Latest KFF Health News Stories
Major Tech Firms Join Ranks Of Health IT Squad
Some of the nation’s leading technology companies
Activists And Lobbyists Ramp Up Efforts In Possible Final Health Care Push
Activists and lobbyists organize as the president and some lawmakers try to move forward with health care reform.
Doctors Issue Warnings About Reduced Access As Congressional Inaction Cuts Medicare Pay
A political deadlock in the Senate has triggered a 21 percent Medicare pay reduction to doctors who say they may have to limit care for older Americans as a result unless the reduction is reversed.
Catholic Charities In Washington, D.C., Limits Spouses’ Health Insurance
Catholic Charities in Washington, D.C., will not offer health insurance to spouses of new employees because the city legalized gay marriage, according to The Washington Post.
California Consumer Group Sues Anthem Blue Cross For Changing Policies And Then Raising Rates
Consumer Watchdog and other plaintiffs are suing Anthem Blue Cross, the California insurer that recently told policyholders it would hike premiums by 39 percent. The consumer group alleges that the company violated state law by closing some plans to new customers and offering other customers new plans with fewer benefits at a higher price.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including the latest on the White House health reform strategy and a new lawsuit against California’s largest for-profit health insurer.
GOP Senators Worry About Backlash From COBRA Extension Filibuster
Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., continues his one-man effort to hold up legislation that extends unemployment benefits, reverses Medicare’s physician pay reduction and provides other stop-gap funding.
Specialty Drugs Cause High Medicare Out-Of-Pocket
Lawmakers focus on Medicare payment and cost issues.
MedPac Urges Feds To Cut Payments To Private Insurers
In addition to reductions in insurer payments, the panel also recommended significant reductions for home healthcare providers.
Pelosi Says Obama To Propose ‘Smaller’ Health Care Bill; Durbin Defends Reconciliation
President Obama plans to unveil the next iteration of health reform legislation Wednesday.
Pelosi ‘Confident’ On Health Overhaul Vote Through Reconciliation Process
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and White House Health adviser Nancy-Ann DePArle said Sunday that they’re confident that she will be able to get the votes needed to pass health care reform.
Some Democrats Cautious As Leaders Line Up Health Votes – GOP Slams Dem Approach
As President Obama and Democratic leaders prepare to move forward with health care legislation, some rank-and-file Democrats remain wary and Republican opposition continues.
Two-Week U.N. Meeting On Gender Equality Kicks Off Monday
Ahead of the two-week U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which kicks off Monday in New York, Inter Press Service features a Q&A with Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, executive director of the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), who highlights some of the goals of the meeting. As part of CSW, world leaders are expected to discuss gender equality in the context of the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, the 1994 Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
WHO Director-General Calls For Greater Efforts To Reduce Tobacco Use
In a speech on Friday marking the fifth anniversary of an international tobacco control treaty, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan called for government officials worldwide to increase efforts to protect their population from the harmful effects of tobacco, Reuters reports. “Tobacco kills more than 5 million people a year from cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes and other chronic illnesses, including about 600,000 from second-hand smoke, according to the United Nations agency,” the news service writes.
Study Finds Most HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care Efforts Overlook IDUs
A systematic review of HIV prevention, treatment and care for injecting drug users (IDUs) throughout the world published Monday in the journal Lancet found that international efforts to fight the disease are largely overlooking this population, the Australian Associated Press/Sydney Morning Herald reports (Rose, 3/1).
Ohio’s governor signed legislation that extends its “mini-COBRA plan.”
OpEds: GOP Ideas, HSAs, Calls For ‘Yes’ On Health Bill
Kaiser Health News presents a selection of today’s opinions and editorials.
Joint Chiefs Chair Visits Haiti To Examine Aid Response
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Mike Mullen, who is President Barack Obama’s top military adviser, visited Haiti over the weekend to examine relief and rebuilding efforts and meet with local leaders, Agence France-Presse reports. It was his first visit to the country after the earthquake.
Michigan Hospitals Face Rising Costs; Doctor Urges Culture Changes To Increase Safety
Michigan report expected to detail losses in hospitals there and criticize any efforts for further cuts in Medicaid or Medicare funding.
