Latest KFF Health News Stories
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care policy from around the country.
Political Ads Stake Out Presidential Candidates’ Philosophies On Government
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama’s campaign will air a new ad aimed at seniors who are on Medicare and will continue efforts to connect with the women’s vote.
Is Access Problem Preventing Generic Drug Makers’ Progress?
The Washington Post reports that generic drug makers are asserting that a legal loophole is creating a barrier to their ability to create less expensive versions of brand name drugs.
HHS $20 Million PR Contract Draws GOP Ire
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, sought additional information from Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., took to the Senate floor to criticize the arrangement.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the CBO’s dire predictions about a possible recession as well as details about how health policy is handled in new presidential campaign ads.
Blogs Report On Kaiser Family Foundation Survey On U.S. Role In Global Health
The Center for Global Health Policy’s “Science Speaks” blog reports on the findings of a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) survey released on Monday that examines Americans’ views on U.S. global health efforts. The survey found that two-thirds of Americans say that the U.S. “is spending too little or about the right amount on global health aid,” “with one in five saying the U.S. spends too much,” the blog writes. The blog discusses additional survey findings and notes, “This is the fourth survey in a series that KFF has conducted to determine the attitudes of Americans toward U.S. spending on improving the health of those living in low-resource countries” (Mazzotta, 5/21). In addition, PSI’s “Healthy Lives” blog reports on the findings of the survey, writing, “Overall, the survey findings are very positive, … suggest[ing] that a case can be made for increased development spending, and the audience is receptive. The challenge is reaching Americans to build a broad-based level of support” (Murphy, 5/21).
Parliamentary Report Calls On U.K. To Increase Donation To Global Fund
In a report released last week, Members of Parliament (MPs) on the International Development Committee urged the U.K. to increase its donation to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, according to a Committee press release (5/22). “Ministers have said they will increase the commitment, but the MPs are concerned that this money” — pledged by ministers over a year ago — “has not yet been delivered, nor the amount of the increase confirmed,” BBC News writes (Dreaper, 5/22).
“Public Radio International (PRI) announces that it has received a two-year, $1.6 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to lead a major initiative to raise awareness, understanding and engagement around critical issues of health and development worldwide,” a PRI press release reports. According to the press release, “PRI will use the grant to further extend the reach and impact of coverage around critical issues affecting the world’s poorest nations, such as maternal health and infant mortality; water, sanitation and hygiene; vaccines and immunization; infectious and chronic diseases; and food security and nutrition” (5/21).
Catholic Groups Sue To Stop Birth Control Coverage Rule
In total, 43 Catholic groups — including archdioceses in D.C. and New York, and Catholic universities such as Notre Dame — brought suits in a dozen federal courts against a provision of the health law that requires they cover birth control in most of their health plans.
U.S., Partners To Continue Fight Against NTDs
“Over a billion people, one in every six people living on this planet, suffer from one or more neglected tropical diseases, or NTDs,” a VOA editorial states, noting, “These usually treatable and preventable diseases include schistosomiasis; elephantiasis; trachoma; Chagas disease; river blindness; leprosy; kala-azar, dengue, black fever and other forms of leishmaniasis; and the three most common infections — the soil-transmitted parasites hookworm, roundworm and whipworm.”
GAO: Health Law’s Tax Credit For Small Businesses Underperforms
A Government Accountability Office report found that only about 17 percent of the businesses that would otherwise be eligible for the maximum tax credit offered health insurance to employees.
Humanitarian Crisis Worsening In Yemen, State Department Officials Say
“Yemen is not only one of the most dangerous countries in the world, it’s also home to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, according to the grim numbers offered today by State Department officials,” ABC News reports. “The United States is providing more than $73 million of humanitarian assistance to Yemen, which is being used for food aid, food vouchers, water and sanitation programs, and medical clinics,” ABC News writes, noting, “Yemen has not had a proper government for nearly a year, since the fall of President Ali Abdullah Saleh” (Hughes, 5/21).
