Congratulations to Oncolink, winner of this year's Global Information Infrastructure (GII) Award in the Health category! OncoLink is edited by experts at the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center and provides a wide variety of services and information to its virtual community. Mostly, it empowers and provides inspiration and hope to those whose lives have been touched by cancer.

Semi-finalists in the health category included Mayo Clinic Health O@sis, the federal government's healthfinder and, yours truly, Health Hippo. Health sites were "evaluated on their demonstrating uses of the information infrastructure that elevate health status and wellness, improve the quality, cost effectiveness and access to health care, or further health research." Uh huh... Down to New Links

• Food Safety: Agencies' Handling of a Dioxin Incident Caused Hardships for Some Producers and Processors. RCED-98-104. 15 pp. plus 1 appendix (4 pp.) April 10, 1998. Reviews the performance of federal agencies in handling their investigation into elevated dioxin levels in poultry samples.
• Medicaid: Demographics of Nonenrolled Children Suggest State Outreach Strategies. HEHS-98-93. 35 pp. plus 2 appendices (9 pp.) March 20, 1998. Report on children who are eligible for Medicaid but are not enrolled, focusing on: (1) the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of children who qualify for Medicaid, and identifying groups in which uninsured children are concentrated and to whom outreach efforts might be expected; (2) the reasons these children are not enrolled in Medicaid; and (3) strategies that states and communities are using to increase employment.
• Food and Drug Administration: Improvements Needed in the Foreign Drug Inspection Program. HEHS-98-21. 39 pp. plus 1 appendix (8 pp.) March 17, 1998. Reviews the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) efforts to correct problems identified in earlier evaluations of its foreign drug inspection program.
• Suicide Prevention: Efforts to Increase Research and Education in Palliative Care. HEHS-98-128. April 30, 1998. Report on the extent to which projects under section 781 of the Public Health Service Act have furthered the knowledge and practice of palliative care, particularly with regard to curricula offered and used in medical schools.
• Medicare: Many HMOs Experience High Rates of Beneficiary Disenrollment. HEHS-98-142. 13 pp. plus 2 appendices (30 pp.) April 30, 1998. Reviews the feasibility of computing health maintenance organizations' (HMO) voluntary disenrollment rates from readily available data and analyzed the extent to which these rates varied among plans, focusing on: (1) disenrollment rates for all Medicare HMOs operating in 1996; (2) the disenrollment rates of plans operating in the same markets; (3) disenrollment rates of relatively new plans; and (4) the percentage of disenrollees who switched to fee-for-service.
• Budget Issues: Budgeting for Federal Insurance Programs. T-AIMD-98-147. 17 pp. April 23, 1998. GAO discussed: (1) current budget reporting and accrual-based reporting; and (2) accrual budgeting and its specific application for insurance programs.
• Year 2000 Computing Crisis: Potential for Widespread Disruption Calls for Strong Leadership and Partnerships. AIMD-98-85. 43 pp. plus 2 appendices (7 pp.) April 30, 1998. Reviews the year 2000 computing crisis facing the nation, focusing on: (1) the year 2000 risks facing the government and nation; (2) the evolution of the federal government's year 2000 strategy; and (3) additional actions that can be taken by the Executive Branch to prepare the nation for the year 2000.
• Food Assistance: Information on WIC Sole-Source Rebates and Infant Formula Prices. RCED-98-146. 21 pp. plus 2 appendices (4 pp.) May 11, 1998. Provides information on several issues related to Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) rebates for infant formula.
• Medicare Managed Care: Information Standards Would Help Beneficiaries Make More Informed Health Plan Choices. T-HEHS-98-162. 11 pp. May 6, 1998. Discusses the extent to which the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) Medicare Choice information development efforts are likely to: (1) enable beneficiaries to readily compare benefits and out-of-pocket costs using plan brochures; and (2) facilitate the agency's approval of plans' marketing materials and other administrative work required of both HCFA and the health plans.
• Food Safety: Federal Efforts to Ensure the Safety of Imported Foods Are Inconsistent and Unreliable. RCED-98-103. 45 pp. plus 7 appendices (19 pp.) April 30, 1998. Reviews efforts of federal programs to ensure the safety of food imports, focusing on the: (1) differences in the agencies' authorities and approaches for ensuring the safety of imported foods; (2) agencies' efforts to target their resources on foods posing risks; and (3) weaknesses in the controls over imported foods.
