HME Bookshelf

Making Medicaid Work: A Practical Guide for Transforming Medicaid

Researched and written by medical and legislative authorities including Rishabh Mehrotra, president and CEO of health advocacy group SHPS, and Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House and founder of the Center for Health Transformation, this guide compiles best practices and emerging health care trends into a roadmap for comprehensive Medicaid reform.

As the program continues to provide services to 50 million Americans and long-term care for 20 percent of the nation's seniors — all at unsustainable costs — its authors hope the text will spur open dialogue on Medicaid reform.

Among their recommendations for the $320 billion program, which is expected to grow to $580 billion by 2016? Shifting expenses to Medicare.

“Only 50 percent of doctors will accept a new Medicaid patient — compared to more than 70 percent for Medicare and privately insured patients … Shift some of the cost burden — particularly costs associated with long-term care for the frail elderly — to Medicare or other government programs.” — Making Medicaid Work, page 11

With health care reform ranking near the top of America's “to-do” list, Making Medicaid Work: A Practical Guide for Transforming Medicaid gives a glimpse into the authors' view for the future of all government health care programs. Copies are available via the SHPS Web site at http://www.shps.com/corp/home/index.stm.

The Comfort of Home Caregiver Guide Series

Whether a patient suffers from chronic lung disease, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis or stroke, The Comfort of Home series has a step-by-step guide for the in-home caregiver.

Divided into three parts — “Getting Ready”, “Day By Day” and “Additional Resources” — the books in the series outline the best practices for specified home care, practical tips for activities of daily living as well as pointers for more difficult challenges and wide-ranging lists for resources, further reading and study. Each installment is illustrated for easy reference and includes money-saving ideas to prevent injuries and infections, which might result in extensive — and expensive — hospital stays.