Latest KFF Health News Stories
Colo. House Passes Resolution To Repeal The Health Law
Colorado’s Republican-led House voted largely along party lines to wage a challenge to the federal health law — a state-initiated amendment to the Constitution to repeal the measure. And, in Connecticut, the planning panel has decisions to make well before people start signing up for coverage on the state’s health exchange.
Research Roundup: ‘No Individual Mandate’ Scenarios
This week’s studies come from the Urban Institute, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of General Internal Medicine, The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Agency For Health Care Research And Quality.
Health Law Backers Brace For The Future, Wonder About SOTU Address
Those who consider the health law one of President Barack Obama’s leading domestic achievements look to see whether he will include it in his Tuesday night speech. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius predicts continued criticism and “misinformation” about the health law while House Republicans celebrated the one-year anniversary of their vote to repeal it.
Resources Dedicated To Fighting HIV/AIDS Among MSM ‘Inefficient,’ Report Says
“Funding to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS consistently fails to reach programs designed to control the disease among gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM), according to a new analysis (.pdf) released Wednesday by amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research and the Center for Public Health and Human Rights (CPHHR) at Johns Hopkins University,” an amfAR press release states. The report, titled “Achieving an AIDS-Free Generation for Gay Men and Other MSM,” “finds that resources dedicated to addressing the epidemic among MSM are grossly insufficient, and that funding intended for this population is often diverted away from MSM-related services,” the press release says (1/18). The Center for Global Health Policy’s “Science Speaks” blog notes, “The report authors looked at reporting data related to the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria HIV funding in eight countries — China, Ethiopia, Guyana, India, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ukraine and Vietnam” (Mazzotta, 1/19).
First Edition: January 20, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports detailing how health care played in last night’s S.C. GOP presidential primary debate.
White House: Health Exchanges On Track In Many States
A report Wednesday by the Obama administration said that many states, including some with GOP governors, are proceeding with state-based exchanges. Still, a federal exchange is in the works for those that can’t or won’t meet the health law’s requirements and timeline.
Wisconsin Governor Issues ‘Stop Work’ Order On State Health Exchange
Wis. Gov. Scott Walker officially announced on Wednesday that he will not implement a state-based health exchange or accept federal funding toward that end. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, a 13-member government task force has begun debating a list of basic principles for that state’s health care exchange. Meanwhile, Stateline offers an overview of how and what states in general are doing in regard to these insurance marketplaces.
Blog Covers Ethiopia Minister Of Health’s Comments At Country Ownership Roundtable
This post in the Ministerial Leadership Initiative’s (MLI) “Leading Global Health” blog is “the second of a series of perspective pieces on country ownership from the ‘Advancing Country Ownership for Greater Results’ roundtable organized last week by” MLI. “The second of four pieces covers the perspective of Ethiopia Minister of Health Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,” the blog writes, noting, “Minister Tedros said for many years he has been pushing for more country ownership. His approach is consistent: One vision, one set of priorities, and one group — donors, partners and countries — working together” (Donnelly, 1/18).
Huffington Post, Johnson & Johnson Partner To Launch ‘Global Motherhood’ Forum
Sharon D’Agostino, vice president of worldwide corporate contributions and community relations at Johnson & Johnson, writes in a Huffington Post opinion piece about the launch of the Global Motherhood partnership between Johnson & Johnson and the Huffington Post. “The Huffington Post and Johnson & Johnson have collaborated to create this forum focused on global motherhood, a place to share ideas and experiences for improving maternal and child health,” she writes, adding, “We hope that the Global Motherhood section will give voice to the people and organizations that are making a difference and inspire others to join in this effort” (1/18).
E.U. Doubles Humanitarian Aid To Sahel In Response To Impending Food Crisis
“Kristalina Georgieva, the European commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis response, arrived in Niger on Wednesday to see at first hand the extent of food shortages” in the country and announced the European Union (E.U.) “is doubling its humanitarian aid to the Sahel to nearly
Harare Maternity Clinics Reportedly Conducting Compulsory HIV/AIDS Tests On Pregnant Women
“In a move that is likely to raise the ire of HIV/AIDS activists, maternity clinics in [Harare] are conducting compulsory HIV/AIDS tests on pregnant women before they can register for delivery,” the Zimbabwean reports, adding, “Scores of pregnant women in the high-density suburb of Glen-Norah told this newspaper that they were being asked to bring their spouses [to be tested] if they wanted to register to deliver their babies.” According to the newspaper, “The Zimbabwean visited [a clinic] in Glen-Norah where workers confirmed they had turned away ‘a few’ people so they could bring their spouses for testing.”
New Research Could Lead To Cheaper, Easier Production Of Malaria Drug Artemisinin
“Artemisinin, a crucial drug in the global fight against malaria, could soon become cheaper and easier to make, thanks to researchers who have found a better way to synthesize the compound,” Science NOW reports, providing an overview of the research published in Angewandte Chemie on Monday. “‘The impact of this is hard to overestimate,’ says Jack Newman, an industrial chemist at Amyris Biotechnologies in Emeryville, California, who was not involved in the work,” the news service writes. Newman added that “the supply chain to make artemisinin has been a huge problem,” the news service notes.
Marketplace: Partners, Tufts Renegotiate Deal, Ga. Insurer-Provider Fight Grows
Partners HealthCare and the Tufts Health Plan have renegotiated their contract that will lower Tufts’ reimbursements to Partners by $105 million to save money in Massachusetts. In the meantime, an insurer/provider fight in Georgia is growing, and there is marketplace news from Oregon and Colorado.
Quality Reports Find Mixed Bag In Minn., Drop In Postsurgical Deaths
Medical mistakes increased in Minnesota hospitals in 2011, but the number of “adverse events” that led to serious patient harm or death fell, a new report says. In addition, nationwide, postsurgical deaths decreased despite the number of surgeries being up overall, Medscape reports. Michigan and Connecticut, however, are struggling with patient quality issues.
‘Personhood Forum’ Moves Candidates’ Abortion Positions To Center Stage
Although Mitt Romney wasn’t present, the other Republican presidential hopefuls challenged his abortion stance. Meanwhile, with South Carolina’s GOP presidential primary vote fast approaching, the Republican candidates are stepping up their ads and their efforts take the spotlight.
Study Finds Older Women Can Wait Up To 15 Years To Repeat Bone Scans
The researchers reported that osteoporosis more slowly than anticipated and women with a normal scan at 65 do not need to be retested for more than a decade.
Lung Association Criticizes State Tobacco Policies
The advocacy group says states are not doing enough to stop smoking.
Medicare Cost-Cutting Demo Programs Fall Short In Cutting Spending
These findings from the Congressional Budget Office, based on 20 years of efforts to shift the program, are a blow to ongoing Medicare projects as well as a key component of the health law.
House Panel Gives Nod To CLASS Act Repeal Legislation
The House Ways and Means Committee approved legislation that would eliminate the health law’s Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act. Though the Obama administration stopped the program’s implementation last year, many Republicans still want to remove it from the books.
State Budgets Try Capping, Cutting Some Health Care Expenses
In New York, California and Maryland, reactions were varied to the governors’ spending plans.