• Automated Teller Machines: Survey Results Indicate Banks' Surcharge Fees Have Increased. GGD-98-101. 15 pp. plus 3 appendices (13 pp.) April 24, 1998. Information on fee-charging practices of banks and thrifts with regard to automated teller machines (ATM) used by individuals who do not hold accounts at the institutions owning the ATMs, focusing on GAO survey data on changes over the past year in: (1) ATM deployment by banks in the United States; and (2) the number of banks that surcharge noncustomers and the amounts surcharged.
• Blood Safety: Recalls and Withdrawals of Plasma Products. T-HEHS-98-166. 9 pp. plus 1 appendix (2 pp.) May 7, 1998. Discusses the amount of plasma products, and in particular, the amount of intravenous immune globulin (IVIG), that was being lost due to removal of products from the market, focusing on the: (1) number of recent product recalls and withdrawals; (2) reasons for these actions; (3) different types of plasma products affected; (4) amount of product that has been returned as a result of these actions; and (5) current shortage of IVIG of reducing the number of donors for each plasma product.
• Mammography Quality Standards Act: X-ray Quality Improved, Access Unaffected, but Impact on Health Outcomes Unknown. T-HEHS-98-164. 8 pp. May 8, 1998. Discusses the findings of its work over the last several years examining the impact of the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA), focusing on: (1) the quality of mammography services; (2) early detection of breast cancer; and (3) women's access to mammography services.
• HMO Complaints and Appeals: Most Key Procedures in Place, but Others Valued by Consumers Largely Absent. HEHS-98-119. May 12, 1998. Examines: (1) what elements are considered important to a system for processing health maintenance organization (HMO) member complaints and appeals: (2) the extent to which HMOs' complaint and appeal system contain these elements; (3) what concerns consumers have regarding HMO complaint and appeal systems; (4) what information is available on the number and types of complaints and appeals HMOs receive from their members; and (5) how, if at all, HMOs use their complaint and appeal data.
• Computer Security: Pervasive, Serious Weaknesses Jeopardize State Department Operations. AIMD-98-145. 21 pp. plus 1 appendix (1 pp.) May 1, 1998. Reviews: (1) how susceptible the Department of State's unclassified automated information systems are to unauthorized access; (2) what State is doing to address information security issues; and (3) what additional actions may be needed ed to address the computer security problem.
• Medicare: Need to Overhaul Costly Payment System for Medical Equipment and Supplies. HEHS-98-102. 21 pp. plus 3 appendices (11 pp.) May 12, 1998. Reviews Medicare's payments for commonly purchased, off-the-shelf durable medical equipment (DME), focusing on the need to: (1) better identify products billed to Medicare; and (2) bring Medicare fees more in line with current marketplace prices.
• Year 2000 Computing Crisis: Continuing Risks of Disruption to Social Security, Medicare, and Treasury Programs. T-AIMD-98-161. 21 pp. May 7, 1998.

• Pay Phone Directory This is the original Pay Phone Directory, I have thousands and thousands of pay phone numbers in the United States and Canada, far more than any other pay phone number website on the internet.
• The Gene Letter The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded the Shriver Center a 2 year grant to develop and generate an electronic newsletter about genetics and public policy. In its first year The Gene Letter is appearing every other month with news updates as appropriate.
• American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA) Updates, Educational Programs, Job Bank and Publications are the highlights of this joint venture between the former NHLA and AAHA associations.
• NYSBA Health Law Section Job Bank for those of us looking for work in the big apple.
• Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA) A California leadership group of health plans, physician groups, and health systems, plus academic, purchaser and consumer representatives, involved in policy development and special projects around integrated health care and managed care.
• An Overview of Managed Care The work of the Graduate Program in Public Health University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and Rutgers University.
• Health Insurance Law from Free Advice Whoever said free advice was worth the price was wrong in this case.
• Health Care Fraud Prevention and Detection (WEDI Technical Advisory Group White Paper) Health care fraud is an intentional deception or misrepresentation that the individual or entity makes knowing that the misrepresentation could result in some unauthorized benefit to the individual, or the entity or to some other party.
• Common Health Care Fraud Schemes Nice summary from the Law Offices of William Ramsey.
• Fraud in Medicare One estimate states that fraud and abuse cost Medicare and Medicaid about $33 billion each year. Worse, it's ridiculously easy to cheat the federal government and taxpayers out of millions of Medicare and Medicaid dollars, according to three convicted felons appearing yesterday before a Senate panel.
• HRSA Division of Transplantation (DOT) Principal responsibilities include the management of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR), and the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) contracts, public education to increase organ/tissue donation and technical assistance to organ procurement organizations (OPOs).
