Latest KFF Health News Stories
UNICEF Publishes Vaccine Costs In Effort To Promote Price Competition
UNICEF for the first time on Friday published the prices it pays pharmaceutical companies for vaccines, “as the world’s biggest buyer of lifesaving immunizations aims to spark price competition in the face of rising costs,” the Associated Press/Washington Post reports (5/28).
Scans, Hospital Infections At Heart Of New Quality Issues
Deadly bacterial infections in patients are the aim of new efforts to clean up hospitals while bone density scan payment and heart scan screenings are also examined.
A roundup of state health-care related news from Texas, Connecticut, Maine, Florida, California, Louisiana, Georgia and Wisconsin.
New York Times Examines 30 Years Of AIDS
The New York Times looks at the evolution of the battle against AIDS since the first federal announcement of the disease 30 years ago this week.
Wall Street Journal Reports On U.N. AIDS Declaration Negotiations Prior To High Level Meeting
The Wall Street Journal reports on negotiations surrounding a U.N. declaration to be discussed at the High Level Meeting on AIDS scheduled for June 8-10 in New York.
Oxfam Report Warns About Steep Increases In Food Costs, Demand
With food costs rising for the second time in three years, Oxfam released a report on Tuesday predicting “the price of some staples such as corn will double in the next 20 years amid a permanent crisis caused by rising demand, flat crop yields and climate change,” Forbes reports (Max, 5/31).
Lax Tax Rules In Developing Countries Hinder Aid, Clinton Says
In a speech to the OECD last week, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that foreign aid is undermined by lax tax enforcement systems in developing countries and their wealthy citizens who avoid paying taxes, Agence France-Presse reports.
UNAIDS Director Says Pope’s Comments On Condoms Open Dialogue For HIV Prevention
UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe on Saturday “told a Vatican conference [Pope Benedict XVI] had opened the door to greater dialogue with his groundbreaking comments on condoms and HIV prevention
Health IT Roundup: Feds Monitor Privacy Breaches And Propose Changes To HIPAA Records Sharing
News outlets report on telemedicine, drugstore software problems and the effort to protect patient privacy.
Advocates Express Aid Concerns After G8 Summit Ends
After the conclusion of the G8 summit in Deauville, France, last week, development experts expressed concern that the G8’s aid package, aimed at encouraging democracy mostly in North Africa, would result in less aid for the rest of the continent, Inter Press Service reports.
USAID Report Questions Haitian Quake Death Toll
The death toll from the January 2010 earthquake that struck Haiti was significantly lower than the toll claimed by Haitian leaders, according to the draft of a report prepared for USAID not yet publicly released, the Associated Press/Herald Sun reports.
Many Consumers Opt For High-Deductible Coverage Despite Risks
Also: Federal government increasingly targets company executives in health fraud cases.
ACLU And Planned Parenthood Sue South Dakota
Groups object to law that would impose 72-hour waiting period.
At The 30 Year Mark, AIDS Epidemic Still Poses Challenges
The first reports of the disease were published 30 years ago this week.
Hospitals Facing Pressure To Hold Down Costs And Cut Infections; Drug Shortages Reported
News outlets examine a variety of issues facing hospitals and patients.
As Work Changes, Docs And Nurses Changing Too
The New York Times examines how the shifts in doctors’ professional lives have changed their political leanings. Also, other outlets report on some changes in medical practice that affect patients too.
Pawlenty Outlines Plans For Medicare
The former Minnesota governor discusses his plans for the entitlement program on ABC’s “This Week” and on the campaign trail in Iowa.
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the country.
Administration Seeks To Stop Medicaid Providers, Recipients From Suing States
The suits argue that poor reimbursement rates to doctors and hospitals can compromise access to health care, The New York Times reports.
Romney And Other GOP Leaders Have Complicated Histories With Health Law
Two newspapers examine how for some Republicans, the health law has a complicated history.