Depression Treatment for Men
Improving primary care treatment for depression might help narrow the “gender gap” that leaves a greater proportion of depressed men untreated, according to a study from the Rand Corp. The researchers assigned 46 primary care practices nationwide to either usual care for depression or to improvement programs that educated providers and patients about depression treatment. Among the practices that participated in an improvement program, the rates of depression treatment increased for both sexes, but some treatment approaches increased care for men more than for women. “The findings suggest that quality improvement programs may help reduce the treatment disparity seen among the estimated 6 million depressed men in the United States,” the researchers reported.
Teens Delaying Sexual Activity
Sexual activity among younger teenagers declined significantly between 1995 and 2002, while use of contraception increased, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among never-married girls aged 15-17 years, 30% of those surveyed in 2002 had ever had intercourse, compared with 38% in 1995. Among boys the same age, the percentage dropped from 43% in 1995 to 31% in 2002. The numbers were more mixed among adolescents aged 18-19; the percentage of boys in that group who had ever had sex dropped from 75% to 64%, but the percentage among the girls actually went from 68% to 69%. More than three-quarters used contraception when they began having intercourse. “More teenagers are avoiding or postponing sexual activity, which can lead to sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancy, or emotional and societal responsibilities for which they are not prepared,” the Health and Human Services Department reported in a statement.
Doctors Bilked in Insurance Scam
The U.S. Department of Justice has frozen over $500 million in bank and investment accounts that department officials say represent booty from a fraudulent tax avoidance scheme. The department issued a temporary restraining order against xélan Inc. and related entities. Federal officials alleged that the company, based in San Diego, advised thousands of doctors and other medical professionals to place their income in various tax schemes involving supposed “supplemental insurance products” or improper charitable deductions. The Internal Revenue Service estimates that the 4,000 doctors who participated may owe as much as $420 million in taxes, interest, and penalties. A temporary receiver has been named to guard assets and handle claims; doctors who want to file a claim or get information on the case should contact the receiver, William “Biff” Leonard, at
Group Pays $1.9 Million Settlement
Temple University Physicians has agreed to pay almost $1.9 million to settle civil charges arising from an investigation into the group's Medicare Part B billing practices. The Department of Health and Human Services audited Medicare Part B claims submitted by the group between July 1995 and July 1996 and concluded that the group lacked sufficient documentation to support some claims, and that some of the claims represented a greater level of service than was actually provided. “Through this settlement we are protecting the integrity of the Medicare system on which our senior citizens depend for their critical health care coverage,” Patrick Meehan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, said in a statement on behalf of HHS. Temple University Physicians denies both the government's allegations and any liability relating to them.
Health Care Spending by Elderly
U.S. seniors spent an average of $11,089 on personal health care goods and services in 1999, but nearly half of that amount was reimbursed by Medicare and another 15% was paid for by Medicaid, according to a report prepared by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Office of the Actuary. The amount spent by seniors was almost four times the average of $2,793 for people under age 65 years. “What this report shows is the importance of our efforts to bring down the high cost of health care for America's seniors,” CMS Administrator Mark B. McClellan, M.D., said in a statement. Although people aged 65 and over made up only 13% of the population in 1999, they accounted for 36% of personal health care spending, according to the report. On the other hand, children made up 29% of the population but accounted only for 12% of personal health care spending.
Medicaid Overcharged for Drugs
The Medicaid program is being overcharged for prescription drugs, George M. Reeb, assistant inspector general for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Audits at the Department of Health and Human Services, said in recent testimony to a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee. Part of the problem is that states vary greatly in the reimbursement amounts they set for prescription drugs. For example, “based on state data, we estimated that, overall, Medicaid could have saved as much as $86.7 million in fiscal year 2001 if all 42 states had reimbursed at the same price as the lowest paying state for each of the drugs reviewed,” Mr. Reeb said in his testimony. He recommended that states get better access to accurate wholesale pricing information and adopt other strategies to contain costs.