News in brief - Sept. 7, 2009

FDA has a new tobacco advisory committee

The Food and Drug Administration announced on Aug. 25 the creation of the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, which is tasked with providing advice, information and recommendations to the commissioner on health issues relating to tobacco products.

The creation of the committee is a result of enactment of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on June 22.

The panel will be asked to consider a variety of topics, including identifying the effects of the alteration of nicotine yields from tobacco products; reporting on the impact of the use of menthol in cigarettes on public health; and advising on an application for modified-risk tobacco products, such as those that use descriptions such as "light."

The committee will consist of 12 members, including a chair that will be selected by FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, MD.

FDA announced on Aug. 19 the launch of its new Center for Tobacco Products to oversee implementation of the new tobacco law. Lawrence Deyton, MD, MSPH, clinical professor of medicine and health policy at George Washington University School of Medicine, was named the center's first director.

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House reform bill would save billions through health center expansions, study finds

The House version of the Affordable Health Choices Act as unveiled on July 14 would spend $38.8 billion and more than double the capacity of community health centers by 2019, providing care for 39 million people.

Expanding access to primary care this way would reduce anticipated spending for this population by $212 billion over a decade and Medicaid spending by $59 billion, according to "Using Primary Care to Bend the Curve," a study by George Washington University School of Public Health released Sept. 1 (www.nachc.org/pressrelease-detail.cfm?pressreleaseid=494).

"This is something that saves money for the federal government and saves money in the health care system overall," said report co-author Leighton Ku, PhD, MPH, professor of health policy and director of the Center for Health Policy Research at George Washington University.

The report concluded that providing primary care through health centers would have saved about $1,100 per person in 2006 compared with allowing people to go uninsured, visit emergency departments or leave chronic conditions untreated.

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White House appoints new HIV/AIDS adviser

The Dept. of Health and Human Services announced Aug. 24 its intent to appoint Helene Gayle, MD, MPH, as chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Gayle is currently president and CEO of CARE USA, an Atlanta-based organization dedicated to combating global poverty. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the nominee is an internationally acclaimed leader with a long history of working on HIV/AIDS research. The new part-time, voluntary post as chair of the advisory council will complement Dr. Gayle's ongoing work at CARE USA.

"Few things demonstrate how interconnected the world is today more than the AIDS epidemic and the U.S. government's response to it," Dr. Gayle said in a statement. "I look forward to helping shape a strategy that not only promotes research, effective prevention and quality care but also reflects the underlying reasons why people are vulnerable to HIV and AIDS."

Dr. Gayle spent 20 years with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focused primarily on combating HIV/AIDS in a variety of roles involving research and policy.

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Insurer offers coverage to Massachusetts immigrants

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick announced a deal Aug. 31 to restore state-sponsored health insurance coverage for about 31,000 legal immigrants.

The Massachusetts Legislature had cut the coverage -- offered as part of the state's landmark 2006 universal care reforms -- beginning Oct. 1, 2009, to reduce the state's anticipated budget deficit by $130 million. But Patrick vetoed the cuts on June 29 and had been searching for a compromise solution.

Under the agreement with CeltiCare Health Plan of Massachusetts, the state will restore $40 million in funding, and the health plan will offer coverage that includes hospital and prescription drug benefits, but not the dental, vision or hospice care included in standard state-sponsored coverage. CeltiCare spokesman Brian Delaney said the deal presents financial challenges, but "our plan is to break even, absolutely."

The print version of this content appeared in the Sept. 14, 2009 issue of American Medical News.

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