Latest KFF Health News Stories
Making Doctor Notes More Accessible To Patients
The Houston Chronicle reports that Texas physicians are leading this trend. Meanwhile, KHN offers advice to help patients better understand what they might be reading.
U.S. Readies Plan To Fight Alzheimer’s
Government health officials are meeting this week to develop a national strategy for treating and preventing the disease.
Appeals Court OKs Immediate Enforcement Of Texas Abortion Law
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that a new Texas abortion law that requires doctors to perform a sonogram and play a sound of the fetal heartbeat 24 hours before an abortion procedure can be immediately enforced while the law is appealed. Opponents hoped to delay the enforcement a few weeks.
Wis. Company Helps Lead The Way To Digitizing Health Records
The New York Times examines the work of Epic Systems, which supplies electronic records for large health care providers.
Study Finds Medicare Doesn’t Pay Adequately For Clot-Busting Stroke Treatment
Reuters reports on a study that finds the powerful drugs cost U.S. hospitals substantially more than Medicare will pay.
Obama’s Plans For SOTU Address
The Washington Post reports that President Barack Obama hopes to “strike a balance” in the upcoming speech, which will include listing accomplishments and actions such as enacting the health law.
GOP Presidential Hopefuls Clash In S.C. Debate, On Airwaves
Republican candidate Rick Santorum is unveiling a new ad that will compare rival Mitt Romney to President Barack Obama, citing the Massachusetts health law Romney signed while governor.
Viewpoints: Health Care Is A Civil Right; A Medicare Strategy Based On Lenin
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care policy from around the country.
S.D., Wis. Wrestle With Health Exchange Implementation
While Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker faces a dilemma regarding his state’s Early Innovator Grant, South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard announced his state wouldn’t try to pass health exchange legislation because “there is too much uncertainty.”
Will The Health Law’s Future Be Decided By The High Court Or The Election?
Media outlets weigh the various scenarios that could play out and where the ultimate muscle exists to advance or undo the health law.
Insurance In The States: New York Retailers Often Don’t Cover Employees
In New York City, a new study has found only three of 10 retail workers get health insurance through their job. In the meantime, the federal government is stepping up scrutiny of health insurers in Arizona, and Connecticut considers changes to appeal insurance company coverage denials.
U.S. To Provide Nearly $1B Over Five Years To Bangladesh For Poverty, Health, Agriculture Programs
A U.S. Embassy statement on Saturday said the U.S. would provide nearly $1 billion to Bangladesh over the next five years “towards alleviating poverty and malnutrition, as well as family planning and the fight against infectious diseases,” Reuters reports. “The funds will also be used to support research in improving farm productivity and deal with the impact of climate change,” the news service writes, adding, “As of 2011, the U.S. government has provided over $5.7 billion in development assistance to Bangladesh” (Quadir, 1/14).
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday “urg[ed] the Taliban to allow teams conducting a polio vaccination campaign access to areas under their control” and “said that whoever hampers the medical workers ‘is the enemy of our children’s future,'” the Associated Press/Washington Post reports (1/17). “A total of 80 cases of the crippling disease were reported in Afghanistan last year — a three-fold increase over 2010, the health ministry said on Tuesday, marking a major setback in the drive to eradicate polio worldwide,” Agence France-Presse writes, adding that “Karzai appealed to religious and community leaders to persuade the insurgents to allow the immunization teams to vaccinate children” (1/17).
First Edition: January 17, 2012
Today’s early highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that look forward to what’s on tap as Congress returns to work as well as the the House GOP’s emerging election-year strategy and President Obama’s plans for the state-of-the-union address.
S.C. Primary Race Heats Up: Abortion, Health Law Affect Evangelical Endorsement
A group of religious conservatives endorsed Rick Santorum, and GOP presidential candidates prepare for debate tonight.
Health Law’s Individual Mandate, Essential Benefits Draw Headlines
A new study concludes that dropping the individual mandate would result in overall lower health spending but increases in health insurance premium costs. Meanwhile, CQ HealthBeat reports on the drama that surrounds the Obama administration’s essential benefits proposal.
Oregon, Georgia Following Very Different Health Exchange Paths
In Georgia, the state GOP leaders and the governor have agreed not to push an exchange bill. Meanwhile, in Oregon, consumer groups have offered a list of priorities to the organization responsible for developing its exchange.
MedPAC: Raise, And Also Lower, Medicare Reimbursements To Hospitals
Subscription news services covered MedPAC’s mixed recommendation.
Chamber President Calls For Entitlement Reform
Tom Donohue, the president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, says Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security costs must be tamed.
Governors’ Agendas Include Medicaid But Not Much On State Insurance Exchanges
Meanwhile, a Colorado legislator is seeking to force the governor to ask for a waiver to change the Medicaid program there.
