Safe Kids

Everyone loves a good scare on Halloween, but not when it comes to the safety of those little trick-or-treaters. Fortunately, there are a lot of easy things parents and kids can do to stay safe on the spookiest of holidays. Share these Halloween safety tips with your patients:

Top Tips for Halloween Safety

1. Carry glow sticks or flashlights, use reflective tape or stickers on costumes and bags and wear light colors to help kids see and be seen by drivers.
2. Join kids under age 12 for trick-or-treating.
3. Slow down and be alert! Kids are excited on Halloween and may dart into the street. Turn on headlights early in the day to spot kids from further away.
4. Remind kids to cross the street at corners or crosswalks.
5. When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls. Choose face paint over masks when possible. Masks can limit children’s vision.

Here are a few more Halloween safety tips.

NAMI

Please share these resources with your patients eligible for KanCare benefits. This handy card describes the new counseling and pharmacy benefits to support KanCare members who are seeking to end their dependence on tobacco.  Click here to order copies or to download a high resolution file to print copies for your use as well as a series of four full-color 11×17 posters which are available to promote the new KanCare benefits.

Share these two short videos to drive utilization of the expanded benefits:  a peer-to-peer video featuring a patient who successfully used the KanCare benefits to quit tobacco and a provider video featuring a physician who is encouraging other providers to engage patients to utilize cessation benefits.

Click on these links for more detailed guidance from KanCare about the expanded counseling benefits  and the expanded pharmacy benefits.

CMS

The Medicare Plan Finder, the most used tool on Medicare.gov, allows users to shop and compare Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. The updated Medicare Plan Finder provides a personalized experience through a mobile friendly and easy-to-read design that will help users learn about different options and select coverage that best meets their health needs. The new Plan Finder walks users through the Medicare Advantage and Part D enrollment process from start to finish and allows people to view and compare many of the supplemental benefits that Medicare Advantage plans offer. Please share this webinar opportunity with your patients and staff.

New Open Enrollment 2019 Plan Finder Preview and Walk-Through Webinar

Monday, September 30, 2019
12:00 – 1:30 pm                                                                         

Wednesday, October 2, 2019
12:00 – 1:30 pm                                                                         

Access Information for both webinars:

1. Please call the following number: 1-877-267-1577
2. Follow the instructions you hear on the phone.
3. Enter Meeting Number: 999 693 113#
4. To join this meeting online and view demonstration, go to https://meetings.cms.gov/orion/joinmeeting.do?MTID=a303533006f6faf9a0803b0ba25739ff

CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Health Advisory for Severe Pulmonary Disease Associated with Using E-Cigarette Products. The health advisory provides background information and recommendations for clinicians, public health officials, and the public based on currently available information. Below are recommendations for you from the CDC. Please read the CDC Health Advisory in its entirety.

Recommendations for Clinicians

1. Report cases of severe pulmonary disease of unclear etiology and a history of e-cigarette product use within the past 90 days to your state or local health department. Reporting of cases may help CDC and state health departments determine the cause or causes of these pulmonary illnesses.
2. Ask all patients who report e-cigarette product use within the last 90 days about signs and symptoms of pulmonary illness.
3. If e-cigarette product use is suspected as a possible etiology of a patient’s severe pulmonary disease, obtain detailed history regarding:

• Substance(s) used: nicotine, cannabinoids (e.g., marijuana, THC, THC concentrates, CBD, CBD oil, synthetic cannabinoids [e.g., K2 or spice], hash oil, Dank vapes), flavors, or other substances
• Substance source(s): commercially available liquids (i.e., bottles, cartridges, or pods), homemade liquids, and re-use of old cartridges or pods with homemade or commercially bought liquids
• Device(s) used: manufacturer; brand name; product name; model; serial number of the product, device, or e-liquid; if the device can be customized by the user; and any product modifications by the user (e.g., exposure of the atomizer or heating coil)
• Where the product(s) were purchased
• Method of substance use: aerosolization, dabbing, or dripping
• Other potential cases: sharing e-cigarette products (devices, liquids, refill pods, or cartridges) with others

4. Determine if any remaining product, including devices and liquids, are available for testing. Testing can be coordinated with the local or state health departments.
5. Consider all possible causes of illness in patients reporting respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms and of e-cigarette product use. Evaluate and treat for other possible causes of illness (e.g., infectious, rheumatologic, neoplastic) as clinically indicated. Consider consultation with specialists (pulmonary, infectious disease, critical care, medical toxicology) as appropriate.
6. Clinical improvement of patients with severe pulmonary disease associated with e-cigarette use has been reported with the use of corticosteroids. The decision to use corticosteroids should be made on a case-by-case basis based on risks and benefits and the likelihood of other etiologies.
7. Lipoid pneumonia associated with inhalation of lipids in aerosols generated by e-cigarettes has been reported based on the detection of lipid-laden alveolar macrophages obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lipid staining (e.g., oil red O). The decision about whether to perform a BAL should be based on individual clinical circumstances.
8. Lung biopsies have been performed on some patients. If a lung biopsy is obtained, lipid staining may be considered during pathologic examination, and is best performed on fresh tissue. Routine pathology tissue processing (including formalin-fixation and paraffin-embedding) can remove lipids. Conducting routine tissue processing and histopathologic evaluation is still important. Consider consultation with specialists in pulmonary medicine and pathology to help inform any evaluation plan.
9. Patients who have received treatment for severe pulmonary disease related to e-cigarette product use should undergo follow-up evaluation as clinically indicated to monitor pulmonary function.