Latest KFF Health News Stories
Smarter Purchasing Of Bednets Could Save $630M Over 5 Years, Report Suggests
“A new report from the Results for Development Institute,” released to coincide with World Malaria Day on Wednesday, “suggests there are ways to save and reinvest badly needed funds, by getting better value for money out of the bednets distributed in endemic areas,” Guardian Health Editor Sarah Boseley reports in her “Global Health Blog.” “Over the next five years, say author Kanika Bahl and colleagues, smarter purchasing strategies could save … $630 million,” the blog writes, adding, “It could be used to buy 150 million more bednets, protecting 300 million people from the mosquitoes that spread the disease.”
Nature Outlook Examines Fight Against Malaria In Uganda
Nature Outlook examines the fight against malaria in Uganda. “Uganda’s tragic failure to abate malaria has numerous political, geographic, economic and social factors — and illustrates the reality that it takes more than scientific breakthroughs and cheap drugs to solve this persistent menace,” according to the article. Nature describes how a primarily rural population, “[f]unding bottlenecks, inefficient procurement processes, transportation problems,” drug stock-outs, and a lack of health care workers affects access to care and treatment for malaria, as well as how aid from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the President’s Malaria Initiative, and other donors is supporting programs to build sustainable solutions to fighting the disease (Newmen, 4/25).
As Hundreds Protest, Kansas Gov. Agrees To Delay In Changes To Disability Services
Gov. Sam Brownback’s plan would have moved thousands of developmentally disabled state residents into a managed-care health plan.
Mass. Cost Control Legislation Advances
The measure, more than a year old, was initially put forth by Gov. Deval Patrick, but a panel’s chair predicted “a significant redraft” before it reaches the Senate floor.
Report: 5% Of Americans Have A Serious Mental Illness
According to figures from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Sevices Administration, an estimated 11 million people have some type of mental illness.
Judge Rejects Trade Groups’ Effort To Stall Express Scripts-Medco Deal
Modern Healthcare reports that a U.S. district court judge denied an effort by some trade groups to stop the Express Scripts acquisition of Medco until a review of their pending lawsuit is reviewed.
State News: Calif. ‘Green Houses’; Minn. Looks At ‘Accretive Secret Sauce’
A selection of state policy news from California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
California Senate Scales Back Bill To Broaden Abortion Access
In its current form, the bill would allow 41 Californians who are not physicians to perform a certain first-trimester abortion procedure.
Wellpoint’s Profit Shrinks But Still Exceeds Wall Street’s Target
The insurer’s gains were undermined by membership declines and high costs in some markets. However, the company still raised its outlook. But another insurer, Aetna, reported lower-than-expected quarterly profits.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care policy from around the country.
Interests And Advocates Wait Anxiously For Supreme Court’s Health Law Decision
The Associated Press reports that people with HIV/AIDS have a lot at stake regarding the health law’s future — specifically, its Medicaid expansion and ban on pre-existing condition exclusions. In a second story, though, AP reports on why the small business group, the NFIB, hopes to see the law overturned. Meanwhile, MarketWatch reports that some wealthy Americans would save big money if the high court rejects the overhaul.
Doctor Pay: Specialists Earn More, But Few Overall Think They Are Rich
A survey conducted by Medscape provides insights into physicians’ earnings, and how they view them.
Checks In The Mail: Millions Expected To Receive Insurance Rebates Totaling $1.3 Billion
Study projects refunds under the health care law will vary widely by state.
The Shrinking Ranks Of Blue Dogs: What Tuesday’s Primaries Say About Democrats And The Health Law
Also in the news, GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich announced Wednesday that he would suspend his campaign.
Longer Looks: Why We Still Have Faith In Physicians
Every week, Kaiser Health News reporter Jessica Marcy selects interesting reading from around the Web.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that House Republicans are eyeing the health law’s prevention trust fund as a means to pay the cost of extending the current student loan interest rate for another year. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has scheduled a Friday vote on this proposal.
Few Doctors Consider Themselves Rich, Survey Says
Few doctors think of themselves as rich, and only about half think they’re fairly compensated, according to survey results released this week by Medscape. The annual survey isn’t scientific — and perhaps, not surprising, either — but it offers insights into what nearly 25,000 physicians earn, and how they view that number. In 2011, compensation self-reported by surveyed physicians ranged […]
Capsules: Few Doctors Consider Themselves Rich, Survey Says
KHN’s Sarah Barr reports on the annual Medscape survey, which offers insights into what physicians earn, how they view that number, and what they think about coming changes to the health care system.
Health On The Hill: Competing Prescriptions For Medicare’s Financial Health
KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey and Marilyn Werber Serafini join Jackie Judd to preview this week’s House hearings on Medicare and to dig into the details of the Medicare trustees’ report.
Today’s Headlines – April 25, 2012
The Associated Press/Washington Post: GOP Pulls Its Budget Punches As Follow Up Legislation Advances On Capitol Hill Instead of big reductions in Medicaid and Medicare, top GOP lawmakers are sticking mostly with familiar proposals like cutting money for President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul and federal employee pensions while reaching out to Democrats to help […]