April is Autism Awareness Month

What is HIPP?

The State of Alaska has unveiled a NEW program designed to help qualified Denali Kid Care/Medicaid recipients pay for private health insurance!  If your employer offers health insurance but you are unable to afford the monthly premiums AND you or a member of your household is eligible for Medicaid or Denali Kid Care, you may be eligible to participate in the Health Insurance Premium Payment (HIPP) program.  Once you are enrolled in HIPP, you only need to provide proof of premium payment to be reimbursed monthly by the State of Alaska.  Sounds good?  Call Kristen Nilsson, AYFN's own Insurance Coordinator, at 770-4979 to find out more information and complete the HIPP application (or any other Medicaid, waiver or Denali Kid Care application). 

Timeline of health care reform law measures

The major expansion of coverage for uninsured workers and their families won't come until 2014. Parts of the plan won't be fully phased in for a decade, but ultimately 94 percent of eligible Americans would have coverage. Here's a timeline of some changes:
2010
-- Sets up a high-risk health insurance pool to provide affordable coverage for uninsured people with medical problems.
-- Starting in September, requires all health insurance plans to maintain dependent coverage for children until they turn 26; prohibits insurers from denying coverage to children because of pre-existing health problems.
-- Bars insurance companies from putting lifetime dollar limits on coverage, and canceling policies except for fraud.
2011
-- Boosts funding for community health centers, which provide basic care for many low-income and uninsured people.
-- Imposes $2.3 billion annual fee on drugmakers, increasing over time.
2014
-- Prohibits insurers from denying coverage to people with medical problems, or refusing to renew their policy. Health plans cannot limit coverage based on pre-existing conditions, or charge higher rates to those in poor health. Premiums can only vary by age (no more than 3-to-1), place of residence, family size and tobacco use.

Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis a 'Poor Fit' for many children

Dig out old prescriptions and get rid of them at disposal event

Residents can dispose of unwanted prescription drugs on April 14 in Anchorage. The safe-disposal event takes place from 9 a.m. to noon at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, 1300 E. 19th Ave., according to Alaska State Troopers. Organizers of the free event said it is illegal for anyone other than the prescribed patient to possess medications but those who turn over prescription drugs for proper disposal won't be prosecuted. Flushing medication down the toilet is discouraged, troopers said.

For more information, contact Mary Sullivan, program manager of the Seniors Behavioral Health Coalition, at 565-1214.

Read more: http://www.adn.com/2010/03/27/1202281/dig-out-old-prescriptions-and.html#ixzz0jhu4FBYC

Arcane Trivia: US Government poisoned alcohol during Prohibition, may have killed 10,000 or more

Aiming to discourage illegal drinking during Prohibition, the U.S. government spiked alcohol with deadly poisons that may have killed 10,000 or more Americans. Accidental alcohol poisoning from so-called bathtub gin was relatively common during Prohibition, but the problem was exacerbated by the government's policy of adding poison to industrial alcohol to prevent its diversion. The "chemist's war of Prohibition" -- called a "national experiment in extermination" by New York City's chief medical officer at the time, Charles Norris -- began after law enforcement succeeded  in slowing illegal alcohol shipments from abroad and criminal mobs began seeking alcohol from industrial sources to redistill.

Since 1906, the government had mandated that industrial alcohol be denatured -- chemicals were added to render it (supposedly) undrinkable. When chemists employed by bootleggers were able to get around this, however, the government decided to add more deadly poisons to the mix, including kerosene, gasoline, benzene, and acetone. The amount of toxic methyl alcohol also was increased to 10 percent. As drinkers started dying, public outcry over the program mounted. Health agencies issued warnings, and lawmakers pushed to end the program. "Only one possessing the instincts of a wild beast would desire to kill or make blind the man who takes a drink of liquor, even if he purchased it from one violating the Prohibition statutes," said Sen. James Reed of Missouri. The policy quietly ended before Prohibition did in 1933.

Source: http://www.slate.com/id/2245188/


AYFN Recommended Read: Ten Things every Child with Autism wishes You knew
by Ellen Notbohm

Every parent, teacher, social worker, therapist, and physician should have this succinct and informative book in his/her back pocket. Framed with both humor and compassion, the book defines the top ten characteristics that illuminate the minds and hearts of children with autism. Ellen’s personal experiences as a parent, an autism columnist, and a contributor to numerous parenting magazines coalesce to create a guide for all who come in contact with a child on the autism spectrum. Don’t buy just one of this book — buy one for everyone who interacts with your child! Give the gift of understanding.

Interested in this Recommended read?  Go to: http://astore.amazon.com/alayouandfamn-20/detail/1932565302 to purchase this book.  Amazon donates a portion of the purchase price to AYFN so we can contiunue working with Alaskan families!

  AYFN Statewide Groups and Classes

In Anchorage : Join us for our interactive youth classes. Two classes are offered for youth ages 16-25, "Get Your S*#@ Together, Keep Your S*#@ Together!"(WRAP for Youth), and "Mood and Affective Skill Building (Anger Management)". Do you feel your life is out of control or that everything is swirling around you? We can help you pull it together, without blowing your top. Contact: will@ayfn.org for class info and registration!

YouthMOVE Alaska is here at AYFN! Help Will and all of Alaska become part of the nationwide collaboration of youth who want to improve services for youth! It's not just a group, it is a movement! Take part in YouthMOVE in the valley (third Monday of the month, 4-5pm), or in Anchorage at the AYFN office on Northern Lights (Wednesdays, 5-6:30 pm). See our calendar of Upcoming Events for details or contact Will at: will@ayfn.org.

Parent-to-parent support and youth groups are every Friday of the month from 6pm to 8pm. A light meal is served. AYFN is located at 401 E. Northern Lights, Suite 100, Anchorage, AK. For more info, contact us at: will@ayfn.org or regina@ayfn.org.

In Mat-Su : Parent & Youth Support Groups are held every Friday from 6:00 to 8:00pm at the Matanuska Christian School, 248 East Elmwood Avenue. For more information on the Parent Support Groups, call Vickie at 907-715-0707 or email at: vickie @ayfn.org.  Shae at shae@ayfn.org or 907-982-4998 can provide information about the youth group.