Latest KFF Health News Stories
Longer Looks: Breast Cancer Fundraising; Treating Autism
This week’s articles come from Marie Claire, the Columbia Journalism Review, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Weekly Standard and American Medical News.
Twenty Aid Agencies Issue Open Letter Urging International Community To Change Approach In Somalia
Twenty aid agencies on Wednesday issued an open letter (.pdf) “urg[ing] the international community to change its approach to Somalia ‘and enhance diplomatic engagement with the parties to the conflict, to ensure the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid,'” particularly before the rainy season brings the threat of disease, IRIN reports (9/21).
Panel Members At Reproductive Health Forum Discuss Issue In Development Context
GlobalPost’s “Global Pulse” blog summarizes a recent forum on reproductive health issues during which panel members of the Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health of Aspen Global Health and Development discussed how “reproductive health was intimately connected to the world’s population boom, climate change, water and sanitation crises, economic downturns, educational rates, and development overall.” The article continues, “And yet, reproductive health and family planning is generally not a focus on the world stage. In fact, the topic is often avoided.”
A pretty big selection of opinions and editorials today.
PepsiCo, WFP, USAID Announce Partnership To Increase Chickpea Production, Address Hunger In Ethiopia
PepsiCo on Wednesday announced a public-private partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) and USAID to increase chickpea production in Ethiopia in order to secure access to the legume, which “play[s] an increasing role in its food products,” the New York Times reports. If the project is successful in working with small farmers to increase chickpea production, the “increased yield would exceed PepsiCo’s needs,” therefore “some of the additional crops will be used to make a new, ready-to-eat food product that the World Food Programme has used to address famine in Pakistan,” according to the newspaper (Strom, 9/20).
Coordination Of Dual Eligibles’ Care May Offer Savings
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said during a Wednesday Senate Finance Committee hearing that the current lack of coordination for people who are on both Medicare and Medicaid leads to massive amounts of waste and low-quality care, but an Obama administration official said more time was needed to address this issue. Also, a new report written by Emory University’s Kenneth Thorpe and funded by America’s Health Insurance Plans sets a high possible savings estimate if this coordination goal can be achieved.
Lawmakers Explore Savings Potential Of Medicare Extenders
During a Wednesday House Ways and Means Committee hearing, health industry witnesses defended the Medicare “extenders,” which, in many cases, are payment policies enacted to address specific problems faced by specific types of health care providers. Ending some of them would save less than $100 million a year. One economist said, however, that when added up, they can tally an estimated $2.5 billion in savings.
First Edition: September 22, 2011
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that young adults are making gains in health coverage rates.
States Get Grants To Aid Rate-Review Efforts
On Tuesday, the Obama administration announced $109 million in grants to states to help them improve insurance industry oversight, especially regarding their scrutiny of premium increases.
Though drug companies, hospitals, nursing homes and state health programs would take the biggest hit in the president’s proposal, experts say protecting patients will not be simple.
Speaking at a high-level meeting at U.N. headquarters on Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, while lauding the progress made under the Every Woman Every Child initiative since its launch one year ago, noted that millions of women and children “are still dying needless deaths and called for advancing the goal of saving 16 million lives by 2015,” the U.N. News Centre reports. A one-year progress update launched at the meeting, Saving the Lives of 16 Million, “shows that in the first year of the effort, commitments have been implemented and enhanced, new partners have come on board, funding has been increased, policies improved and services strengthened on the ground,” according to the news service (9/20).
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the country.
Mass. Hospitals Oppose State Penalties For Preventable Readmissions
Also in state news, a California news outlet reports on the difficult challenge hospitals face trying to recover overdue bill in a tough economy and another looks at efforts by a handful of hospitals to partner with churches to help reduce health care costs.
Physician Leader: Medical Resident Training Should Focus On Cost-Conscious Care
Medscape reports on an article in the Annals of Internal Medicine delving into issues of physician training.
Insurance Commissioners Plan To Challenge Efforts To Extract More Money From Medigap Plans
Members of NAIC are developing a letter they plan to send to members of Congress regarding this proposal, which the president currently supports for new enrollees.
Critics Complain About Changes In Mental Health Coverage In Iowa, Ariz.
Under Iowa’s new Medicaid rule, psychiatric patients can fill only 15 days’ worth of medications at a time. In Arizona, state officials say the mental health system has weathered deep cuts, but advocates see harm from the move.
State Roundup: Consumers Oppose Ga. Request To Ease Insurer Profit Rules
News outlets report on a variety of state health policy issues.
