Latest KFF Health News Stories
Health Spending Consumes More Of U.S. Economy, Will Tip Toward Government
A new report by federal actuaries shows government programs will pay for more than half of all U.S. health care spending by 2012, and that total spending on health grew as a share of the economy.
Obama Tries To Bridge Democratic Divide On Health Reform
President Obama advanced this idea even as some think he’s having a hard time holding Democrats together on a health bill.
News outlets report on health care developments in Virginia, Washington DC, California, Iowa, Maryland, Maine and Michigan.
Indiana Medical School Cuts Number Of Students Amid Budget Cuts
Indiana University School of Medicine is cutting the number of students it admits to help erase a $7 million budget cut.
Today’s Opinions And Editorials
Kaiser Health News presents a sampling of today’s opinions and editorials.
Medicaid Cuts, Past And Proposed, A Concern To Businesses And Patient Advocates
Medicaid pinches are worrying hospitals and drawing criticism to the politicians who propose them.
Clinic Closure Leaves Indigent Dialysis Patients Looking For Treatment
A clinic closure in Atlanta has patients and clinic officials struggling to find new providers that will treat patients who need dialysis, The Associated Press reports.
With Health Reform Stalled, Medicare Coverage For Some Therapies Subject To Caps
Physical, occupational and speech therapy now face annual Medicare caps because health care reform legislation killing the limits on patients’ costs has stalled.
House To Move Forward To End Antitrust Exemption For Health Insurers
“House Democratic leaders are moving forward with Plan B for passing health care reform by introducing a stand-alone measure to strip the antitrust exemption for health insurance companies – a popular piece of their stalled health care reform package,” Roll Call reports.
Survey: 60 Percent Of Americans Doubt Health Reform Will Pass This Year
A growing segment of people are becoming more optimistic that a health care overhaul will pass this year but they’re still largely outnumbered by people who think reform won’t happen, The New York Times reports.
Study Finds Some Vegetative Patients Show Awareness, Raising Ethical Questions
Report in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that five patients thought to be in vegetative state showed brain activity indicating awareness and one appeared to answer simple yes and no questions.
VA Hospitals Urged To Accommodate Growing Number Of Female Veterans
VA hospitals are taking steps to upgrade the quality of care for the growing number of female veterans.
First Edition: February 4, 2010
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including details of a new report tracking increases in U.S. health care spending.
Obama Urges Senate Dems Not To Give Up On Health Legislation
President Obama spoke and took questions during the Senators’ day-long issues retreat.
House Dems’ Next Step In Health Reform: Repeal Of Insurance Antitrust Exemption
A top lawmaker also says that Democrats are working on a compromise health bill, but it’s unclear when the legislation will be ready for votes.
Lobbying, Ads Slow Down On Health Reform
Lobbyists are ramping down their work now that efforts to overhaul the system have stalled, but they remain on high alert for renewed activity.
New York Times Examines WHO Process For Getting H1N1 Vaccines To Countries In Need
The New York Times examines the WHO’s role as “clearinghouse” for getting H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines to lower income nations. Though H1N1 has died down in North America and many wealthier nations “are trying to get rid of their [vaccine] surpluses,” the virus continues to circulate in regions of North Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, according to the newspaper.
Despite Improvements, Aid Delivery Bottlenecks Persist In Haiti
Three weeks after a major earthquake struck Haiti, challenges in getting aid to those in need persist, the Washington Post reports. “Rajiv Shah, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, said the relief effort has escalated in recent days and will continue to do so. Emergency food aid has been provided to more than a million people in and around Port-au-Prince, but 2 million people are estimated to need such assistance, he said.
