legal action for denying services to Medicaid beneficiaries with autism, Melissa Harris, director of the Division of Benefits and Coverage at CMS, told members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee recently. Many of the court cases focused on … Continue reading →

stroke treatment updates Here are some updates for the staff of Cartersville Medical Center about the treatment of our stroke patients. #1 order the tPA on paper form and give direct... By: theedexitvideo . … Continue reading →

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, July 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Seniors in America are suffering fewer strokes, regardless of their race or sex, a new long-term study reveals. "We found that stroke incidence [among those 65 and older] has been declining for the last 20 years," said senior study author Dr. Josef Coresh, a professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in Baltimore. "Our study found that the decrease is happening in whites and blacks, which is very important because blacks are at an elevated risk of stroke," he added. However, people younger than 65 continued to suffer strokes at about the same rate, although the researchers found that more of these younger patients survived their stroke. The stroke death rate for people aged 65 and older held steady. One expert found some of the study results troubling. "The more concerning news is the lack of decline [in stroke rates] among those under 65," said Dr. Ralph Sacco, chairman of neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "When you look at that statistic in relationship to recent warnings that diabetes, obesity and lack of physical activity are still major problems … Continue reading →