Lance's Corner

USDOL Highlights Men's Health

Jun 21, 2024

Per the notice below, the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) is highlighting men's health.

For Men, Taking Care of Your Family Means Taking Care of Yourself

 

A man with fair skin and dark hair wearing glasses while seated on a couch speaking with a therapist that is wearing a green button shirt and writing on a clipboard. 

June is not only when we celebrate Father’s Day but also when we observe Men’s Health Month.  This is no coincidence since we know that many men, particularly fathers, neglect their health.  Work and family responsibilities take priority over that doctor’s appointment you should have scheduled months ago.  That’s why this is the right time for you to start taking better care of yourself so you can take care of your family.  There are health benefit laws that can help you through your job-based health coverage.  For example, the Affordable Care Act provides access to preventive services such as cancer screenings, diabetes tests, blood pressure checks, cholesterol screenings, help quitting smoking, and some forms of nutritional counseling – often with no out-of-pocket costs.  This ensures you can receive comprehensive services at every stage of your life and helps you prioritize your health.  Your health plan also may cover mental health services such as counseling, therapy, and screenings for anxiety.  Mental health parity laws generally require that mental health and substance use disorder benefits without greater restrictions than medical and surgical benefits.  When seeking treatment, you shouldn’t face barriers or roadblocks that don’t exist for medical and surgical benefits.  Remember, your mental health is as crucial as your physical health to your overall well-being.  It’s important to break the silence and normalize conversations about mental health issues, encouraging others to seek the help they need to improve their quality of life.  Getting started is simple:

  1. Review your health plan documents.  Find out what your plan covers and what it costs.  Review your plan’s summary plan description (SPD) and/or your Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC).  Contact your health plan administrator for a copy if you need it.  The Employee Benefits Security Administration’s (EBSA) publication, Top 10 Ways to Make Your Health Benefits Work for You, can help you make the most of your benefits.
  2. Take advantage of preventive services.  Get the necessary screenings and check-ups to keep a minor inconvenience from turning into a major crisis.  Early detection can improve treatment outcomes and quality of life.
  3. Participate in wellness programs.  Many employers and health plans offer wellness programs to promote healthy habits and lifestyles.  These may include fitness challenges, nutrition workshops, stress management seminars, and smoking cessation programs.  Check with your employer, your health plan administrator, and your plan SPD/SBC to see whether such programs are available and how you can get involved.
  4. Use mental health and substance use disorder benefits.  Find out what services are available to you and use these services.  Addressing mental health concerns can positively impact your overall health.  Learn more about your mental health benefit protections in EBSA’s publication, Understanding Your Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Benefits.
  5. If you have questions, contact EBSA.  EBSA has benefits advisors to help you understand your benefits and how to use them.  You can reach them by visiting us online at askebsa.dol.gov or by calling 1-866-444-3272.

Use this focus on men’s health and appreciation of the fathers in our lives to empower yourself to be proactive about your health.  Learning about your health plan and benefit protections now will help you make informed decisions about your health care to keep you healthy and strong.  By taking care of your health, you can be a role model and a steward of good health to your family, friends, coworkers, and colleagues.  This June, give yourself the gift of good health – it’s a gift that keeps on giving!

USDOL Issues Comprehensive Employer Guidance on Long COVID

The United States Department of Labor (USDOL) has issued a comprehensive set of resources that can be accessed below for employers on dealing with Long COVID.

Supporting Employees with Long COVID: A Guide for Employers

The “Supporting Employees with Long COVID” guide from the USDOL-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) and Job Accommodation Network (JAN) addresses the basics of Long COVID, including its intersection with mental health, and common workplace supports for different symptoms.  It also explores employers’ responsibilities to provide reasonable accommodations and answers frequently asked questions about Long COVID and employment, including inquiries related to telework and leave.

Download the guide

Accommodation and Compliance: Long COVID

The Long COVID Accommodation and Compliance webpage from the USDOL-funded Job Accommodation Network (JAN) helps employers and employees understand strategies for supporting workers with Long COVID.  Topics include Long COVID in the context of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), specific accommodation ideas based on limitations or work-related functions, common situations and solutions, and questions to consider when identifying effective accommodations for employees with Long COVID.  Find this and other Long COVID resources from JAN, below:

Long COVID, Disability and Underserved Communities: Recommendations for Employers

The research-to-practice brief “Long COVID, Disability and Underserved Communities” synthesizes an extensive review of documents, literature and data sources, conducted by the USDOL-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) on the impact of Long COVID on employment, with a focus on demographic differences.  It also outlines recommended actions organizations can take to create a supportive and inclusive workplace culture for people with Long COVID, especially those with disabilities who belong to other historically underserved groups.