• HRSA Fact Sheet: Improving Fairness and Effectiveness in Allocating Organs for Transplantation The rule, which becomes effective 90 days after publication, sets requirements for the structure of and membership in the OPTN; the OPTN policy making process, including the Secretary's oversight role; standardized criteria for placing transplant candidates on a national waiting list; identification of organ recipients; equitable organ procurement and allocation; designation of transplant programs; review and evaluation of OPTN activities; and record maintenance and reporting by the OPTN, OPOs and transplant hospitals.
• Cyber Hazards: Legal and Ethical Pitfalls in Using the Internet ©Richard R. Orsinger The areas of concern, regarding legal and ethical hazards for lawyers using the Internet, that are covered by this Article, are: advertising and soliciting, communicating with represented parties, unauthorized practice of law, preserving client confidentiality, malpractice, libel, and violation of intellectual property rights.
• Havard Risk Management The Risk Management Foundation of the Harvard Medical Institutions (now doing business as Harvard Risk Management Foundation, HRM) was incorporated by the Harvard medical institutions in 1979 as a charitable, medical, and educational organization, HRM serves the Harvard institutions as their agent for the purpose of handling all claims matters.
• Managed Care Contract Review Checklist The following checklist, developed by Andre Hampton, attorney/mediator, describes provisions which would be in a physician's best interest in a managed care contract.
• A Checklist For Reviewing Managed Care Contracts Susan E. Ziel. This article reviews important contract provisions that must be clarified, revised, and finalized to the satisfaction of the provider and his or her legal counsel, before "signing on the dotted line."
• McDermott, Will & Emory Health Law Update One of the few firms that keeps its health law pages up to date.
• Reed Smith Publications Another firm that updates its health law pages periodically.
• Health Administration Press: Health Law Publications Descriptions, TOCs and ordering information.
• Mental Health Law & Policy From The Louis De La Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.
• Internet Mental Health A free encyclopedia of mental health information designed by a Canadian psychiatrist, Dr. Phillip Long, and programmed by his colleague, Brian Chow.
• Genetics and the Law Nice short list of semi-relevant links.
• Website Garage With automated feedback for Health Hippo -- who needs reader feedback anymore? (hint)
• Consumer Information Center's Health Page The place to get all those government publications from Pueblo, CO.
• Public Health Law This is a syllabus developed Terry O'Brien, an Assistant Attorney General of Minnesota. Mr. O'Brien taught the course at the University of Minnesota School of Law in Spring 1996.
• Teaching Public Health Law (Reprinted from The Law Teacher) By Edward P. Richards. Last spring semester, I taught a new course entitled The Constitution and the Public's Health. This essay reports what I learned in doing this, and what I hope students can learn from a public health law course.
• EPIC's Medical Record Privacy Page Whatsoever things I see or hear concerning the life of men, in my attentance on the sick or even apart therefrom, which ought not be noised abroad, I will keep silence thereon, counting such things to be as sacred secrets.
• Topical Index: State Health Statutes on the Internet From Cornell's Legal Information Institute.
• European Journal of Health Law: Volume & Issue Summaries.
• BehaveNet® Behavioral Health Law U.S. and 50 state survey of mental health laws.
• Standard Forms From the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Electronic Forms library.
• National Health Law Program The National Health Law Program is a national public interest law firm that seeks to improve health care for America's working and unemployed poor, minorities, the elderly and people with disabilities. Excellent pages -- from a different perspective than the AHLA.
• Model Medicaid Managed Care Contract Provisions (NHLP) On these pages you will find some model provisions that can be included in Medicaid managed care contracts to ensure that they are consumer oriented. To aid advocates and consumers, some bottom-line model provisions are listed below.
• Negotiating the New Health Care System: A Nationwide Study of Medicaid Managed Care Contracts In conjunction with the Center for Health Policy Research, CHCS has produced the following features related to Medicaid managed care contract language from 1996 and 1997 state contracts and RFPs (CHPR).
• Wallace Stegner Environmental Center We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in. For it can be a means of reassuring ourselves of our sanity as creatures a part of the geography of hope.
• Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act This site contains background information related to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, as well as resources for incorporating ANCSA in the school curriculum.
• National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare The National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare was created by Congress in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and is charged with examining the Medicare program and making recommendations to strengthen and improve it in time for the retirement of the "Baby Boomers." The Commission must issue its report to the Congress and the Administration by March 1, 1999.

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