The Advisory Council Has Changed its Name!  

The AHCAP Advisory Council will now be known as the AHCAP Board of Directors.  Going forward, you can expect to see the titles of President, President-elect, and Past President taking the places of Advisory Council Chair, Chair-elect and Past Chair, respectively.

2008 Community Assistant Initiative

Founded in 1982, WLP is a daytime shelter where homeless/in need women and their children find support, friendship, a nutritious home-cooked meal and a safe haven from the streets.  It provides a safe harbor to women who have suffered unbearable losses of family, friends and home where they can regain a sense of dignity and self-esteem. It is our sincerest hope that, as in the past, our AHCAP family continues to support this very important initiative.

Learn more at AHCAP Online.

Have you Registered for the 2008 AHCAP Annual Conference?

Share in the AHCAP mission.  Become the leader you were meant to be; one who has the vision, skills and tools to support strengthening the delivery of healthcare in your career.  Advance your professional development, leadership and value through continuing education, communication, commitment to service and advocacy.

Who is the Servant Leader? It isn't necessarily the person with the title.  Servant Leadership calls on each of us to become leaders.  Servant Leadership compels one to be self-aware, to serve with purpose, and to listen first.

Register now and take advantage of our Early Bird registration rate!  Reserve your space at this empowering event.

Download the 08 Conference Postcard
Register Online Today!

Visit the Conference Page as more information becomes available!

Advocacy Briefs

Check Out this Great Tool to Compare Presidential Candidates’ Healthcare Proposals!
The Kaiser Family Foundation has released an online tool to compare the health care proposals of presidential candidates. The tool presents a summary of the candidates’ positions on access to health care coverage, cost containment, quality of care and financing. The summaries are based on information on the candidates’ Web sites and from speeches, debates and news reports. They will be updated as the campaign unfolds.

House Leadership Held a Vote on a Modified SCHIP Reauthorization Bill on October 25.
Though time is short for grassroots action, we want to alert you to this development and provide some details on the legislation for quick calls to your representatives. The bill (H.R. 3963) makes certain modifications and clarifications concerning the objections raised by opponents of the bill vetoed by President Bush (H.R. 976), and after reviewing them CHA is supporting the new legislation. The modifications include:

1. An explicit cap on federal eligibility waivers for SCHIP coverage at three times the poverty level. There is an exception for New Jersey, the only state covering children from families earning more.
2. Requiring applicants to show proof of citizenship if the Social Security Administration cannot verify their status using only a Social Security number.
3. Moving childless adults out of SCHIP within one year, instead of two years as under the vetoed bill.

More information on the modifications is available in the attached chart, which compares the points raised by several House Republicans in the recent Biggert-Price letter to the Bush Administration with what was included in the vetoed bill and the changes in the new legislation.

Please contact representatives who voted NOT to override President Bush's veto last week and ask them to support this compromise -- a list of those voting no is attached. All the advocacy work you have done over the past several months on SCHIP has laid the groundwork for this vote today, and I thank you all for your efforts.

Special Thanks to Recent Scholarship Committee Survey Participants. 

Your feedback is being used as part of the committee's annual evaluation of the Scholarship Program.  The AHCAP Scholarship Program was created to give members an opportunity to attend the AHCAP Annual Conference by defraying most conference expenses for members who would otherwise not be able to attend. The program is funded solely through proceeds from the AHCAP  Silent Auction.  Eligible members can apply for scholarship funds and winners will be selected by the Advisory Council based on established criteria.  If you are interested in attending the AHCAP Annual Conference but your organization won't cover the costs, watch for more information on the scholarship awards available in early 2008 at AHCAP Online.

In The November Headlines

CMS Study Examines Changes in Healthcare Spending by Age

As baby boomers become eligible for Medicare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services projects the changing age-mix of the nation’s population will account for only 0.1% of annual growth in the program’s spending through 2050, according to a study published online today in Health Affairs.

Baby Boomers Start Applying for Social Security Benefits 

The nation’s first baby boomer filed Monday for Social Security retirement benefits, the Social Security Administration announced. The Maryland woman, who applied online, was the first of nearly 80 million Americans who will become eligible for Social Security benefits in the next two decades, the agency said, noting that amounts to more than 10,000 people per day.

Webcast: Best Practices for Healthcare Strategic Planning

December 3, 2007 - Noon CT

The Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development and Health Strategies & Solutions, Inc. collaborated on a study of the state of the art in strategic planning in healthcare organizations. This webcast will present findings of the survey of 440 healthcare organizations. Twelve will be profiled that exemplify advanced planning approaches, and best practices in organizations outside of healthcare will be compared to practices of those within healthcare. For additional information and to register, click here.

Visit AHCAP Online today!

From our family to yours. . .