Latest KFF Health News Stories
Justices Wrestle With Issue Of Protecting Vaccine Makers
At issue in the case argued before the Supreme Court Tuesday are parents who believe vaccines have injured their child and a 1986 federal law that barred most lawsuits against vaccine makers while establishing a compensation system for families.
World Food Prize Symposium To Give Out Award, Focus On Issues Facing Smallholder Farmers
Global agriculture officials and as many as 60 farmers from around the world this week at the annual World Food Prize symposium in Des Moines, Iowa will focus on the challenges facing small farmers, the Associated Press reports.
Berwick: New Technology Will Make Coordinating Care Easier
“Health care practitioners have new information technologies at their disposal that will make coordinating care among providers easier and more effective than the old health maintenance organization model of 40 years ago, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services told a group of policy experts Tuesday,” CQ Healthbeat reports.
Health Care Workforce Faces Strains, Shifts
New doctors are increasingly hired by hospitals while hospitals try to reign in costs.
West African Cholera Epidemic Exacerbated By Flooding; More Than 1,800 Deaths Reported
The WHO “says 1,879 deaths have been reported” from Cholera in Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, the Associated Press reports. “The wave of cholera started a few months ago” and “nearly 40,500” cases have been reported in the region so far. Nigeria alone has experienced nearly 1,200 deaths, “its worst cholera outbreak in two decades,” according to the article (10/12).
Planned Parenthood Launches Campaign For Free Contraceptives As Part Of Health Law
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is joining Planned Parenthood in a campaign to allow free prescription contraceptives as part of the health law.
Anger, Seniors And Ad Campaigns: Health Reform Politics
As a poll showed that seniors don’t know that the new law slowly closes the donut hole, new campaigns seek to debunk myths and advance campaigns.
White House Will Delay W-2 Insurance Reporting Requirement, Other Health Reform News
CongressDaily reports that the Obama administration announced Tuesday it will delay for one year a provision of the health law that requires employers to report the value of an employee’s health plan on tax forms.
First Edition: October 13, 2010
Today’s early morning hightlights from major news organizations looks at the number of people denied health coverage by major insurers, arguments before the Supreme Court on the right to sue vaccine makers, concerns about the FDA’s plans on reviewing medical devices and doctors moving from private practice to hospital work.
States address a range of health policy issues.
Today’s Opinions: Broken Promises, Boehner’s Plan B And Implementing Reform
Kaiser Health News presents a selection of Tuesday’s health care editorials from around the U.S.
The WHO “must demonstrate strong leadership backed by impeccable technical competency, [Malaysian] Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said” at the opening ceremony of the 61st Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific Monday, Bernama reports. “I believe this important conference can provide the input for future global action against pandemics and other trans-boundary diseases affecting all countries and communities, especially developing countries,” he said.
World Economic Forum Index Ranks Countries By Gender Disparities
An index issued Tuesday by the World Economic Forum (WEF) “ranked 134 countries according to how much they had reduced gender disparities over the past year in the areas of economic participation, education, political empowerment and health,” the New York Times reports.
Web ‘Scrapers’ Look For Personal Information
The Wall Street Journal, as part of a series of stories about privacy on the Web, reports on the practice of scraping in which vendors “harvest online conversations and collect personal details from social-networking sites.” Those efforts can pull in medical information, as well as other personal data.
Health Care Politics: Republican Messages Examined, How State Propositions Evolved
One fact-checking service finds GOP ads on Medicare are misleading; Rep. John Boehner threatens defunding of health law provisions should the GOP gain a majority.
More Insured Americans Avoid Prescription Drugs Due To Cost
More insured Americans are avoiding prescription drugs due to cost, but others are increasing their use of heartburn drugs, itself a major driver of cost.
Experts Highlight Health Issues In Growing Megacities
Experts at the World Health Summit highlighted health concerns related to the growth of megacities, “roughly defined as cities with a population of more than 10 million,” Agence France-Presse reports.
Consumers Get Advice On How To Handle Rising Health Costs, Access Health Benefits
Kaiser Health News gives consumers advice on how to handle rising health costs while The Washington Post reports on efforts to encourage veterans to access benefits, including health care.
Some States Snub Health Reform; In Others, Election Will Decide Fate Of Law’s Implementation
Politico reports that the health law’s fate is tied to state races in places like Kansas and South Carolina.
