Women In Government Medicare Preventive Services Policy Resource Center

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Women In GovernmentMedicare Preventive Services
Policy Resource Center

• Sarah F. Wells, MA
• Vice President
• Women In Government

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Who is Women In Government?

• Women In Government Mission/Vision
• 20 years of educating women state legislators on
  critical public policy topics
• Key policy areas
• Education
• Health
• Healthcare was the states single largest
  expenditure for fiscal year 2007, accounting for
  nearly one-third of total state spending. 1
• Our members women state legislators
• Over 1700 women in state legislatures (23.6).
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• 1 The Fiscal Survey of States, National
  Governors Association and the National
  Association of State Budget Officers, December
  2007.
• 2 Center for American Women and Politics, 2008.

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Commitment to Health Policy

• Women In Government has demonstrated a commitment
  to educating state legislators about cutting-edge
  health policy issues.
• Cervical cancer and HPV
• Cardiovascular disease and stroke
• Cancer care
• Womens Healthcare Platform
• Offices of Womens Health
• Obesity
• Osteoporosis
• Alzheimers disease and aging
• Medicare preventive services

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Women In Government Activities

• Over 25 educational conferences each year
• Three Policy Resource Centers
• Medicare Preventive Services Policy Resource
  Center
• HPV Cervical Cancer Policy Resource Center
• Access to Higher Education Policy Research Center
• Building Collaborative Partnerships
• Alzheimers Association, UICC, Women Work,
  C-Change, Mental Health America, Center for the
  Study of Social Policy, Excelencia in Education,
  Education Commission of the States, Womens
  Legislative Network of National Conference of
  State Legislatures, Preventive Cardiovascular
  Nurses Association (PCNA), American Medical
  Women's Association (AMWA), and Centers for
  Disease Control Prevention

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Cardiovascular Disease and Medicare Preventive
Services

• In 2002, more than 1/3 of deaths in America were
  linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD).
• Each minute, one woman dies from CVD.
• Medicare is a national health insurance program
  for Americans over the age of 65 and for all
  Americans with disabilities.
• Nearly 44 million people are enrolled in the
  Medicare program 37 million are over the age of
  65 and 7 million are under the age of 65.

http//www.cdc.gov/HeartDisease/
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Cardiovascular Disease and Medicare Preventive
Services

• Scientific evidence has shown that preventive
  services (chronic disease screening) and health
  interventions (promoting physical activity) can
  significantly improve the health of individuals
  as they age.
• In 2005, Medicare began offering preventive
  health screenings for its beneficiaries to
  improve their health and quality of life.
• Medicare's preventive care can help seniors stay
  healthy by covering services such as diabetes and
  CVD screening, cancer testing, flu shots, and
  smoking and tobacco cessation programs.

http//www.cdc.gov/HeartDisease
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Use of Medicare Preventive Benefits - 2006
National Demographic Data By Rates - Continued
Utilization data from 2006 available at
http//www.cms.hhs.gov/PrevntionGenInfo/20_prevser
v.asp
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Medicare Preventive Services Policy Resource
Center

• Aims to educate state policymakers about
  preventive services offered by the Medicare
  Program and highlight services addressing health
  issues such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and
  HPV/cervical cancer.

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Prevention Takes More Than An Apple

• PR Campaign
• Seniors need to know it takes more than an apple
  a day to keep the doctor away
• Audio News Release, in various target markets
  across US
• Pass along email, from website
• www.womeningovernment.org/Medicare
• PSA Campaign- February American Heart Month, 2008
• WIG State Directors recorded PSAs
• Aired in all 50 states
• Reached 60 million Americans, 20 percent of
  general population

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Other Materials

• Legislative Toolkit
• Women and Heart Disease fact sheet
• Guide to Medicares Preventive Services
• Introduction to sample legislation
• Brochures
• Medicare Preventive Services
• Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
• FAQ
• Access to external resources (CMS) other
  organizations
• Fact Sheets
• Quarterly newsletter, Health Matters
• Multimedia clip

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2007 Women and Heart Disease Task Force Meeting

• The Women Heart Disease Task Force was held in
  St. Michael's, Maryland on October 21 - 23, 2007.
• The mission of the Women Heart Disease Task
  Force is to reduce the impact of Cardiovascular
  Disease on women and their families through
  promoting awareness, implementing prevention and
  early intervention strategies based on
  established medical guidelines, facilitating
  partnerships, sharing best practices and
  developing a state action plan.

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Task Force Policy Recommendations

• Serve as a Role Model/Leadership
• State policymakers and other stakeholders should
  serve as individual role models for a heart
  healthy lifestyle and encourage staff and
  colleagues to do the same.
• Support Coverage for Preventive Health Services
• States should support coverage of preventive
  health services through public and private
  insurance providers.

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Task Force Policy Recommendations

• Increase Utilization of Preventive Health
  Services and Promote Healthy Lifestyles
• States should promote awareness of heart disease
  in women by convening partners and establishing
  public outreach and screening programs supported
  by public and/or private funding.

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2008 Women and Heart Disease Task Force Meeting

• Will be held from July 30-31, 2008 in
  Indianapolis, Indiana
• Specific focus on
• Heart disease prevalence and disparities
• Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services
  activities and outreach to people with Medicare
• Quality healthcare improvements and adherence to
  treatments
• Sample state legislation and programs and,
• Policy recommendations

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Thank You

• Sarah Wells, MA
• Vice President
• Women In Government
• swells_at_womeningovernment.org
• 1319 F Street, NW, Suite 710
• Washington, DC 20004
• Infoline 1-888-333-0164
• Fax [phone]
• www.womeningovernment.org