Latest KFF Health News Stories
Dems Sharpen Focus On Medicare; Reid To Hold Vote On Ryan Budget
Democrats are going on the offensive and using the controversial Republican plan to overhaul Medicare to seize the political moment.
Public Opinion Polls Uncover Differing Views On Plans For Medicare’s Future
NPR reports that the answer to how the public is reacting to plans to transform the Medicare program depends on precisely how the question is posed. Meanwhile, different polls are finding varying impressions among Americans. A Gallup poll released Wednesday found the public evenly divided over how to handle the budget, but a Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found that seniors seem to prefer Medicare as it is.
Drought In The Horn Of Africa Threatening Food Security
“A drought in the Horn of Africa, triggered by the same La Nina episode that caused massive flooding in Australia last year, is plunging millions of pastoralists closer to food insecurity,” Greenwire/New York Times reports in a story looking at how the drought is affecting several areas in the region.
China’s Census Shows Aging Population; Officials Say Family Planning Policies To Be Maintained
China’s latest census shows that the proportion of elderly people in the country has increased, while the proportion of young people dropped signficantly, but “leaders are refusing to relax strict family planning controls that are part of the cause,” the Associated Press reports (4/28).
Florida’s Medicaid Experiment Continues To Draw Attention
News outlets report on the state’s effort to shift care for Medicaid enrollees to managed care and how this move will impact specific populations such as pregnant women.
AARP Warns Against Medicaid Block Grants
In a policy paper issued Wednesday, the seniors lobby detailed how the proposal to transform this state-federal health care program for the poor into a block grant would, among other things, have an especially negative impact on low-income elderly people and people who depend on long-term care services.
State Roundup: Mass. House Votes To Limit Collective Bargaining Rights
State news highlights also come from Connecticut, Wisconsin, California and Kansas.
Hospitals Deal, Others Release Profit Reports
The Boston Globe reports on an upcoming merger between Beth Israel Medical Center and Milton Hospital, while Reuters reports that Community Health’s profits exceeded expectations.
Ind. Lawmakers Vote To Strip Planned Parenthood Of Federal Funds
News outlets report that this step, which would make this state the first to cut off all government funding for Planned Parenthood, could put Gov. Mitch Daniels, a possible Republican presidential hopeful, in a difficult position.
CBO Offers Savings Estimate On GOP Plan To Repeal Health Law Provision
According to the Congressional Budget Office, a bill approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee that would abolish the law’s planning grants designed to help states establish health insurance exchanges could save about $14 billion over the next 10 years. Meanwhile, discussion and debate continues regarding pending legal challenges to the measure.
Longer Looks: Autism Researcher’s Legacy; Methadone For Prisoners
A collection of interesting articles from The New York Times Magazine, The Economist, The Atlantic, The New Yorker and The New Republic.
Viewpoints: Taking The Deficit Seriously; Despite Low Numbers, High-Risk Pools Are Succeeding
Today’s opinions include articles from The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The New England Journal of Medicine.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the varying public responses to plans for the budget and Medicare as well as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s intent to bring the House-passed Ryan budget up for a vote.
Non-Communicable Diseases Responsible For More Than Half Of Deaths Worldwide, WHO Report Says
Rising food prices could force 64 million Asians into extreme poverty and damage the region’s economic growth this year, according to a report released on Tuesday from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Agence France-Presse reports (Morella, 4/26).
Rising Food Prices Could Push Millions In Asia Into Poverty, ADB Report Says
Rising food prices could force 64 million Asians into extreme poverty and damage the region’s economic growth this year, according to a report released on Tuesday from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Agence France-Presse reports (Morella, 4/26).
Address Global Hunger To Strengthen Security, FAO Director General Candidate Says
The world must address hunger to strengthen security worldwide, Franz Fischler, a former EU agriculture commissioner from Austria who is a candidate to lead the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said on Tuesday, Reuters reports.
Report On U.S. Food Aid Recommends Ways To Improve Quality
A report (.pdf) on the quality of U.S. food aid released on Tuesday “has identified improvements experts hope will make relief campaigns more effective at fighting hunger,” CNN reports (Courson, 4/26).
