Latest KFF Health News Stories
Viewpoints: LA Times Wants Solutions From GOP Candidates; WSJ Finds Worrisome Census Numbers
Today’s selection of opinions and editorials.
Investing Now In Early Child Development Will Have Long-Term Benefits
Gordon Alexander, director of the office of research at UNICEF’s Innocenti Research Centre, writes in this post on the Guardian’s “Poverty Matters Blog” that a series published in Friday’s Lancet on early child development (ECD) shows “that the payoff from concerted, integrated action around ECD would be enormous.” Additional focus on and investment in ECD, particularly in the areas of nutrition, maternal and family health, and poverty alleviation, would help children reach their full potential in adulthood, which means “investing in ECD now will quite literally yield billions of dollars in later years,” he says.
Research Roundup: Disparities In Heart Care, Hospital Deaths
This week’s studies come from the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Commonwealth Fund, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and the Archives of Surgery.
NPR: Bartering To Cover Health Care Costs
According to this report, some physicians and patients find “time-banking” – a method of bartering – to be an effective means of covering the treatment costs for low-income patients, mainly because it involves no red tape.
Insurers, Patients Wrestle With Payment, Care Issues And Strategies
News outlets report on a variety of issues reflecting the insurance hassles patients sometimes face and the efforts by insurance companies to find profits in better-coordinated care.
GAO: Oversight Needed On Program That Gives Safety Net Providers Drug Discounts
Under this program, known as the 340 B program, drugmakers provide discounts to community health centers and other health care providers that treat vulnerable populations in exchange for having their drugs covered by Medicaid.
GOP Lawmakers Show No Sign Of Backing Off Health Law Waivers Controversy
Even though the Obama administration decision to end health law exemptions for businesses and unions has now kicked in, Republicans say they will keep up their criticism. Politico Pro explores some of the questions that still surround this waiver program.
Dem Lawmakers, Advocates Push To Save CLASS Act
The Hill reports that backers of this long-term care program, including congressional Democrats, say the administration can continue working on its developments using money from the health law.
First Edition: September 26, 2011
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including the first installment of KHN’s three-day series, “The Big Money World Of Kid’s Care.”
Administration Faces Monday Deadline On Health Lawsuit
Justice Department must notify the 11th Circuit whether it will seek a full appelate court review of a suit against the health law, the Los Angeles Times reports. But the administration is torn about slowing down the inevitable move to the Supreme Court.
Seniors Deeply Concerned About Medicare, Medicaid Future As ‘Super Committee’ Decisions Loom
News outlets are covering Medicare and Medicaid developments.
Fact Check: Health Care Claims In Republican Debate
News organizations examine candidates’ statements, including one by Gov. Rick Perry about Mitt Romney’s book, Rep. Michele Bachmann and Perry on the HPV vaccine and Herman Cain on his cancer and the health law.
Health Law Spotlight Moves To D.C. Appeals Court
News outlets covered the high-stakes hearing today, focusing on the political background of the judges.
The health law’s long-term care program, which has faced concerns about its fiscal sustainability, appears at risk following reports that the HHS office overseeing it faces a key staff reduction.
Fight Against HIV Losing Momentum; Robust Analysis Needed To Develop Long-Term Strategy
“After a decade of unprecedented increases in donor funding and a corresponding 17 percent decline worldwide in the number of new infections, the fight against HIV is losing momentum,” Bjorn Lomborg, director of the Copenhagen Consensus Center and an adjunct professor at Copenhagen Business School, and Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and former executive director of UNAIDS, write in this Wall Street Journal opinion piece.
Funds Awarded To Improve Maternal And Child Health With Home Visits
In another round of grants funded by the 2010 health law, the Department of Health and Human Services provided resources to support efforts by nurses, social workers, or other health care professionals to make home visits to low-income families that agree to meet with them in their homes. Also, Kansas Health Institute News reports on the funds awarded to Kansas.
Drug Shortages Fuel Increases In Cost Of Care, Poor Outcomes
The AP reports that shortages for a number of important medicines are causing hospitals to purchase these drugs from secondary suppliers at costs that include huge markups.
State, Private Exchange Developments Attract Attention
In Oregon, the Senate confirmed Gov. John Kitzhaber’s recommendations for the Oregon Insurance Exchange Board. On the private side, Bloom Health, a Minneapolis startup, is continuing its efforts to create a national health insurance exchange.
‘Super Committee’ Hears Pleas To Protect Health Programs
Some say the recession’s toll could be even greater if Medicaid funding for mental health services hits the deficit panel’s chopping block. Meanwhile, provider groups continue to make their cases to the committee.
