Latest KFF Health News Stories
World Health Assembly Elects Margaret Chan For 2nd Term As WHO Director-General
“The World Health Assembly [on Wednesday] appointed Dr. Margaret Chan for a second five-year term as Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO),” a WHO press release reports (5/23). This will be the second consecutive term for Chan, who was first elected in November 2006 and “was the sole candidate nominated ahead of Wednesday’s election,” Agence France-Presse notes. According to the news service, “the WHO said [Chan] received the backing of 88 percent of members who voted” (5/23).
Union Reaches Contract Agreement With Minn. Hospitals
The agreement averts a threatened strike at eight Twin Cities hospitals.
State Lawmakers Wrestle With Planned Parenthood Funding, Contraception Coverage
Legislation in Pennsylvania would bar the use of state and federal funding by Planned Parenthood. Also, some Georgia physicians fear their opposition to a state abortion bill has triggered retaliation.
New Ad Touts Obama’s Commitment To Medicare
President Barack Obama’s campaign rolled out ads pitched to seniors and veterans Wednesday. Meanwhile, Politico analyzes Mitt Romney’s decision to emphasize his record as a businessman rather than as Massachusetts governor when he helped pass that state’s health reform law.
In Changing Marketplace, Hospitals And Insurers Are Moving To Control Costs
A variety of reports look at changes in the hospital business, as well as doctors’ concerns about malpractice costs.
Reid Says He Will Let Budget Cuts Go Forward Unless There Is A Concession On Revenue
In an interview with Politico, the Senate majority leader says he won’t back off sequestration.
Ministers Meet To Discuss Global Plan To Eliminate New HIV Infections Among Children
UNAIDS and PEPFAR recently brought together the ministers of health and representatives of the 22 countries with the most new HIV cases among children to discuss progress on the Global Plan towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping Their Mothers Alive agreed to at the 2011 U.N. High-Level Meeting on AIDS, according to a UNAIDS press release. Though “great strides have been made in reducing HIV infections among women of reproductive age and expanding access to antiretroviral therapy for pregnant women living with HIV, … progress is not being scaled up as quickly on meeting the family planning needs of women living with HIV, preventing maternal mortality and ensuring that all children living with HIV have access to antiretroviral therapy,” according to UNAIDS. “The meeting was the first annual face-to-face gathering of representatives from the 22 focus countries since the launch of the Global Plan,” the press release notes (5/23).
State Roundup: HHS Announces Community Health Center Grants; Blue Shield Of Calif. CEO To Retire
A selection of health policy news from California, Georgia, Texas, Kansas, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Research Group To Present Plan To Improve Nutrition Security At Rio+20 Summit
Ahead of the Rio+20 U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, “CGIAR, the world’s largest publicly funded research body, has published a seven-point ‘call to action’ plan,” which “call[s] for an improved commitment to deliver nutrition security and lessen the need to aid,” BBC News reports. The Rio+20 meeting “will focus on two themes: a green economy in the context of sustainable development poverty eradication; and the institutional framework for sustainable development,” and will include seven priority areas: “decent jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, water, oceans and disaster readiness,” according to organizers, the news service notes, adding that CGIAR is expected to present its plan at the meeting (Kinver, 5/23).
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care policy from around the country.
“Seven aid groups on Wednesday warned Western diplomats that Yemen was on the brink of a ‘catastrophic food crisis’ and urged them to bolster efforts to salvage the situation as they meet in Riyadh for an international conference to help the nation,” Agence France-Presse reports (5/23). The meeting of the so-called “Friends of Yemen” is expected to focus on political transition and improving security, but “[i]n their warning, the aid agencies — CARE, International Medical Corps, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, and Save the Children — say this focus is preventing action to alleviate poverty and hunger,” BBC News writes (5/22). Reuters notes that the “United States, European Union, France, Egypt, and Russia were attending the Riyadh summit on Wednesday, as were Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman” (Kane, 5/23). The donors have promised $4 billion to support development projects and stabilization efforts in Yemen, with Saudi Arabia pledging $3.25 billion of the total, Devex reports (Mungcal, 5/24).
Longer Looks: When Is A Life Too Long?; The Rising Cost Of Children’s Health Care
This week’s selections include articles from New York magazine, CNN, Time, ABC News and PBS NewsHour.
Study Says Most Insurance Sold To Individuals Doesn’t Meet Health Law Standards
A new report in Health Affairs finds that more than half of individual policies could not be sold on state health exchanges because they fail to meet the law’s criteria for coverage.
Today’s early morning highlights from major news organizations, including reports on an effort to cut costs associated with complex and expensive diseases and a look at the federal health law’s effect on standards of coverage.
Will Men And Their Doctors Change Course On PSA Tests?
This story comes from our partner ‘s Shots blog. The dust is nowhere near settled over advice that men of all ages should forgo a routine blood test to detect prostate cancer. The harms, such as false alarms and unnecessary surgeries that leave some men impotent and incontinent, outweigh the benefits of the PSA blood […]
Can I Continue My Health Insurance After Quitting My Job?
Michelle Andrews answers a coverage question from a reader contemplating quitting his job to stay home with his wife who has breast cancer.
Today’s headlines – May 23, 2012
Middle of the week! Here are your morning headlines: The New York Times: Recession Possible If Impasses Persists, Budget Office Says The economy could relapse into a recession if President Obama and Congress remain at an impasse and allow several big tax increases and spending cuts to take effect at the start of 2013, the […]
CBO: Recession Ahead If Congress Fails To Resolve Impasse
The Congressional Budget Office reported Tuesday that the nation’s economy could fall back into a recession if President Barack Obama and Congress fail to come to terms on tax and spending issues. However, Democratic and Republican leaders appeared unwavering in their positions.
Strategies, Views On The Health Law’s Future Vary Depending On Politics
Congressional Republicans continue to appear divided over what their strategy should be if the Supreme Court strikes down all or part of the health law. More immediately, though, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is targeting the measure’s device tax as part of the Senate’s consideration of a bill that would reauthorize the Food and Drug Administration user fees.
Congressional Appropriations Decisions Will Affect Women’s Health Worldwide
“[E]vidence shows that family planning prevents the needless deaths of women worldwide,” which should “be cause to sustain or even increase U.S. investments in these programs,” Chloe Cooney, director of global advocacy for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), writes in this RH Reality Check blog post. “Yet, once again, the House Appropriations Committee voted to let politics interfere with life-saving health care for women,” she continues, adding, “Last week, the House Appropriations Committee proposed to cut funding for international family planning programs and impose harmful restrictions on women’s access to essential health care.” Cooney notes that the Senate version of the bill “increases support for international family planning without attaching restrictions that would undercut these efforts.” She cites a recent U.N. report that “confirms that birth control and reproductive health services are essential to saving women’s lives,” and concludes, “The impact of the decisions made by this Congress will be felt in the lives of women and families around the world” (5/22).