The month of May has been designated Hepatitis Awareness Month<http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HepAwarenessMonth.htm> and May 19 is the first ever National Hepatitis Testing Day<http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/TestingDay/index.htm>. Every year, approximately 15,000 Americans die from liver cancer or chronic liver disease associated with viral hepatitis. Despite this, viral hepatitis is not well known. In fact, as many as 75 percent of the millions of Americans with chronic viral hepatitis don't know they're infected. Please join CMS in support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Know More Hepatitis" national education initiative aimed to decrease the burden of chronic viral hepatitis by increasing awareness about this hidden epidemic and encouraging people who may be chronically infected to get tested.
Medicare provides coverage of the hepatitis B vaccine and its administration for certain individuals at high or intermediate risk. Increased provider knowledge has been shown to improve delivery of preventive services, including those for viral hepatitis. By educating yourself on this hidden epidemic, you can help save lives and decrease this epidemic's burden. As a healthcare provider for people with Medicare, discuss with eligible patients who may be at high or intermediate risk, whether the hepatitis B vaccine is appropriate. CMS MLN Resources for Health Care Professionals: * The Guide to Medicare Preventive Services, Fourth Edition, Chapter 5<http://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNProducts/downloads/mps_guide_web-061305.pdf> * The Preventive Immunizations Brochure<http://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNProducts/downloads/adult_immunization.pdf> * Quick Reference Information: Medicare Immunizations Billing Chart<http://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNProducts/downloads/qr_immun_bill.pdf> * Preventive Services Educational Products<http://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNProducts/Downloads/education_products_prevserv.pdf> ________________________________ If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to http://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNProducts/downloads//MailingLists_FactSheet.pdf<http://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNProducts/downloads/MailingLists_FactSheet.pdf> . If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to (http://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/ContactCMS/index.html). Thank you.
