Alexandria, VA – The Alliance for Pharmaceutical Care will offer health screenings and present information on vital healthcare issues at “Pharmacist Central”, the Alliance’s exhibition at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) 2009 Legislative Summit, July 20-24 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Alliance for Pharmaceutical Care is a consortium of nine national organizations working together to educate the public, policy makers and other key decision makers about the important role that pharmacists play in the ever-evolving healthcare system.

At a time when the debate over healthcare reform is being played out in the nation’s Capitol and in state governments, a visit to the NCSL Summit, Pharmacist Central is a “must-do.”  The exhibition presents an opportunity for legislators and other attendees to witness first-hand the wide range of patient care services that pharmacists provide on a daily basis.

Continuing a long tradition, pharmacists will perform health screenings and patient counseling, focusing on blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, bone density, body fat analysis, respiratory screening, and heartburn awareness.   Pharmacists also will be available to provide medication reviews for state legislators.  Participants are invited to bring a list of all current medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and herbal/dietary supplements.

Prescription medications play an increasingly vital role in modern healthcare, and new medications continue to improve health outcomes and quality of life in patients with both acute and chronic diseases.  Pharmacists, our nation’s medication experts, are on the frontlines advancing patient care, improving patient safety, and utilizing technology to improve patient outcomes.

As lawmakers face the challenges of healthcare policy in their states, the Alliance will provide insight on valuable initiatives and programs that can increase access, reduce costs, and improve overall patient care and health care outcomes.

WHO: Pharmacists, legislators, and representatives of the Alliance for
Pharmaceutical Care

WHAT: Alliance for Pharmaceutical Care exhibit at the
NCSL 2009 Legislative Summit

WHEN: Tuesday, July 21 – Thursday, July 23, 2009

For more information, daily schedules and media registration, visit:
http://www.ncsl.org/summit or www.pharmacist.com/allianceforpc

WHERE: Booth #705
Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Alliance Media Contacts:

Sharon Corbitt, (202) 429-7537; scorbitt@aphanet.org
American Pharmacists Association (APhA)

Chrissy Kopple, (703) 837-4266; ckopple@nacds.org
National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)

Aretha Hankinson, (301) 664-8799; ahankinson@ashp.org
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)

Valerie Briggs, (703) 838-2686; valerie.briggs@ncpanet.org
National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)

Carolyn Stables, (703) 683-8416; cstables@amcp.org
Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)

John McGlew, (202) 756-2227, jmcglew@accp.com
American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)

Rebecca Snead, (804) 285-4431, rsnead@naspa.us
National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA)

Rebecca Morgan, (703) 739-2330 x1032, rmorgan@aacp.org
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)

Christen Massar, (281) 798-6441, christen@iacprx.org
International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP)

The members of the Alliance of Pharmaceutical Care are:

• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
• American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)
• Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)
• American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
• American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)
• International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP)
• National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA)
• National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)
• National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)

Media Advisory: Value of Pharmacists Will Be on Display at Annual NCSL Summit- PHARMACY is a post from: Pharmacy in jobs, news, schools

This is the second year of the American Medical Association’s National Health Insurer Report Card, which measures the nation’s eight largest health insurers on claim denials, timeliness, accuracy and transparency.

“We are encouraged that health insurers took the AMA’s initial report card findings seriously and made improvements, but the new results from this year’s report card shows there is still work to do,” said Dr. William A. Dolan, AMA board member.

According to the report, the percentage of medical claims denied in 2008 ranged from Medicare’s 6.9 percent to UnitedHealthcare’s 2.7 percent. The percentages improved this year, ranging from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield’s high of 4.3 percent to Aetna’s low claim denial rate of 1.8 percent.

Paul Marchetti, head of Aetna’s National Networks and Contracting Services, said he shares the AMA’s goal and appreciates its ongoing effort to make interactions with physicians easier. Aetna has 800,000 North Texas plan members.

“We are proud of the progress we have made,” he said.

Humana’s internal report card, where the insurer grades itself, found that 94 percent of claims are paid within 14 days with more than 99 percent accuracy, said Anna Hobbs, Humana spokeswoman

To see more of The Dallas Morning News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dallasnews.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, The Dallas Morning News

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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American Medical Association report card ranks insurers’ efficiency: Blue Cross Blue Shield ranks highest in denials, Aetna ranks lowest [The Dallas Morning News]

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