Burton, Michigan, July 1, 2008 – Muscular Dystrophy Patients United (MDP United), a not for profit organization that seeks to help those with Muscular Dystrophy live more independent lives, has teamed up with Pop Cap Games to offer a contest specifically for those with Muscular Dystrophy. Studies are showing that those with muscle weakness and various other disabilities are maintaining and sometimes increasing strength by playing casual computer games.

With so many individuals with Muscular Dystrophy dealing with persistent muscle weakness these games can make a major difference in the lives of individuals with one of these debilitating muscle wasting diseases. That’s why the MDP United Poetry Contest will offer products, provided courtesy of Pop Cap Games – an online leader in casual computer gaming, as a prize for those with Muscular Dystrophy who enter the contest. The goal is to provide the winners of the contest with a prize that is not only fun, but is also going to help the winner’s muscles over the long term.

Beginning on July 4, 2008 and ending on August 15, 2008, the MDP United Poetry Contest is specifically designed for those with Muscular Dystrophy who are over the age of 12. Entrants into the contest can live in any country in the world so long as their entry is in English and their computers are compatible with games that come from a manufacturer in the United States. When you enter you should list the form of Muscular Dystrophy you have and the category in which you’re entering your poem. Please only enter one poem per person.

Entry Guidelines:

-Must be at least 12 years old
-Must have one of the 40+ neuromuscular diseases covered under Muscular Dystrophy
-Entry must be in English
-Limit one poem entered per person
-Can live in any country around the world
-Must enter before August 15, 2008
-No Adult Themed Poetry (sex, drugs, etc.) is allowed
-All poems must be 100% original by the person with Muscular Dystrophy – If we find out this rule has been broken you will be disqualified

Preliminary winners for each category will be judged and chosen by August 31, 2008. You can enter your poetry into one of the following categories:

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MDP United is searching for a select group of individuals with Muscular Dystrophy. We’d like to invite five children (between the ages of 4-17) and five adults to represent Team MDP United as MDP United Advocates. They’ll be individuals who spread the word about MDP United’s mission, all while showing people how capable and independent people with Muscular Dystrophy are.

Parents are encouraged to get involved as our spread the word campaign moves online and off to inform people about how necessary MDP United is. For those not sure of MDP United’s mission, we strive to provide individuals with Muscular Dystrophy with all the tools they need to lead successful, fulfilling and independent lives. This includes medical equipment such as wheelchairs, Hoyer lifts and walkers, home modifications, home health alternatives, transportation, advocacy services and we dream of opening a clinic where patients with mobility impairments have greater access to all forms of medical care from dentistry to ob/gyn services.

As MDP United advocates, these 10 individuals will be featured on MDP United pamphlets, graphics, the MDP United website, in MDP United videos and other promotional materials. These individuals will also have first consideration at doing interviews with the press, as representatives of our organization. We’re looking for caring, compassionate, friendly adults and children with bright and bubbly personalities.

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ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Pending cuts to the Medicare physician fee schedule could severely hamper the ability of physical therapists to serve the rehabilitation needs of seniors and people with disabilities — driving up overall costs while decreasing quality of care, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and its Private Practice Section.

In testimony May 8 before a hearing of the U.S. House Committee on Small Business, Tom DiAngelis, PT, vice president of APTA’s Private Practice Section, commented that a scheduled 10.6 percent cut in Medicare physician payments could have an especially devastating impact on PTs in private practice, who are faced with not only the rising costs of running a small business, but also decreases in revenue due to a variety of government payment and policy challenges. The hearing on “Medicare Physician Fee Cuts: Can Small Practices Survive?” provided an opportunity for the committee to examine the potential impact of fee cuts on the practices of physicians and other allied health professionals. Unless Congress intervenes, the cuts will go into effect July 1, 2008, and could also have significant ramifications on the services offered to Medicare patients, according to APTA.

“These Medicare beneficiaries are individuals who have suffered from stroke, had joint replacements or chronic diseases that impair their ability to move, walk and perform their daily tasks,” DiAngelis testified. “Physical therapist small businesses address these beneficiaries’ health care needs throughout the United States and contribute to the health status of our country, including its economic health.”

Physical therapists, in particular, are being hit especially hard, according to DiAngelis. Not only will they experience the overall 10.6 percent reduction in payment under the fee schedule, they also will be subject to an arbitrary annual cap of $1,810 per beneficiary on outpatient services beginning July 1.

“This cap will not save the Medicare program money,” added DiAngelis. “It would only shift the cost of care away from outpatient facilities and small business to more costly and less efficient inpatient facilities. Small businesses in physical therapy will be impacted as the therapy cap policy includes an exemption for hospital outpatient departments. This exemption will do nothing more than encourage patients to seek services in the hospital setting to avoid having to change providers over the course of their physical therapy treatment when they reach the cap.” APTA is advocating for a repeal of the therapy caps or an extension of the current exceptions process that maintains access to clinically appropriate physical therapy services under Medicare.

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For Judy Helsel, her days are long, she works from morning until she goes to bed, and the work she does is grueling. However, everything she does is worth it because she spends her days taking care of her son, Brian. Brian is a 25 year old with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. However, Brian has an incredibly busy life. His disability does not stop him from enjoying racing (NASCAR and his dad’s racer), attending special events for his local MDA, watching the Toledo Mud Hens play, and fixing computers.

The challenges that Judy does face stem not from how Brian lives his life, but from the caregiving she must offer him nearly 24/7. Caregivers across the United States are facing the same challenges as they have little assistance, no time for themselves, and make meager wages for the intense work they do. In truth, many of these women (yes the vast majority of caregivers are women) are unable to get other jobs outside the home due to the schedules they must work. This means they depend on the minor ducats the government dishes out to them once a month.

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