Latest KFF Health News Stories
“G20 farm ministers meet in Paris on Wednesday to review steps to curb food price volatility amid doubts France will win unanimous backing for a cornerstone proposal to tighten regulation for commodity markets,” Reuters reports.
Studies: Health Law Aids Employer Health Coverage
Research released yesterday offered a very different view than a controversial McKinsey & Co. survey released last week regarding the impact the health law would have on employer-based health coverage.
Middle-Class Early Retirees May Be Eligible For Medicaid In 2014
As a result of the health law, many early retirees may in 2014 be eligible for Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for the poor. This expansion, which is being termed a “glitch” and is drawing significant Republican reaction, could mean that early retirees with household incomes up to $64,000 would qualify.
FDA Releases New Tobacco Warning Labels That Emphasize “Horror Factor”
The labels, which represent the first change in these warnings in 25 years, are required under a federal law that was passed in 2009 and must be displayed on cigarette packaging and advertisements by September 2012.
Viewpoints: Medicare And Politics; Concerns About AARP; Medicaid’s Future
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the country.
AP: Walgreens, Express Scripts At Odds In Contract Negotiations
The two companies have hit an impasse as the Walgreen Company charges that the pharmacy benefits manager does not pay enough to fill prescriptions.
Florida Officials Ask Feds For More Time On Medicaid Pilot Program
News organizations in Florida, Colorado and Louisiana report on developments in state Medicaid issues.
GOP Presidential Hopefuls Carve Out Positions On Key Health Law Issues
Former Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty has vowed to bring back the term “Obamneycare” while Jon Huntsman, former Utah governor, ambassador to China and the latest to throw his hat into the GOP presidential nomination race, explained his position on the individual mandate.
Restaurant Chains Work To Respond To Health Law’s Calorie Disclaimer Rules
The LA times reports on how restaurants are trying to revamp favorite dishes so that they have fewer calories and redesign menus to balance high-calorie choices with healthier options.
State Roundup: Okla. Caps ‘Non-Economic Damages’ In Lawsuits
News outlets report on a variety of state health policy issues.
Policy News: Speculation Surrounds Soon-To-Be Released Exchange Regs
Meanwhile, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Donald Berwick takes a message about accountable care organizations on the road, selling the model in Minneapolis to nurses, doctors and other health professionals.
Debt-Reduction Package Continues To Take Shape
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said the goal of trimming $2 trillion from the federal budget in the next 10 years will not be enough to change the rate of growth of the nation’s debt. In the background, negotiators continue to “bear down” on the remaining “serious” issues.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including an exclusive AP report detailing a “twist” in the health law that would allow millions of middle class Americans — mainly early retirees — access to Medicaid.
Poor Governance Is No Excuse For Withholding Aid
Recent improvements in health indicators in the Democratic Republic of Congo, “[i]n no small part,
WHO Releases First-Ever HIV Guidelines For MSM And Transgender People
The WHO on Tuesday released its first-ever HIV guidelines on men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people, which “urge[s] governments to ensure gay men get equal access to HIV prevention and treatment services,” the Associated Press reports.
IPS Examines Initiative To Provide Free Health Care In Sierra Leone
Inter Press Service examines the challenges associated with Sierra Leone’s plan to provide free health care for some members of the population.
Time To Expand Sanitation For All
“That 2.6 billion people live each day without a proper toilet is shocking,” Willem-Alexander, the Prince of Orange who is also chair of the U.N. Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, writes in an opinion piece in the Hurriyet Daily News, which marks the launch of a U.N. effort to build political will for sanitation.
