Latest KFF Health News Stories
First African Tapped As New Head Of U.N. Population Fund
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on Friday that former Nigerian Health Minister Babatunde Osotimehin has been appointed to head to head the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), the U.K. Press Association reports. Osotimehin, “a 61-year-old medical doctor and AIDS expert, is the first African to head the agency,” according to the news service (11/20).
HHS Details Health Law MLR Requirement: Insurers Must Spend At Least 80 Percent On Medical Care
The Obama administration released the medical loss ratio regulations this morning, describing a new national standard on how much insurers can spend on administrative and non-medical costs.
Health Law Repeal Murky As Groups Press Officials, Target Specific Provisions
The New York Times reports that even as Republicans deal with their newfound power and set their sights on repealing the health law, little chance remains to do so beyond even the fact that they don’t have the numbers to override a presidential veto or pass a repeal in the Senate.
Health Workforce Faces Challenges With Economic Downturn, Effort To Improve Quality Of Care
News outlets report on the “stalled” health sector in Calif., nursing home improvements, and a national nurses union’s “aggressive strategy.”
Opinions and editorials from around the country.
Medicare Making Changes To Acknowlege Telemedicine’s Growing Use
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services promotes telemedicine and plans to increase Medicaid coverage for remote services.
States address a range of health policy issues.
Mergers Among Hospitals And Doctors Spur Consumer Concerns, The NY Times Reports
News outlets report on the hospital market.
Employers Scrutinize Dependents For Health Coverage
News outlets report on employer health care costs.
Seniors signing up for Medicare Part D may see fewer plans and added benefits this year.
States Mull Medicaid Cuts, Possibility Of Dropping Out Of The Program
Facing looming budget deficits, more states are considering cutting essential services from Medicaid or opting out of the program altogether.
Debt Woes Keep Harsh Guidelines Aloft, Forge Unlikely Alliances
A controversial debt panel’s advice was initially thought to be heading nowhere fast, but consensus that action must be taken to avoid a debt crisis has kept negotiators at the table and given the recommendations unexpected buoyancy, The Washington Post reports.
This week’s research roundup includes studies from the New England Journal of Medicine, the Annals of Internal Medicine, the Government Accountability Office, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Center for Studying Health System Change.
First Edition: November 22, 2010
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including more reports on deficit reduction issues, the continuing politics swirling around the health law repeal effort and employers’ soaring health care costs.
Rush To Merge Doctors And Hospitals Is Raising Consumers’ Concerns
The health law “envisioned doctors and hospitals joining forces, coordinating care” to cut costs through entities called Accountable Care Organizations, The New York Times reports. But consumer groups are concerned that the effort could create “incentives for doctors and hospitals to stint on care.”
Mass. And Minn. Officials Struggle With Controlling Health Costs, Guaranteeing Quality
News outlets report that Massachusetts’ health reform hasn’t adequately addressed the soaring cost of health care, according to the state’s Attorney General.
Tackling Physical, Mental Health Of Prisoners Would Improve Public Health, Researchers Say
Providing the more than 10 million people incarcerated around the world “with better health care could prevent outbreaks of HIV and tuberculosis from spilling over into the general population experts say,” the Associated Press/Washington Post reports.
By the end of this year, an additional 64 million people will fall into extreme poverty as a result of the global economic downturn that started in 2008, the World Bank said in a study on “member banks’ response” to the situation, Reuters reports. The bank defines extreme poverty as living on less than $1.25 per day. The report is based on the findings of a group, created “to appraise the effectiveness of its response to the global downturn,” the news service writes.
