Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicare, Entitlements: Key Political Sparring Points
Although congressional Democrats and President Barack Obama hope to make electoral hay out of the GOP budget’s Medicare revamp, GOP Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is proving to have appeal. During the primary season thus far, Romney has fared well with older voters in swing states.
States Count Health Law Dollars, Brace For Back-Ups If Overhaul Struck Down
In health law implementation news, Iowa gets federal grant for home care workers to visit families with children while Minnesota lawmakers brace for losing Medicaid dollars.
Viewpoints: Scarcity Of Dental Care; Surprise Budget Buster Awaiting States On Retiree Health Costs
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care policy from around the country.
On The Campaign Trail, It Seems Everyone Has Critics
According to reports, the Obama administration continues to face stiff criticism from Catholic leaders over its contraception policies. Meanwhile, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has among his health policy advisers two people who are on the record in their opposition to the health law he signed while governor of Massachusetts.
Health Law Key To Obama Campaign’s Outreach To Women Voters
Late last week, the president and his deputies were linking parts of the health law and economic opportunities as part of their effort to draw support from women voters. At the same time, The Associated Press reports on the challenges GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney faces in his attempts to bridge the gender gap.
Prepositioning Of Supplies, Knowledge To Handle Disease Outbreaks ‘Future Of Disaster Management’
In this New York Times opinion piece, columnist Tina Rosenberg examines a global rise in cholera cases, writing, “The World Health Organization estimates that there are between three million and five million cases of cholera each year, and between 100,000 and 120,000 deaths. New and more virulent strains are emerging in Asia and Africa, and the WHO says that global warming creates even more hospitable conditions for the disease.” However, “[c]holera should not be a terror. It is easy to treat if you know how,” she writes.
Kodak Withdraws Plan To End Health Benefits For Medicare-Eligible Retirees
In the midst of bankruptcy proceedings, Kodak withdrew a motion to end these health benefits and will instead create a retirees committee to examine issues of medical and survivor benefits. Meanwhile, AT&T contract negotiations continue — with health care premiums and copayments among the issues in play.
Gates Foundation Co-Chair Melinda Gates Delivers TEDxChange Speech On Access To Contraceptives
On Thursday at the TEDxChange conference in Berlin, Germany, Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, “delivered a powerful case for universal access to contraception for women around the world who need and want it,” the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. “She described birth control as an idea that, if made policy in both developed and developing countries, could save hundreds of thousands of women’s and children’s lives each year,” the newspaper writes, adding that she “noted being brought up a Catholic and being educated at church schools through high school, even that her mother’s great-uncle was a Jesuit priest.”
Viewpoints: Doctors’ Efforts To Cut Unnecessary Procedures Is A Good First Step
Several news outlets look at the initiative by nine physicians’ groups to identify medical procedures which are frequently unneeded and could even be harmful.
Viewpoints: Health Law Seeks To Remedy Broken Insurance Market; Overhaul Was Sunk By Its Complexity
Commentators look at some of the underlying issues of the health law which is being considered by the Supreme Court.
What’s The Prize In The Wellness Games?
News reports track the latest trends regarding how insurers are using digital gaming methods to encourage wellness and how patients increasingly are being urged to ask questions about the cost of care.
Study Questions Whether FDA Is Too Tough On Online Pharmacies
NPR reports on a study that raises questions about the Food and Drug Administration’s position.
Prescriptions On The Rise For Strongest Pain Pills
Prescriptions for opiods have increased nearly fourfold, with onlyl limited evidence regarding their effectiveness or risks, The New York Times reports.
During The Congressional Break, Voters Air Their Frustrations
Reuters reports that, as lawmakers are in their home districts for spring break, the are getting an earful from their constituents.
White House Moves $500 Million To IRS For Health Law Implementation
The funds were diverted to the Internal Revenue Service outside the normal appropriations process to help the agency implement the overhaul. Meanwhile, other news outlets report on developments related to accountable care organizations and primary care payment issues.
Medicaid: Ariz. Gets Fed’s OK To Expand Kids’ Coverage; Docs Want To Share Minn. Rebates
States around the nation are grappling with Medicaid issues ranging from expanding coverage and making deals with new managed care providers to sharing insurer rebates, forging budget cuts, waiting on court action and admitting large data breaches.
States Roundup: Aetna Goes Ahead With Small Biz Coverage Hike
A selection of health policy stories from around the U.S.
Blog Posts Respond To Melinda Gates’ TEDxChange Presentation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists” blog published several posts in response to the TEDxChange: “The Big Picture” presentation delivered by Melinda Gates, co-chair of the foundation, in Berlin on Thursday.
New Initiative Focusing On GBV And HIV/AIDS Will Help Prevent Both
“The advancement of women’s health and their rights is one of the core principles of President Barack Obama’s Global Health Initiative,” a VOA editorial states, adding, “And so it is that the United States has rolled out a new initiative that will tackle one of the greatest threats to women’s health, HIV/AIDS, by attacking another scourge: gender-based violence [GBV].” According to the editorial, “Physical violence or the threat of physical violence and coercion are all associated with HIV transmission for women of all ages,” which is why “[i]n mid-March, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer and U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby announced an initiative to provide $4.65 million in small grants to grassroots organizations to address gender-based violence issues.”
“Teenage pregnancies are on the rise in Guatemala, along with the drop-out rate in schools, family breakdown and many other related social ills,” Inter Press Service reports, adding that the “impoverished Central American country of 14 million people has an adolescent (under-20) birth rate of 114 per 1,000 women in rural areas, according to the National Mother and Child Health Survey for 2008-2009.” The article discusses efforts by the government and non-profit organizations to prevent unwanted pregnancies, including laws allowing for basic maternity services and sex education classes.