Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.
The Long-Term View: GOP Hopes For Scaled-Back Health Plan; Dems See Health Care Second-Chance
News outlets report on the big-picture health policy goals of both parties. Republicans see the repeal effort as stretching far beyond today’s House vote while the stretch of time may help Democrats.
Polls Offer Mixed Views Of Americans’ Views On Health Law, Repeal
Varying polls offer slightly different takes on where the American public stands regarding the health overhaul, its impact on the economy and whether it should be undone. Democrats are stepping up to try to sway these opinions. Meanwhile, a vocal physician organization has stepped into the fray in opposition of the overhaul.
Party, Policy Leaders Take Key Positions In Fight Over Health Overhaul’s Future
In a battle that has near- and long-term implications, party leaders flex their muscles. Meanwhile, centrists launch a new program to advance the development of state exchanges.
Viewpoints: Sebelius And Vilsack On Rural Health; Many Thoughts On Repeal Vote; State Budget Cuts
Opinions and editorials today range across the country.
First Edition: January 19, 2011
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including details about the House health law repeal debate, which started yesterday.
House Begins Debate On Health Law Repeal; Vote Expected Wednesday
The politically charged vote will mark the first step for Republicans in their effort to use a variety of legislative tools to undo the new federal health law.
New York Times Examines Russia’s ‘Inadequate Fight’ Against HIV/AIDS
Russia’s HIV/AIDS epidemic “has defied worldwide trends, expanding more rapidly year by year than almost anywhere else,” the New York Times writes in an article that examines how the country has become a symbol of “one of the world’s low points in the effort to fight the spread of HIV,” in large part due to the government’s failure to reach out to injecting drug users (IDUs) and sex workers
Guardian Online Series Explores Global Health Worker Issues
The Guardian reports, as part of an online feature about health care workforces worldwide done in association with the Global Health Workforce Alliance (GHWA), that “Africa is desperately short of doctors and nurses. So is much of Asia. In 57 countries, the situation is deemed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to be at crisis point … But in contrast to some other developing world problems, this is an issue that really does affect all of us. The world needs an estimated 4.2 million more health workers.”
A review of existing studies on breastfeeding, published Thursday online in BMJ (British Medical Journal), suggests some findings that contradict the WHO’s 2001 recommendation that mothers “exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of their infants’ lives,” Nature News reports (Gilbert, 1/14). Researchers who conducted the most recent review “said babies fed only breast milk could suffer iron deficiency and may be more prone to allergies” and they said mothers could stop breastfeeding as early as four months, Agence France-Presse writes.
Democrats’ Challenge: Finding Perfect Pitch For Health Overhaul Message
With the health law repeal front and center this week, Democrats will attempt to refine their message on the measure’s merits. The battle on the House floor could be a fresh opportunity to sell the sweeping legislation. To this end, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will issue a report today that quantifies the number of Americans who have preexisting conditions and would benefit from the law’s protections.
Medical Mistakes, Doctor Ratings Gain State-Level Attention
In Wisconsin, the issue of access to reports on medical mistakes is part of a bill being considered in the state legislature. In Minnesota, physicians are seeking a delay to a plan to provide ratings based on cost and quality.
Few Opt For Vaccine To Prevent Painful Shingles, NPR Reports
Uptake of new vaccine is complicated by payment issues.
