Latest KFF Health News Stories
Funds At Risk: What Services Does Title X Support?
NPR explores what this federal health care funding – now at risk in the ongoing congressional negotiations regarding current-year spending – actually supports.
House Panel Approves Bills To Limit Health Law Funding
Meanwhile, the Senate plans to vote next week on a repeal of the health law’s 1099 tax reporting provision.
Good And Bad News About Retiree Health Care
While the AP reports that the outlook is improving for retirees who wonder if they will be able to pay their medical bills, Politico notes that the health law’s early retiree health program is about to run out of money.
The Push Is On For Deficit Reduction
Addressing government entitlement programs, including Medicare, are key to that effort. Meanwhile, GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich offers his own plans for wringing savings from health care costs.
Research Roundup: High Deductible Plans; Raising Medicare Age
Today’s studies come from the Archives of Internal Medicine, the Government Accountability Office, the Commonwealth Fund, the American Journal of Managed Care, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Ariz. Governor Unveils Medicaid Proposal
Gov. Jan Brewer asks HHS to approve proposal that would cut some enrollees and increase their cost sharing.
State Roundup: Fla. Gov. Orders Cuts To Programs For Disabled
Today’s state news comes from Florida, Texas, Colorado, Virginia, Kansas, Iowa, Louisiana and Georgia.
News outlets offering today’s opinions include Politico, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, the Des Moines Register and the Sacramento Bee.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including coverage that helps fill in the details of the much-anticipated rule for accountable care organizations, which was released yesterday by the Obama administration.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, CMS Administrator Donald Berwick and other Obama administration officials unveiled the long-awaited accountable care organization rule Thursday morning.
U.N. Secretary-General Releases Report Assessing Global Response To HIV/AIDS
Nearly 30 years since researchers first described HIV/AIDS, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday in Nairobi, Kenya, released a report (.pdf) assessing the global HIV/AIDS response, Agence France-Presse reports (3/31).
HIV Prevention, Treatment Must Be Expanded In Asia-Pacific, Delegates At Regional Meeting Say
More needs to be done to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and increase access to treatments for patients living with the disease, according to representatives from 24 Asia-Pacific countries attending a regional United Nations meeting in Bangkok this week, VOA News reports (Schearf, 3/30).
African Governments Must Commit More Funds To Health To Meet Previous Commitments, WHO, UNFPA Say
Ten years “since heads of state of African Union countries met in Abuja, Nigeria, and pledged to set a target of allocating ‘at least 15%’ of their annual budget to improve the health sector, only Rwanda and South Africa have reached the objective,” according to a recent WHO report, BMJ News reports (Zarocostas, 3/30).
USAID Internal Memo Details Personnel, Organizational Changes For Feed The Future
The Obama administration’s Feed the Future program and “the bureau that runs it will be reorganized,” according to an internal USAID memo from March 15, Agweek reports.
Lawmakers Near Budget Deal, Policy Riders Trigger Objections
Although no agreements have been reached, congressional leaders appeared to be nearing a deal Wednesday to split the difference on spending cuts and avert a government shutdown.
CBO’s Health Law Estimate Indicates 10-Year Net Deficit Decrease Of $210 Billion
Previously, the Congressional Budget Office had estimated a 10-year deficit reduction figure of $124 billion. However, in other testimony at the same hearing, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services chief actuary Richard Foster offered a more skeptical view of the whether the measure will ultimately reduce the deficit.
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the country.
State Roundup: Minn., Fla. Weigh Progarm Changes For Disabled, Poor
Today’s news reports come from Florida, Arizona, Minnesota, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Texas, Louisiana, Iowa and Colorado.
