[Texas Foster Children] Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn's Statement

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SSRI-Research@

Tue, 16 May 2006 20:34:11 -0400

[sSRI-Research] UPDATE - [Texas Foster Children] Comptroller

Carole Keeton Strayhorn's Statement

 

 

 

 

 

*** note: This is a private list. I send out alerts, useful news items, and

comment to a group of professionals, decision makers and activists in the mental

health community.* (OK to repost and include this header and comments)*. To

preserve privacy, I blind copy the entire list. Vince ***

 

 

This is an update on a struggle Dr. John Breeding*, and other

members have been involved with for the past few years.

 

There is a battle brewing in Texas_ that might make the Alamo look

like a church social. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Carole Keeton

Strayhorn, is battling to get information on the drugging of foster kids in the

state. She is being stonewalled by state Health and Human Services Commission.

 

This lady is *_/hot/_**/!/* Here's the story.

 

There are _/12,000 foster children/_ who received psychotropic drugs in

fiscal year 2004, _/each child averaged 21 psychotropic drug

prescriptions during the year/_. In 2004, Texas spent $29 million on

psychotrophics for these kids.

 

She is especially concerned about the use and side effects of the

atypical antipsychotic drugs Risperdal and Zyprexa.

 

" A clear pattern of overmedication and potential misdiagnosis of foster

children is evident. This potential for Medicaid fraud and the

possibility of long-term health problems in these children is alarming " ,

said Strayhorn. *<note- from previous testimony on this issue, _/more

than half of the children/__/ on antipsychotics/_**_/ HAD NO PSYCHIATRIC

DIAGNOSIS/_/! /Vince>

*

 

The Medicaid fraud allegation is a good point. If these children aren't

sick, why should Medicaid pay for the meds?

 

Vince*

 

" Dr. Breeding is a member.

*

*

 

*

* Window on State Government <http://www.window.state.tx.us/>*

*Carole

Keeton Strayhorn, Texas Comptroller*

 

 

*News Release Header*

 

*

*

 

*For Immediate Release:

Wednesday, May 10, 2006 *

 

 

 

*Contact: Will Holford <will.holford or Dick

Ellis <dick.ellis

512-463-4070 *

 

*Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn's Statement*

 

* *Press Conference

<http://cpa.state.tx.us/media/av/60510psychotropic.mp3> (639K

MP3) *

 

*(Austin)-- " I started the ongoing investigation of possible

Medicaid fraud and abuse in the foster care prescription drug

program in November 2004.*

 

* " As mama and a grandmamma, I am concerned with the health and

well-being of our foster kids. *

 

* " As Comptroller, I am also concerned with the potential Medicaid

prescription drug fraud and abuse in our foster care system because

of the high cost of many of these prescriptions. *

 

* " Under my statutory responsibility for the Texas Health Care Claims

Study conducted by my office each biennium, I requested the

prescription drug and claims data for foster care children for

fiscal years 2004 and 2005 to determine whether these medications

are being prescribed to make children more submissive or to simply

line the pockets of the unscrupulous and the uncaring - or both.*

 

* " It is not uncommon for one child to have prescriptions totaling

more than $1,000 per month and for some children to have up to 19

different prescriptions within one month. *

 

* " Based on the data I have received: *

 

* *$39 million was the total cost of all prescriptions for

foster children in fiscal year 2004; *

* *Of that, more than $29 million were for powerful,

mind-altering psychotropic drugs; *

* *Of the 12,000 foster children who received psychotropic drugs

in fiscal year 2004, each child averaged 21 psychotropic drug

prescriptions during the year. *

 

* " According to the Food and Drug Administration, many of these drugs

are not labeled for use in children and have serious side effects,

such as suicidal tendencies, diabetes, and cardiac arrhythmia. *

 

*I am particularly concerned about the use and side effects of the

atypical antipsychotic drugs Risperdal and Zyprexa. *

 

* " A clear pattern of overmedication and potential misdiagnosis of

foster children is evident. This potential for Medicaid fraud and

the possibility of long-term health problems in these children is

alarming. *

 

* " Today I am sending a letter to Gov. Rick Perry

<http://cpa.state.tx.us/news/60510letter.html> calling on him to

immediately instruct his Texas Health and Human Services Commission

to release the fiscal year 2005 data I requested and need to

complete my investigation. *

 

* " Gov. Perry's Health and Human Services Commission has been

stonewalling my investigation since I launched it in November 2004. *

 

* " The Commission has given the same Medicaid information I have

requested to the CyberSecurity and Emergency Preparedness Institute

in the Engineering and Computer Science School at the University of

Texas at Dallas for its Texas Health Analytics Information

Technology project. *

 

* " On April 25, my general counsel formally requested the same data

from the Health and Human Services Commission to provide this data. *

 

* " On May 2, the Health and Human Services Commission's general

counsel sent a letter to my office refusing to provide the requested

data. *

 

* " It is unfathomable that Gov. Perry's appointed commissioner would

provide this information to the University of Texas at Dallas and

not provide it to satisfy a legislative mandate. *

 

* " The stonewalling at every turn by Gov. Perry's Health and Human

Services Commission to provide this data may be endangering the

physical and mental health of thousands of children in the state's

foster care system. *

 

* " I urge Gov. Perry to act immediately. The lives of our most

precious and most vulnerable resource -- our forgotten children --

are at stake. " *

 

*Foster Care Medication Data Request Timeline

<http://cpa.state.tx.us/news/60510timeline.html> *

 

*Consolidated HHSC System Organization Chart

<http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/news/post78/hb2292_OrgChart.pdf> (PDF) *

 

*--30--*

 

------

* Carole Keeton Strayhorn

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts *

* Window on State Government

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