Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In recent years, Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and three subsequent laws that create new federal standards for private health insurance which covers nearly 175 million Americans under the age of 65. These laws include standards guaranteeing access to health insurance for small employers and individuals with existing health conditions as well as requirements for health plans regarding mental health services, hospital care for mothers and newborns following childbirth, and reconstructive surgery following a mastectomy. Since HIPAA's enactment in 1996, federal agencies' enforcement roles have continued to evolve as they have established new or expanded existing enforcement activities to ensure compliance with standards under HIPAA and the related federal laws. Agency officials state that they have enough staff resources and expertise to carry out their current enforcement responsibilities. The Health Care Financing Administration's future role depends on the actions of states in enforcing the federal standards, as well as on congressional decisions about whether to reauthorize the Mental Health Parity Act or to enact additional patient protection legislation. In addition, the scope of the Department of Labor's future enforcement activities may depend on …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The consensus of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the World Health Organization, and other major health agencies is that the research to date does not show radiofrequency energy emitted from mobile phones has harmful health effects, but there is not yet enough information to conclude that they pose no risk. Although most of the epidemiological and laboratory studies done on this issue have found no adverse health effects, the findings of some studies have raised questions about cancer and other health problems that require further study. The Cellular Telecommunication & Internet Association (CTIA) and FDA will jointly conduct research on mobile phone health affects. Although the initiative is funded solely by CTIA, FDA's active role in setting the research agenda and providing scientific oversight should help alleviate concerns about the objectivity of the report. The media has widely reported on the debate over whether mobile phones can cause health problems. Thus, the federal government's role in providing the public with clear information on this issue is particularly important. FDA has a consumer information update on mobile phone health issues but has not revised that data …

This report addresses some of the frequently asked historical, constitutional, procedural, and legal questions concerning the federal income tax.

Newsletter of the Texas Department of Health discussing the news, activities, and events of the organization and other information related to health in Texas.