Morning Breakouts

Latest KFF Health News Stories

White House Will Delay W-2 Insurance Reporting Requirement, Other Health Reform News

Morning Briefing

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

Morning Briefing

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.

Officials Discuss Leadership, Donor Commitments, Eliminating Leprosy At Start Of WHO Western Pacific Region Committee Session

Morning Briefing

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

Morning Briefing

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

Morning Briefing

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.

Experts Highlight Health Issues In Growing Megacities

Morning Briefing

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

Morning Briefing

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.

Global Hunger Index Shows Importance Of Addressing Childhood Malnutrition

Morning Briefing

“The Global Hunger Index released Monday finds that many developing countries primarily in South Asia and Latin America have made significant progress in reducing hunger. But continued improvement in the rates of hunger

Asian Development Bank Conference Addresses Water, Sanitation Concerns

Morning Briefing

Water shortages that could reduce food production and worsen economic conditions in Asia are worsening, Arjun Thapan, an infrastructure advisor with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), said on Tuesday at the ADB’s “Water: Crisis and Choices” conference in Manila, Philippines, Agence France-Presse reports.

Stanford Medical School Doctor, Author Teaches ‘The Art Of The Physicial’

Morning Briefing

The New York Times profiles physician, professor and author Dr. Abraham Verghese: “At Stanford, he is on a mission to bring back something he considers a lost art: the physical exam.”