New Oral MS Treatment on the Horizon

Researchers are currently testing two new drugs that may become the first oral MS treatments on the market. Last week, several news outlets reported on the published studies in New England Journal of Medicine. including MSNBC who shared the reactions this exciting news by individuals in North Carolina's MS community. University of North Carolina's leading MS neurologist and researcher, Dr. Silvia Markovic Plese warned “There is a price tag attached to the new medications."

Also quoted in the article was Chapel Hill resident, Ivana Vuletic. Like many people diagnosed with MS, she is excited to hear the news, “I would be greatly relieved if I didn’t have to prick myself or be pricked with needles." She, like others, would have to weigh the risks and benefits of the treatment with their physicians.

On January 20, 2010, The New England Journal of Medicine published a full report on Cladribine and Fingolimod. According to the studies, both drugs have been shown to reduce relapse symptoms by up to 50%.

Manager of the 2003 World Series Champions will speak in Burlington, NC

On February 2, Burlington, NC will be hosting its first Dinner of Champions! The Central NC Chapter of the MS Society is hoping the new location will help their efforts to reach more people in the area. Stephanie Phipps, marketing and PR manager for the Central NC Chapter, told the News and Record that they are already seeing a good amount of community support. The money raised by the event goes to support the MS research, programs, services and advocacy.

Jack McKeon, a resident of Elon, will be at the event to speak about MS. He will also share some of his experiences as the Florida Marlins manager. Another local sports expert, Kirk Puckett, will be emceeing the event. Kirk Puckett is the sports broadcaster for WBAG-AM 1150 as well as a communications professor at Alamance Community College.

The Society honored to have the support of so many dynamic people. We are looking to post comments on this event, so let us know if you will be attending!

iPhone application for people with MS

David Warden was diagnosed with MS in 2008. By the end of 2009, the iPhone came out with a new application designed especially for people who are diagnosed with MS. David Warden, owner of Elite Circle Computing, created the i-Inject. The i-Inject is an application that allows people with MS to manage their medical treatment programs. Features include, easy tracking and organizing of medications and injection sites, reminders to take medications and reorder supplies, you can even send emails to your doctor.
You can check out David Warden and the i-Inject on his facebook page.

The Future of Long Term Care

What is long term care?

About twenty-five percent of people living with MS, at some point, need long-term care. Long-term care is a combination of support and services that work together to meet an individuals ongoing health, social and personal needs. Programs offering such care are extremely expensive. For individuals without a chronic illness such as MS, Long-term care insurance is one way to cover expenses. What about individuals who are unable to pay 1,000-3,000$ a year in premiums, or for other reasons are denied access to coverage?

Medicare and Medicaid fall under the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare does not pay for long-term care, but Medicaid does. The current budget crisis is leading government officials to search for ways to lower costs while offering quality coverage to citizens. Currently, support and services cost at least 30,000$ a year per individual, and Medicaid is the county's largest payer of long-term care.

Some approaches the government is investigating include:
-expanding Medicaid
-developing new programs under the Home and Community Based Services wavier program
-coordinating programs, services and providers that currently overlap

We will have a follow up post to present current government debates on health care reform in relation to long-term care.

Also, I urge all readers to take a look at the NMSS's guide to
self-advocacy for access to health care coverage! Share it with a friend, and feel free to comment or post questions. This is an exciting time to be passionate about change!

Inclusive Health Update

On January 12, Michael Keough, the Executive Director of Inclusive Health, gave an annual update to the Joint Legislative Health Care Oversight Committee. Inclusive is North Carolina’s high risk insurance pool. To be eligible for coverage, the law states you meet one or more of the following:

1. have been denied coverage due to medical reasons, or offered
limited coverage on preexisting conditions.
2. can only receive coverage at a higher rate than Pool offers.
3. are receiving or eligible for HIPAA.
4. are diagnosed with a condition from a list on high-risk conditions.
5. are eligible for federal Health Coverage, for example, trade-displaced
workers.

Individuals with chronic illnesses, such as MS, often fall into one of the first two groups. The fourth point is important to note because it adds an element of convenience to the process and reduces unnecessary paperwork -- if you know you will be denied coverage, due to a preexisting condition or diagnosis, Inclusive Health won’t make you prove it.

Inclusive Health went into effect January 1, 2009, and has made considerable progress. Over the last year, 2,506 North Carolina residents have enrolled in the Pool. The denial rate is low, around 15%, and mostly due to applicants qualifying for other types of coverage. Enrollment, which is directly linked to income, is higher than expected in central and western counties. Marketing efforts are being looked at to find what ways can best reach the counties in eastern and southeastern North Carolina.

A recent and exciting development took place in November -- applications for a premium subsidy, Inclusive Health Assist, were accepted. The subsidy is funded by a federal grant and will provide discounts between 20-43% for and individual making 33K or a couple making 43K a year. More than 330 individuals have already accessed this assistance.

Continued health care reform discussions remain a topic of interest for Inclusive Health staff. For a comparison of how the US House and Senate have addressed high risk insurance pools, please visit here. To share your thoughts on high-risk insurance pools within the current health care bills, please leave a comment below.

Click here for more information on how Health Reform efforts are addressing Interim High-Risk Pools