Latest KFF Health News Stories
China’s HIV/AIDS-related mortality has dropped from 39.3 per 100 person-years in 2002 to 14.2 in 2009, or 64 percent, since the nation began providing free antiretroviral therapy (ART) in 2002, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and published online Wednesday in Lancet Infectious Diseases, the New York Times reports (McNeil, 5/18).
In a press briefing on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius on Tuesday “cited two major issues for the U.S.: the eradication of polio, as concerns remain in countries where the disease is endemic, such as Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan, with outbreaks in other nations, and maintaining the stocks of smallpox virus, which has already been eradicated,” Intellectual Property Watch reports.
Court Documents Detail Fed’s Case For The Individual Mandate
The federal government offered an aggressive defense of the new health law in a reply brief filed Wednesday in the multi-state challenge to the overhaul.
Dominican Republic Health Officials Raise Alerts About Possible Cholera Outbreaks
Health authorities have raised alerts in 17 “mainly poor” neighborhoods in the Dominican Republic capital of Santo Domingo after 16 people were hospitalized with suspected cholera, BBC News reports (5/17).
Health Care ‘Compact’ Advances; Some States Wrestle With Exchanges, MLR
States take a variety of steps regarding their roles in implementing the health law or trying to stop it.
Parliamentarians Issue Call For G8 Nations To Focus On Role Of Women In Development
Ahead of next week’s G8 summit in Deauville, France, “parliamentarians from 35 countries have issued a strong call for leaders of the world’s major economies to focus on the role of women and girls in development,” Inter Press Service reports.
Funding Shortages Mean WFP Will Stop Food Aid To Nearly 1 Million Nepalese
On Wednesday, the World Food Program (WFP) said “it does not have enough funds to continue flying supplies by helicopter to western Nepal, where road access is patchy and around a million people rely on U.N. food aid,” Agence France-Presse reports.
Viewpoints: Coburn On His Dropout; Malpractice Reform And States
A selection of viewpoints from around the nation.
Consumers, Employers Confronting Higher Health Care Costs
Meanwhile, an Associated Press poll finds that college graduates have been hit by the recession – and their health insurance coverage is one of the key indicators.
Study: Costs Get In Way of Cancer Patients Refilling Their Prescriptions
The findings, which were released Wednesday, came from the Journal of Oncology Practice and the American Journal of Managed Care.
9/11 Health Fund Administrator Chosen
The New York Times reports that the appointment of Sheila Birnbaum is a step forward in carrying out efforts to reopen the victim’s compensation fund.
Fla. Officials Facing Tight Timeframe For Medicaid Overhaul
News outlets report on Medicaid issues affecting states.
OMB Review Could Lock In ACO Rule, Politico Reports
Meanwhile, long-term care providers say health law doesn’t help with their problems.
Medicare Issues Play Out In Early Presidential, Congressional Politics
Medicare is again a hot-button issue as news outlets speculate on how Republican plans to revamp the program could play into the upcoming election season.
State Roundup: Health Costs And Private Prison Savings
News outlets report on state policy issues.
Outlook Dims For GOP-Backed Malpractice Reform
Even though a House panel approved a bill last week, advocates on both sides of the issue say a legislative deal this year is unlikely.
Analyzing The Impact Of ‘Gang Of Six’ Tensions On Deficit-Reduction Plans
News outlets examine what led to the exit of Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., from this group of negotiators and what the new outlook is for the group to have a positive impact on congressional efforts to develop long-term deficit reduction strategies.
Reid Plans For Senate Vote On Ryan Budget Plan
USA Today reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is aiming for a vote next week.
Longer Looks: Health Care Questions For GOP Presidential Hopefuls
Today’s interesting reading options come from The Economist, MedPage Today, The Atlantic, National Review, Mother Jones, American Medical News, and Hospitals & Health Networks.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the impact of the departure of Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., from the ‘Gang of Six’ on the efforts to address long-term budget issues such as Medicare spending.
