Latest KFF Health News Stories
A Shifting Model Of Care For Older Patients
The New York Times reports on an emerging approach that allows many elderly patients to stay in their homes and still receive the medical care and social services the usually would get in a nursing home.
State Roundup: Calif. Prison Medical Facilities; New Ore. Rx Dispensing Rules
A selection of health policy stories from Texas, Oregon, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, California, Massachusetts and Colorado.
Administration Releases New Health IT ‘Meaningful Use’ Rules
Officials with the Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services published the second stage of “meaningful-use” rules for adoption of electronic medical records Thursday, laying out requirements for better digital communication among doctors and expanded patient access to records, in order for doctors and hospitals to get incentive payments.
Senate Contests Touch On Contraception, Health Reform Issues
Media outlets report on how these issues are being debated in Senate campaigns in Massachusetts and Texas.
Romney Defends Health Care Record On The Campaign Trail
News outlets report on how GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is casting his policies as he moves toward the next round of primary contests on Tuesday. The coverage include analysis, fact-checking from this week’s debate and his efforts to appeal to the tea party.
The Washington Post reports that per patient costs will likely be more than double the initial projections.
Texas Bars Abortion Providers From Medicaid, Endangering Federal Money
Texas is barring abortion providers from the state’s Medicaid program in defiance of the federal government, sparking a showdown that could close the state’s Women’s Health Program.
State Health Insurance Exchanges Moving In Fits And Starts
Vermont, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Texas and California are grappling with various aspects of implementing the health law.
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the U.S.
Calif. Medicaid Chief Promises Dental Changes For Kids
California’s state Medicaid chief is promising changes to dental care for kids, and North Carolina rolls out a medical home model for pregnant women.
Research Roundup: Hospital Medication Errors; Key Medicaid Issues In 2014
A selection of briefs, research and analyses from the health policy world.
Woman Barred From House Contraception Hearing Testifies At Dems’ Event
A woman barred by Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., last week from testifying at a hearing on contraception and religion starred in a House Democratic hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday, saying women are “energized” on the contraception issue.
Medicare’s Fraud-Busting Computer Has Slow Start
The Associated Press reports that since the computer system’s launch last summer it has saved exactly $7,591.
Cardiologists Not Satisfied With ‘Doc Fix’
Cardiologists are not happy with the latest Medicare physician reimbursement “Doc Fix” after already dealing with reimbursement cuts in 2010, Medpage Today reports.
Handicapping The Role Of Health Care In 2012
Politco Pro explores how health issues are playing in the campaign so far.
CSIS Publishes Analyses Of Health Sectors In Egypt, Gaza
The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) on Thursday published two analyses of health in the Middle East — titled “Egypt and U.S. Health Assistance” and “Gaza’s Health Sector under Hamas” — respectively written by Jon Alterman and Haim Malka, both scholars in the CSIS Middle East Program. Alterman reflects on “the relationship which the United States has developed with Egypt in advancing health,” and Malka discusses the “factors that have driven the expansion of Hamas’ health capacities,” according to CSIS, which adds, “For each, there are very important considerations of relevance to U.S. global health policy” (2/23).
South Sudan’s Army Calls For Concerted Efforts To Fight HIV/AIDS
“South Sudan’s army on Wednesday appealed for concerted efforts to fight against HIV/AIDS, stressing that the war against the sexually transmitted disease cannot be fought by one institution or group of some officials tasked by the government,” the Sudan Tribune reports. “Speaking in an interview with Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, Lieutenant Colonel John Woja, the HIV/AIDS Secretariat Program Manager of the military, warned that prevalence of disease poses a big threat to the military” and “called on media to complement the efforts of his directorate in sensitizing civilians and the army,” the newspaper writes.
HIV To Be Covered Under Insurance In India Beginning In October
In this post in PSI’s “Healthy Lives” blog, Benoy Peter, senior manager for knowledge management at Project Connect in India, reports that the government of India will cover HIV care under insurance in the country beginning in October 2012. Peter recounts the advocacy efforts that went into convincing the Indian government to make the change and writes, “We are excited about the maiden policy change facilitated by PSI/India. Much deserved credit goes to [the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO)], USAID, our partners and a few activists who enlightened by our conference did their parallel lobbying” (2/22).
Additional Discussion Needed Before Final Decision Made On Publication Of Bird Flu Studies
Attendees of a recent WHO meeting that discussed the possible publication in the journals Nature and Science of two studies that modified H5N1 bird flu strains to show the virus could be more easily transmissible among humans decided publication of redacted versions would be ineffective and that “a system for distributing the full paper only to selected individuals would be impossible to set up on any relevant timescale,” a Nature editorial states. Participants also learned “not only does the mammalian transmissibility threat seem greater than previously thought, but also that current avian viruses have some of the mutations identified in the new work,” according to the editorial.
Despite Economic Downturn, Global Fund ‘Needs And Deserves’ International Support
In recognition of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria’s 10th anniversary, Sisonke Msimang, executive director of the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, recounts the Fund’s history and development in this Project Syndicate opinion piece, stating that the organization is “driven by the idea that people need not die of preventable and treatable diseases simply because they are poor.” She continues, “And yet today, despite the Global Fund’s effectiveness and its strong anti-corruption track record, donors have cited ‘bad governance’ as an excuse for withholding further committed resources. Others have blamed the global financial crisis. The irony of this has not been lost on activists, who deal with the drivers of AIDS, TB, and malaria — corruption and poverty — on a daily basis.”
