Latest KFF Health News Stories
The number of new HIV infections “has dropped by about one-fifth over the past decade but millions of people are still missing out on major progress in prevention and treatment,” according to the annual UNAIDS report released Tuesday, Agence France-Presse reports. “In 2009, 2.6 million people contracted the HIV virus that causes AIDS, a decline of 19 percent over the 3.1 million recorded in” 1999 the report found, according to the news service (11/23).
Meningitis Immunization Program To Launch In 3 African Countries Next Month
At a press conference in London, health officials said that the anticipated roll-out of the MenAfriVac for meningitis in three African countries will start on Dec. 6, the BBC reports. “The vaccine, which has been developed in India, costs less than fifty U.S. cents a dose and clinical tests suggest it could offer protection for between 10 and 15 years,” the news service writes (Bowdler, 11/22).
Research published in the November issue of the journal Vaccine found that a global campaign to eliminate polio could save between $40 billion and $50 billion “over the next few decades if the crippling disease is wiped out within five years,” Bloomberg reports (Gale, 11/22).
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius unveiled regulations requiring insurers to spend 80 to 85 percent of premiums collected on medical care on Monday.
Health Spending Proposals, Health Law Repeal Divide Lawmakers
The Wall Street Journal reports that health spending cut proposals by President Barack Obama’s deficit-reduction commission are drawing opposition from health companies, doctors and some consumer groups.
Opinions and editorials from around the country.
Feds Recover $3 Billion In Health Care Fraud And Other Settlements
Whistleblowers at big pharmaceutical companies helped the Justice Department collect $3 billion last year; government agencies plan to upgrade procedures and IT systems to prevent costly payment errors.
Massachusetts Makes Drug And Medical Device Company Payments Public
The report says that $35.7 million were paid by hundreds of companies to health care providers, from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2009.
Two Surveys Show ‘Huge Variation’ In Health Costs In U.S.
Prescription drugs are best bet for cost savings, one index shows
‘Telehealth’ Devices Allow Patients To Track Illnesses From Home
Research say devices can help motivate patients to monitor their own care.
States address a range of health policy issues.
Encouraged Under Health Law, Plans Drawn For Accountable Care Organizations
A MedPac letter to CMS advises that ACOs must be carefully structured, and a company in Tennessee is investing millions in creating an ACO.
Lifestyle-Related Diseases Will Be Costly Down The Road; Americans Rate Their Healthcare Highly
New studies forwarn of skyrocketing costs associated with diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure; a Gallup survey reveals most Americans say their healthcare is at least “good.”
Government Orders Three Medicare Advantage Plans To Stop Marketing, Enrolling New Members
The government orders three Medicare Advantage plans to stop marketing and enrolling new members in their health and prescription drug plans because of regulation violations.
Kansas Hospitals Report Sharp Increases In Uncompensated Care
The recession has led to an increase in people coming to the hospital without insurance or ability to pay for care, Kansas hospitals report.
First Edition: November 23, 2010
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news outlets, including more details regarding the new medical loss ratio regulations announced yesterday by the Department of Health and Human Services.
WHO Report Calls For Countries To Improve Access To Health Services
“Tens of millions of people are pushed into poverty each year as a result of rising costs for health care, the World Health Organization said Monday” as the agency released a report on financing health systems and universal coverage, Deutsche Presse-Agentur/M&C reports. It also highlights the vulnerability of populations without access to health care services and outlines the steps countries can take to move toward universal health care, according to the article (11/22).
Health Groups Urge Restrictions On Tobacco Additives
Following five days of deliberations aimed at “fleshing-out the so-called Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC),” delegates on Saturday “approved a proposal to limit the use of tobacco additives, which critics say improve the flavor of cigarettes, encouraging consumers to smoke more,” Reuters reports (Fleitas, 11/20).
Pope Says Condoms Are Justified In Some Cases To Prevent HIV Infection
“Pope Benedict XVI says in a new book that condoms can be justified for male prostitutes seeking to stop the spread of HIV, a stunning comment for a church criticized for its opposition to condoms and for a pontiff who has blamed them for making the AIDS crisis worse,” the Associated Press/Washington Post reports. The pope’s comments were made public on Saturday, when a Vatican newspaper ran excerpts from Benedict’s book-length interview with German Journalist Peter Seewald for “Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times,” due out Tuesday, the news service writes (D’Emilio/Winfield, 11/21).
