Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicare Tests Bundled Payment Structure In Hopes Of Saving Money
Ultimately, Medicare officials hope that bundling payments to hospitals, doctors and even post-hospital caregivers will lead to increases in cost-effective care.
Date Set For Oral Arguments In 8th Circuit Court Of Appeals
The action is scheduled for the week of Oct. 17 in St. Paul, Minn. The case is “one of the most prominent in the second round of health reform lawsuits working its way up to the Supreme Court.”
U.N. Summit On NCDs ‘Is A Battleground’ Of Private Versus Public Interests
David Stuckler of the University of Cambridge, Sanjay Basu of the University of California, San Francisco, and Martin McKee of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, write in a BMJ commentary that misconceptions and fallacies “have led to serious under-budgeting for non-communicable diseases” (NCDs). The authors question whether food companies, or lobbying groups and non-governmental organizations that are influenced by food corporations, should “be viewed as trusted partners and have a seat at the table during public health negotiations” leading up to the U.N. High-level Meeting on NCDs.
South African Health Minister Promotes Exclusive Breastfeeding To Fight Rising Infant Mortality Rate
Speaking at a breastfeeding conference on Tuesday in Johannesburg, South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said that “reducing child mortality is one of the most important priorities in our country and central to this is breastfeeding as a child survival strategy,” Agence France-Presse reports.
Crime And Violence Overshadowing Malnutrition In Guatemalan Presidential Campaign
“[M]alnutrition, one of the leading killers of children under five in the Central American nation [of Guatemala], is receiving scant attention on the campaign trail” ahead of the country’s presidential elections scheduled for September, AlertNet reports. “Organized crime and rising drug-fuelled violence” are overshadowing many issues, according to the news service.
Foreign Drug Manufacturing, Testing Raise Regulatory And Ethical Concerns
JAMA discusses “a recent report from the Pew Health Group about the growing risks of substandard and counterfeit medications resulting from the increasing overseas production of pharmaceuticals and their ingredients.” According to JAMA, “The report notes that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now estimates that as much as 40 percent of pharmaceuticals used by U.S. consumers are made in other countries, and 80 percent of active ingredients and bulk chemicals used in drug manufacturing come from foreign countries.” The report “recommends that pharmaceutical companies exert tighter control over their international suppliers, that Congress provide the FDA with more resources and greater authority to oversee foreign drug production, and that a universal system be created to track drugs from production to the pharmacy,” the journal writes (Kuehn, 8/24).
First Edition: August 24, 2011
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that Medicare tries bundled payments and HHS may give states a second chance to avoid a federally-run health insurance exchange.
‘Super Committee’ Handicapping, Analysis Continues
The deficit panel has already set to work, holding conference calls and using the congressional recess to begin their process. As its members face a Thanksgiving deadline for making their recommendations to find $1.5 trillion in budget savings over 10 years, speculation continues regarding their chances for success.
Idaho Governor Appears ‘Open’ To State-Run Exchange, Texas Governor Is Not
Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter says it makes sense for his state to accept federal funds and set up its own exchange. But Texas Gov. Rick Perry stands firm in his opposition.
State Roundup: Budgets Cause Layoffs In Wash., End Of Calif. Adult Day Care
News outlets report on a variety of state health policy issues.
Ark. Details Plans For Medicaid Payment Reforms
In other Medicaid news from the states, Kansas must find a new funding source for its online enrollment system, and New York and Nebraska audit medicaid payments.
Polio Eradication ‘At Risk’ As Chad And Pakistan Face Continued Outbreaks, GPEI Report Says
“According to the latest report from the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), continued transmission of polio is a ‘global health emergency,’ and plans to interrupt transmission by the end of 2012 are ‘at risk,'” the Lancet Infectious Diseases reports, adding, “With a US$590 million funding gap and weak political leadership in some countries, the engagement of communities to plan and implement local approaches is paramount.”
Viewpoints: Rational, Not Rationing, Medicare Cuts; Paul Ryan’s Future; Hospitals’ Clout
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the country.
Hospitals Gain Speed In Heart Attack Care
According to a new study published in the journal Circulation, more heart attack patients are now getting care within the recommended time frame than were five years ago.
Georgia Company Charges Hospitals With Balance Billing
The firm told state lawmakers that its employees are receiving collection notices as a result of hospitals using this practice.
HIV-Positive Pregnant Women Across Africa Face Discrimination
HIV-positive women across Africa are facing discrimination, with many “say[ing] they have been pressured
Rick Perry’s Views On Medicare, Other Health Policy Issues Draw Scrutiny
The GOP presidential hopeful’s views on key issues have triggered examination by news outlets. Meanwhile, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who proposed sweeping changes to the Medicare program, has opted not to join the presidential primary contest.
Haitian Women Crossing The Border To Give Birth Overwhelm Dominican Health Care System
“Dominican hospitals and clinics are being overwhelmed by Haitian women
