Latest KFF Health News Stories
WSJ: Insurers’ Profits On The Rise
Fourth quarter profit reports should offer a glimpse into how the health law will impact insurers’ bottom lines.
Religious Hospitals’ Restrictions Sparking Conflicts, Scrutiny, The Washington Post Reports
Various market factors are triggering disputes between hospitals and church authorities regarding certain care and treatment decisions.
Supreme Court Considers Drug-Pricing Lawsuit
A key question has to do with whether local governments and their health facilities can sue drug makers over the agreements these companies have with the Department of Health and Human Services, reports Modern Healthcare.
How Dems Who Voted Against The Health Law Decided Their Repeal Positions
Three House Democrats voted with Republicans to repeal the health law. But others, who voted against the legislation the first time around, chose to side with their party caucus.
A selection of opinions, editorials and viewpoints, especially focused on the health law repeal vote.
Roundup: Medicaid Cuts And Waivers; Mental Health Care; Mass. Immigrant Care; Minn. Medical Errors
A roundup of state health policy and public health news.
First Edition: January 20, 2011
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about yesterday’s House vote to repeal the health overhaul and about the GOP’s next steps in its effort to undo the sweeping law.
House Votes To Repeal Health Law
In a largely symbolic and generally party-line vote, the House clears a measure to repeal the signature legislative achievement of the Obama administration.
IMF Aid Substituting, Not Supplementing Existing Health Spending, Study Finds
International Monetary Fund (IMF) “aid to some of the poorest countries [is] not being used to supplement existing spending on public health projects, but instead it often substitutes state spending,” according to a study published in the International Journal of Health Services, Press Trust India/MSN reports. “The study comes at a time when there is serious concern about whether developing countries will meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on global health by 2015,” the news service writes (Sonwalker, 1/19).
WHO Director-General Expresses Concern Over Public Mistrust Of Vaccines
During the WHO’s executive board meeting Monday, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan expressed concerns over what she called a “‘worrisome’ public mistrust of vaccines, following signs of a tail-off in flu vaccination,” Agence France-Presse reports (1/18).
Africa’s Economic Expansion Not Strong Enough To Reach Poverty MDG, U.N. Report Says
“Africa’s economy expanded by 4.7 percent in 2010 and is expected to maintain similar growth over the next two years,” according to the U.N.’s World Economic Situation and Prospects 2011 report, which was released Tuesday in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, Deutsche Presse-Agentur/M&C reports. But the economic growth and indicators of economic recovery are not strong enough to meet Millennium Development Goal (MDG) poverty targets, according to the report (1/18).
World Bank Announces Additional $5M Grant To Fight Cholera In Haiti
The World Bank on Tuesday “announced a $15 million grant to Haiti to fight a persistent cholera epidemic,” SAPA/Health24 reports. In a press release, the bank said it approved an additional $5 million to be added to a previously announced $10 million grant. “The funds, said the organisation in [the] statement, will go towards public campaigns to prevent infection and increase the capacity of Haiti’s health ministry to deal with the emergency,” the news service writes (1/19).
House To Vote Today On Health Law Repeal
In the GOP-led effort to repeal the health overhaul, the dynamics of the health reform debate return to center stage. This time, in what is viewed as a symbolic effort in the lower chamber, many reports indicate the tone was collegial.
Reform, Repeal, Replace … Looking Behind The Numbers And Arguments
News outlets offer insights – and fact-checking – about the arguments surrounding the GOP effort to undo the health overhaul.
States face a range of budget and health policy challenges.
Supreme Court To Hear Arguments Over Medicaid Payments
At issue is whether California and other financially challenged states have the leeway to reduce Medicaid payments to doctors, hospitals and other medical providers.
Medicare’s Therapy Policy Under Attack
Meanwhile, the AP reports on how some insurers are profiting from “playing the float.”
Health Care, Financial Reform Skirt Obama Review, The Wall Street Journal Reports
The Obama administration’s sweeping review of federal regulations will have little impact on the health overhaul.
6 States Join Multi-State Legal Challenge Against Health Law
The new tally in the lawsuit, led by the state of Florida, is 26.
