Health Policy Tracking Service (HPTS) Library on WestlawNext

Keep current on healthcare law developments anywhere in the country. HPTS makes it easy with Snapshots — concise pictures of current healthcare legislation — and Issue Briefs — expert analysis and guidance on hot topics in healthcare.

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Health Policy Tracking Service (HPTS)
Sample Scenarios and Searches

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Of interest to:

• Attorneys who represent health insurance companies
• Attorneys who represent clients they believe may have been denied health insurance coverage improperly
• Attorneys who advise businesses that provide health insurance to their employees
• Elder Law attorneys
• Members of federal and state legislatures

Scenario:

An attorney needs to know the requirements for her client to become part of a high-risk pool so that the client who has been found uninsurable can receive coverage.

Solution:

Search Terms and Connectors: "HIGH RISK POOL" /P ELIGIBILITY
Database: HPTSIB-ACC (Issue Briefs for Access to Health Insurance)

Contents:

• Snapshots on Access to Health Insurance (issued every two weeks)
• Issue Briefs on Access to Health:
• Health Purchasing Alliances: An Alternative for Small Employers (Year End Report - 2004)
• High-Risk Pools: Coverage for the Uninsurable (Year End Report - 2004)
• Access to Health Insurance (updated quarterly)

Of interest to:

• Attorneys who represent healthcare providers, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities
• Elder law attorneys
• Attorneys who do medical malpractice
• Public policy analysts
• Members of federal and state legislatures

Scenario:

An attorney has a client who thinks his grandfather may have died from injuries received after falling out of bed in his nursing home. He believes the accident may have been related to the fact that the facility does not have enough nurses on duty to handle the number of patients.

Solution:

Search Natural Language: Nurse Patient Ratio
Database: HPTSIB-PRF (Issue Briefs for Health Care Providers and Facilities)

Contents:

• Snapshots on Access to Health Providers and Facilities (issued every two weeks)
• Issue Briefs on Access to Health Care Providers and Facilities:
• Alternative and Complementary Providers (Year End Report - 2004)
• Certificate of Need (Year End Report - 2004)
• Health Facilities (Year End Report - 2004)
• Medical Errors and Patient Safety (Year End Report - 2004)
• Medical Malpractice and Tort Reform (Year End Report - 2004)
• Nursing Shortages (Year End Report - 2004)
• Scope of Practice and Prescriptive Authority (Year End Report - 2004)
• Telehealth (Year End Report - 2004)
• Access and Dispensing Emergency Contraception (updated quarterly)
• Health Facilities (updated quarterly)
• Medical Errors and Patient Safety (updated quarterly)
• Medical Malpractice and Tort Reform (updated quarterly)
• Nurse Workforce (updated quarterly)

Of interest to:

• Healthcare attorneys who represent HMOs, doctors, hospitals
• Attorneys who represent health insurance companies
• Elder law attorneys
• Attorneys handling grievances and appeals regarding HMOs
• General counsel for health insurance companies
• Health insurance compliance workers
• Attorneys who do medical malpractice
• Public policy analysts
• Members of federal and state legislatures

Scenario:

An attorney needs to know if there is mandatory coverage for diabetes in California.

Solution:

Search Terms and Connectors: diabetes /s coverage /p California
Database: HPTSIB-IOV (Issue Briefs for Health Insurance Oversight)

Contents:

• Snapshots on Access to Health Insurance Oversight (issued every two weeks)
• Issue Briefs on Access to Health Insurance Oversight:
• Managed Care (Year End Report - 2004)
• Managed Care - 2004 Legislative Actions
• Mandated Benefits: Policy Alternatives to Mandated Benefit Legislation (Year End Report - 2004)
• Mandated Benefits: Breast Cancer Screening Coverage Requirements (Year End Report - 2004)
• Mandated Benefits: Cervical Cancer Screening Coverage Requirements (Year End Report - 2004)
• Mandated Benefits: Clinical Trial Coverage Requirements (Year End Report - 2004)
• Mandated Benefits: Colorectal Cancer Screening Coverage Requirements (Year End Report - 2004)
• Mandated Benefits: Contraceptive Coverage Requirements (Year End Report - 2004)
• Mandated Benefits: Diabetes Coverage Requirements (Year End Report - 2004)
• Mandated Benefits: Infertility Treatment Coverage Requirements (Year End Report - 2004)
• Mandated Benefits: Inpatient Maternity Stay Coverage Requirements (Year End Report - 2004)
• Mandated Benefits: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coverage Requirements (Year End Report - 2004)
• Mandated Benefits: Off-Label Drug Coverage Requirements (Year End Report - 2004)
• Mandated Benefits: Osteoporosis Coverage Requirements (Year End Report - 2004)
• Mandated Benefits: Prostate Cancer Screening Coverage Requirements (Year End Report - 2004)
• Mandated Benefits: Overview of 2005 Legislative Activity

