Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: February 22, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that the Supreme Court added 30 minutes to the time allocation for next month’s health law arguments. Also in the news, the federal government announced funding awards yesterday to help launch consumer-governed health plans in eight states.
Congress Approves Tax Package Including Temporary ‘Doc Fix’
In Friday action, the House and Senate OK’d legislation that prevented a 27.4 percent reduction in Medicare physician pay, which was scheduled to kick in on March 1.
Analyzing The Impact Of The Court’s Consideration Of The Health Law
USA Today reports that the Supreme Court’s review could cause the the health law debate to stretch through the presidential campaign. Other media outlets take a look at what would happen without the individual mandate, and at stakeholders’ positions related to the law’s Medicaid expansion.
State Roundup: Calif. Expands Uninsured Access, Gives Adult Day Care Reprieve
A selection of stories from Arizona, California, Virginia, Iowa, Georgia, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Medicaid: Bachmann Calls For Scrutiny Of Minn. System, Other State Developments
Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., has called for a broader investigation of Minnesota’s Medicaid system after allegations that the state inflated premiums for low-income residents. Elsewhere, Maine’s Medicaid system costs more than in other states, and the Florida Hospital Association is pushing back against forced contracting with Medicaid managed care providers.
Health Policies Part Of Political Buzz Words In Presidential, Congressional Races
While GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum says the health law could discourage marriage, first lady Michelle Obama is courting women to back her husband’s re-election efforts.
How 30 Kidneys Linked 60 Lives
The New York Times examines a lengthy kidney transplant chain and explores how the current system continues to hamper transplantation efforts.
Meeting Demand For Primary Care, Family Physicians
New medical schools are opening with an emphasis on training young physicians in primary care. Meanwhile, the federal government awarded funds to medical students in 30 states and the District of Columbia to encourage their pursuit of family medicine.
Nebraska Readies For Exchange Debate
Nebraska’s state legislature is set to debate formation of a health insurance exchange as other states introduce measures that would extend exemptions on a controversial contraception rule in health reform to secular insurers and businesses, if they so choose.
Birth Control Issues Crop Up On The Campaign Trail
Republicans cast the debate over mandatory coverage as one of religious freedom, while Democrats frame it as a matter of women’s health.
CMS Unveils 2013 Medicare Advantage Payment And Policy Guidelines
Federal officials said Friday that the trend toward relatively low premium charges and stable benefits will likely continue.
Obama Contraceptive Rule Reverberates Through Health Care Marketplace
Before the federal rule was advanced, the policies put in place by various states allowed employers room to manuever, The Washington Post reports. Meanwhile, the insurance industry fears it may be left holding the bag for this requirement, and the New York Times explores the market share of Catholic hospitals.
Essential Benefits, Health Exchanges Trigger Questions, Answers
Today’s headlines include a range of stories about the implementation of the health law and related policy developments.
Contraception Opinions: We’re All Catholics Now, A Sex Tax? And The ‘Safe, Legal, Rare’ Illusion
A selection of contraception opinions and editorials from around the U.S.
Viewpoints: Medicare Mudslinging, ‘Pound-Foolish’ Doc Fix And Unrealistic Death Attitudes
A selection of health opinions and editorials from around the U.S.
March Issue Of BMJ’s ‘Sexually Transmitted Infections’ Focuses On HIV, Health Systems
Karen Grepin, assistant professor of global health policy at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, describes the March issue of BMJ’s Sexually Transmitted Infections in this post in her “Global Health Blog.” The issue, edited by Alan Whiteside, Gary Brook, Till B
New York Times Profiles UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe
The New York Times profiles UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidib
“A recent government crackdown on Russian media, particularly online information portals specializing in health tips and harm reduction methods for drug users, has sparked widespread public opposition, with critics claiming that the ‘draconian silencing’ of public health advocates could worsen an already perilous health situation in the country,” Inter Press Service reports. “Given that Russia currently has one of the largest populations of injecting drug users in the world as well as one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics, the dissemination of such information is essential to keep the spread of the virus under control,” IPS writes. “The fact that the United Nations listed universal treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS as one of its most urgent millennium development goals (MDGs) — with a deadline of achieving universal treatment by 2015 — human rights and health advocates contend that Russia’s failure to allow information or services helpful to drug users breaches international human rights and public health laws,” according to the news service (Klomegah, 2/17).
USAID Assisting Communities Affected By Cyclones In Eastern Africa
In this post on USAID’s “IMPACTblog,” the agency describes its activities in “assisting communities and individuals impacted by the cyclones in Madagascar, Mozambique, and Malawi.” USAID is “providing shelter, clean water, and health protection to those affected by the cyclones” and its “disaster response experts are on the ground working alongside local officials to identify needs and learn what additional U.S. assistance is needed,” the blog notes (2/17).
USAID’s Shah Discusses Role Of Faith-Based Organizations In Humanitarian Aid
PBS “Religious and Ethics Newsweekly” host Kim Lawton on Friday interviewed USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, who spoke about the role of faith-based organizations in humanitarian relief efforts. “We want to do our work, which is about protecting people who are vulnerable around the world and expanding the reach of human dignity, as broadly as possible. And often it is communities of faith, faith-based organizations, that are there working when the rest of the world has forgotten about people who have no other place to turn,” Shah said (2/17). An extended version of the interview also is available online (2/17).
