Latest KFF Health News Stories
HHS Adds 1,000 Companies To Early Retiree Benefit Program
The announcement brings to 3,000 the total number of companies, union health plans and government employers seeking federal help in paying health benefits to retirees not yet eligible for Medicare.
Global Health Fund To Get Big Boost From U.S.
“The Obama administration is expected on Tuesday to announce a large increase in its pledge to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and to call for reform of the organization,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
First Edition: October 5, 2010
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports on the midterm elections and recent polls as well as the latest developments related to Medicaid expansion.
Providers Worry ACOs Could Violate Antitrust Laws
News outlets report on accountable care organizations and the new health law.
African Leaders To Meet In Zambia To Discuss Country Responses To HIV/AIDS
Later this month, “[f]our former heads of State and other high-level African leaders who are the champions for a HIV/AIDS-free generation project” will travel to Zambia at the request of Zambian President Rupiah Banda for a meeting to discuss ways to strengthen the HIV/AIDS response in Africa, Times of Zambia/allAfrica.com reports.
Health Industry Funding More Republicans Than Dems, Anti-Reform Political Activity Ramps Up
The politics of health reform continue to lead some to switch sides in the debate, while others hold steady.
“3M Co. confirmed it would eventually stop offering its health-insurance plan to retirees, citing the federal health overhaul as a factor,” The Wall Street Journal reports. “The changes won’t start to phase in until 2013. But they show how companies are beginning to respond to the new law, which should make it easier for people in their 50s and early-60s to find affordable policies on their own.”
Media Examines PEPFAR Hearing, Calls For More HIV Funding Ahead Of Global Fund Replenishment Meeting
Ahead of the Global Fund replenishment meeting, which kicks off today in New York, Inter Press Service examines the Obama administration HIV/AIDS funding commitments. The article details last week’s House Foreign Affairs’ Committee Hearing, where U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, Ambassador Eric Goosby, together with a panel of other HIV/AIDS experts and advocates, discussed the future of PEPFAR together with President Obama’s six-year $63 billion Global Health Intitative (GHI).
New Bill Aims To Promote Federal Agency Collaboration On Foreign Aid, National Security
House lawmakers recently introduced the 2010 Interagency National Security Professional Education, Administration and Development System Act in an effort to promote better “collaboration among federal agencies supporting security missions and foreign aid operations overseas,” Government Executive reports.
Today’s OpEds: Orszag’s Latest Health Column, The MLR and Parables
Kaiser Health News presents a selection of Monday’s opinions and editorials from around the country.
Seniors Face New Choices With Approach Of First Open Enrollment Since Health Overhaul
Provisions of the health overhaul will reshape many aspects of the Medicare program, and in the meantime, have left consumers in a state of confusion.
Researchers Call For Sustained Funding To Move HIV Vaccine R&D Ahead
At the AIDS Vaccine 2010 conference last week in Atlanta, researchers emphasized the need for sustained funding for vaccine research and development in order to further progress toward an HIV vaccine, SciDev.Net reports.
Brothers Lead Charge For Electronic Medical Records Push, But Find Barriers
The New York Times reports on the Doerr brothers, one a venture capitalist and the other a doctor and software designer, who are leading the charge to push doctors to use electronic medical records more and the resistance they face.
Drug Companies Accused Of Skirting Requirement To Submit Prices
Drug makers frequently ignore a federal requirement that they submit “pricing data needed to calculate discounts on medications prescribed for poor people under Medicaid, federal investigators say in a new report,” The New York Times reports.
Reports Find Disparities Of Care Based On Insurance Coverage, Race
Coverage and race can mean better or worse care for cancer patients, a series of studies has found.
NY Times: DEA Crackdown Means Delays For Some Patients In Need Of Pain Meds
Increased scrutiny by the Drug Enforcement Administration may be causing painful delays for patients who need narcotic drugs.
States address a wide range of health policy issues.
IBM Employee-Wellness Program Shows Some Success For Kids
A short-term wellness program at IBM is helping children of employees improve their exercise and eating habits, according to research in the most recent issue of the journal Pediatrics.