Fake, Substandard Malaria Drugs Threatening Gains Made In Fight Against Disease, NIH Study Warns
“Low-quality and fake anti-malarial drugs flooding into markets in Asia and Africa are driving drug resistance and threatening gains made in the fight against the disease in the past decade, according to a study” conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published Monday in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, Reuters reports (Kelland, 5/21). In an analysis of “27 sets of tests of antimalarial drugs purchased in Southeast Asia and Africa between 1999 and 2010,” “[a]bout a third of the drug samples from both continents failed,” the New York Times writes, noting, “Some were clearly criminal counterfeits, some were expired drugs that had been repackaged and some were poorly made with too little active ingredient” (McNeil, 5/21).
WHO DG Chan Addresses World Health Assembly; HHS Secretary Sebelius Speaks At Plenary Session
“Opening the 65th annual World Health Assembly (WHA) [on Monday in Geneva], World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan said she sees a bright future for health development, despite financial crises that many countries are facing, which has shrunk support for many initiatives,” CIDRAP News reports. According to the news service, “Chan said the WHO can leverage its leadership role to make the most of small and wise investments” and that “[u]niversal health coverage is the best way to maintain health gains that have been made over the past decade” (Schnirring, 5/21). Focusing on innovations that bring social benefit rather than profit, as well as research and development into new treatments, also are important, Chan noted, Devex reports (Ravelo, 5/22).
U.S. To Provide $30M In Assistance Through USAID To World Food Programme For South Sudan
The U.S. Government, through USAID, is providing $30 million in emergency assistance to people affected by conflict and food insecurity in South Sudan, United Press International reports. The money will be delivered through the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP), according to a USAID press release, the news service notes (5/21). The money will help WFP position food supplies across the country before many of the roads become impassable because of the rainy season, according to the press release. “The U.S. Government is the largest supporter of WFP’s operation in South Sudan, and including this donation, has contributed more than $110 million in 2012 to WFP’s emergency operation in the country,” the press release notes (5/21).
Invest In Proven Ways To Curb Maternal Mortality, Morbidity
Christy Turlington Burns, maternal health advocate and founder of Every Mother Counts, notes in this GlobalPost “Global Pulse” opinion piece that “99 percent of women who die during or after childbirth live in the developing world,” and women and girls ages 19 and younger are at a higher risk of maternal mortality and morbidity. But “[w]e know what many of the solutions are,” she says, including “access to health care, inexpensive drugs that stop post-partum hemorrhaging, a scale-up of community health workers, and reproductive health so that pregnancies can be spaced,” as well as education.
G8 Leaders Acknowledge Problem Of Counterfeit Drugs In Camp David Declaration
CQ HealthBeat reports on the G8 Camp David Declaration, noting that in the statement, G8 leaders acknowledge the problem of counterfeit drugs. “‘To protect public health and consumer safety, we also commit to exchange information on rogue Internet pharmacy sites in accordance with national law and share best practices on combating counterfeit medical products,’ is the language in the declaration the leaders of some of the largest nations in the world agreed to over the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat,” the news service writes. According to the Senate Judiciary Committee, “counterfeit drugs cause 100,000 deaths worldwide each year, and are responsible for about $75 billion in annual revenue for criminal operations,” CQ HealthBeat notes.
Federal Task Force Recommends Dropping Routine Prostate Cancer Test
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force finds scant evidence that the PSA blood test saves lives and instead says unneeded treatment leads to serious problems, including impotence and incontinence.
Progress Report On Health Law’s Risk Adjustment Rule, State-Based Exchanges
News outlets offer updates regarding state progress related to developing the health law’s insurance exchanges, the timing for risk adjustment rules and the release of the final federal rule on a health insurance premium tax credit.
State Roundup: Health Law Could Create Calif. Jobs; What’s Driving Mass. Health Costs
A selection of health policy stories from Massachusetts, Georgia, California, Texas, Oregon, Maryland and Minnesota.