Read the brief

Long COVID and Disability Accommodations in the Workplace

The policy brief “Long COVID and Disability Accommodations in the Workplace” explores Long COVID’s impact on the workforce and provides examples of policy actions different states are taking to help affected people remain at work or return when ready.  It was developed by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) as part of its involvement in USDOL’s State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED) initiative.

Download the policy brief

Understanding and Addressing the Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID

The report “Understanding and Addressing the Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID” summarizes key themes and takeaways from an ePolicyWorks national online dialogue through which members of the public were invited to share their experiences and insights regarding workplace challenges posed by Long COVID.  The dialogue took place during summer 2022 and was hosted by USDOL and its agencies in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Surgeon General.

Download the report

Working with Long COVID

The USDOL-published “Working with Long COVID” fact sheet shares strategies for supporting workers with Long COVID, including accommodations for common symptoms and resources for further guidance and assistance with specific situations.

Download the fact sheet

COVID-19: Long-Term Symptoms

This USDOL motion graphic informs workers with Long COVID that they may be entitled to temporary or long-term supports to help them stay on the job or return to work when ready, and shares where they can find related assistance.

Watch the motion graphic

A Personal Story of Long COVID and Disability Disclosure

In the podcast “A Personal Story of Long COVID and Disability Disclosure,” Pam Bingham, senior program manager for Intuit’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Tech team, shares her personal experience of navigating Long COVID symptoms at work.  The segment was produced by the USDOL-funded Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT) as part of its ongoing “Future of Work” podcast series.

Listen to the podcast

HHS OIG Issues Annual Report on State MFCUs

Per the notice below, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued its annual report on the performance of state Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs).

Medicaid Fraud Control Units Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report (OEI-09-24-00200) 

Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs) investigate and prosecute Medicaid provider fraud and patient abuse or neglect. OIG is the Federal agency that oversees and annually approves federal funding for MFCUs through a recertification process. This new report analyzed the statistical data on annual case outcomes—such as convictions, civil settlements and judgments, and recoveries—that the 53 MFCUs submitted for Fiscal Year 2023.  New York data is as follows:

Outcomes

  • Investigations1 - 556
  • Indicted/Charged - 9
  • Convictions - 8
  • Civil Settlements/Judgments - 28
  • Recoveries2 - $73,204,518

Resources

  • MFCU Expenditures3 - $55,964,293
  • Staff on Board4 - 257

1Investigations are defined as the total number of open investigations at the end of the fiscal year.

2Recoveries are defined as the amount of money that defendants are required to pay as a result of a settlement, judgment, or prefiling settlement in criminal and civil cases and may not reflect actual collections.  Recoveries may involve cases that include participation by other Federal and State agencies.

3MFCU and Medicaid Expenditures include both State and Federal expenditures.

4Staff on Board is defined as the total number of staff employed by the Unit at the end of the fiscal year.

Read the Full Report

View the Statistical Chart

Engage with the Interactive Map

GAO Issues Report on Medicaid Managed Care Service Denials and Appeal Outcomes

The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes.  GAO found that federal oversight is limited because it doesn't require states to report on Medicaid managed care service denials or appeal outcomes and there has not been much progress on plans to analyze and make the data publicly available.  To read the GAO report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes, use the first link below.  To read GAO highlights of the report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes, use the second link below.
https://www.gao.gov/assets/d24106627.pdf  (GAO report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes)
https://www.gao.gov/assets/d24106627_high.pdf  (GAO highlights on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes)

CMS Issues Latest Medicare Regulatory Activities Update

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its latest update on its regulatory activities in the Medicare program.  While dentistry is only minimally connected to the Medicare program, Medicare drives the majority of health care policies and insurance reimbursement policies throughout the country.  Therefore, it always pays to keep a close eye on what CMS is doing in Medicare.  To read the latest CMS update on its regulatory activities in Medicare, use the link below.
https://www.cms.gov/training-education/medicare-learning-network/newsletter/2024-03-14-mlnc