Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicare Sure To Be Hot Topic In Vice Presidential Debate
News outlets offer previews of tonight’s prime time exchange between Vice President Joe Biden and his GOP opponent, Rep. Paul Ryan.
Romney Takes Moderate Position On Abortion, Causes Stir On Both Sides Of Issue
GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has shifted to more moderate policy positions on a number of issues, including health care and abortion.
Adderall For Healthy Kids: A Cost Shift To Medicaid?
Doctors in Georgia are prescribing ADHD medications to help low-income children struggling in elementary school, even when they do not have an attention deficit disorder, reports a front-page article in Tuesday’s New York Times. The story focused on Dr. Michael Anderson in Canton, Ga., who said he had little choice in the matter if he […]
State Roundup: Minn. Says Health Exchange Will Cost $40 Million
News outlets provide a selection of health care news from Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota and Oregon.
Will Growing Familiarity With Medicare’s Private Choices Make Seniors More Open To Premium Support?
This question is explored in a new survey and policy brief. Meanwhile, a separate study finds that seniors overspend on Medicare Part D, and their experiences may provide lessons to consider in the development of the health law’s insurance exchanges.
Campaigns are becoming increasingly feisty as candidates spar over these charged issues.
States, Companies And Officials Worry Over Health Law Implementation
The medical device industry and other companies are concerned about how the health law’s tax and compliance provisions are affecting their bottom lines and are strategizing new ways forward to avoid the monetary hit.
With Interest In Health Care High, Presidential Candidates Represent Stark Choice In Views
A study in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine notes that one in five voters views health care as this year’s highest priority issue — that’s more than in any election since 1992. Meanwhile, news outlets continue to examine the health policies of President Barack Obama and GOP hopeful Mitt Romney.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.
Medicare Penalties For Hospital-Acquired Infections Didn’t Cut Infection Rate, Study Finds
The research, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at the effect of a 2008 change that cut payments to hospitals for treating infections that patients received while hospitalized.
Longer Looks: Mitt Romney’s Health Care Legacy; Young Doctors And Their Apps
A selection of stories from PBS Frontline, The Atlantic, the Miami Herald, National Journal and The New York Times.
First Edition: October 11, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including previews of how Medicare and other health policy issues might play in tonight’s vice presidential debate.
Study: CMS Penalties Don’t Change Hospital-Acquired Infection Rates
Updated at 8:00 p.m. to add comment from CMS. A Medicare payment policy designed to push hospitals to cut their infection rates has had no effect in reducing two types of preventable infections among patients in intensive care units, researchers say in a study out Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. In 2008, […]
Docs Say Concerns About ER ‘Frequent Flyer’ Use Are Overblown
When Mitt Romney advised uninsured Americans to head to the emergency room for care, analysts were quick to point out the burden of high ER costs and the danger of abusing a safety net system. But emergency departments only account for 2 percent of health care spending, according to research presented by the American College […]
Today’s Headlines – Oct. 10, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney has pledged that his presidential agenda does not include abortion legislation. The New York Times: Obama Campaign Tells Supporters: Steady On Big Bird was part of a broader effort by Mr. Obama and his team to reassure supporters […]
Campaign Buzz: Obama, Romney Vie For Swing Voters
In the background, news outlets break down some of the policy specifics in play regarding Medicare and other health issues — and how candidates’ efforts to control the debate are playing among voters.
Romney Says Abortion Issues Not Part Of His Presidential Agenda
In what is being cast by many reports as a move to the center, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney told the Des Moines Register that, if elected, he would not pursue specific legislation targeting abortion. Opponents say this is a marked difference from his comments earlier in the campaign.
Some State Officials Grappling With Health Law’s Insurance Exchanges
State leaders in Mississippi, Idaho and Minnesota pore over their options on establishing the health law’s health insurance exchanges — or allowing the federal government to do it.
Schumer Offers Views On How Deficit Talks Should Tackle Entitlement, Tax Reform
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., noted that, among Democrats, there is a lot of opposition to raising Medicare’s eligibility age but also interest in overhauling entitlements as part of the push to reach a grand bargain.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care from around the country.