Of interest to:

• Healthcare attorneys who represent HMOs, doctors, hospitals
• Attorneys who represent health insurance companies
• Elder law attorneys
• Attorneys who do medical malpractice
• Public policy analysts
• Members of federal and state legislatures

Scenario:

An attorney advising elderly clients or their families would like to track state initiatives to provide innovative care and treatment to Alzheimer patients both in the home and in long-term care facilities.

Solution:

Search Terms and Connectors: Alzheimer /s care
Database: HPTSIB-LTC (Issue Briefs for Long-Term Care)

Contents:

• Snapshots on Long-Term Care (issued every two weeks)
• Issue Briefs on Long-Term Care:
• Assisted Living (Year-End Report - 2004)
• End of Life Issues (Year End Report - 2004)
• Family Caregiving (Year End Report - 2004)
• Long-Term Care Insurance (Year End Report - 2004)
• Nursing Home Liability Insurance (Year End Report - 2004)
• Nursing Home Staffing Standards (Year End Report - 2004)
• Assisted Living (updated quarterly)
• End of Life Issues (updated quarterly)
• Home- and Community-Based Services (updated quarterly)
• Long-Term Care Insurance (updated quarterly)
• Nursing Home Quality and Safety (updated quarterly)

Of interest to:

• Healthcare attorneys who represent HMOs, doctors, hospitals
• Attorneys who represent health insurance companies
• Elder law attorneys
• Public policy analysts
• Members of federal and state legislatures

Scenario:

An attorney who represents a number of healthcare providers wants to keep up to date on what is happening in her state regarding Medicaid.

Solution:

WestClip: enter the name of the state the attorney wants to track

Database: HPTSS-MDC (Snapshots on Medicaid)

Contents:

• Snapshots on Medicaid (issued every two weeks)
• Issue Briefs on Medicaid:
• Medicaid: Benefits and Services (Year End Report - 2004)
• Medicaid: Eligibility (Year End Report - 2004)
• Medicaid: Provider Reimbursement (Year End Report - 2004)
• Medicaid: Waivers (Year End Report - 2004)
• Medicaid: Benefits and Services (updated quarterly)
• Medicaid: Eligibility (updated quarterly)
• Medicaid: Provider Reimbursement (updated quarterly)
• Medicaid: Waivers (updated quarterly)

Of interest to:

• Healthcare attorneys who represent HMOs, doctors, hospitals, rehabilitation or treatment facilities
• Attorneys who represent health insurance companies
• Attorneys who represent pharmaceutical manufacturers
• Attorneys who represent drug stores
• Elder law attorneys
• Public policy analysts
• Members of federal and state legislatures

Scenario:

An elder law attorney in Arizona wants to stay current on developing drug programs and the ability to import drugs from Canada.

Solution:

WestClip: Arizona
Database: HPTSS-PHR (Snapshots on Pharmaceuticals)

Contents:

• Snapshots on Pharmaceuticals (issued every two weeks)
• Issue Briefs on Pharmaceuticals:
• Generic and Therapeutic Substitution (Year End Report - 2004)
• Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (Year End Report - 2004)
• Pharmaceutical Cost Control (Year End Report - 2004)
• Medicare Modernization Act (updated quarterly)
• Pharmaceutical Cost Controls (updated quarterly)
• Drug Importation (updated quarterly)
• Pharmacy Benefit Management Regulations (updated quarterly)