Latest KFF Health News Stories
Lawmakers Seek Details Of Obama’s Closed-Door Meetings With Health Industry Groups
Lawmakers may investigate the White House’s health care deals with industry.
Survey: Medicaid Beats Private Insurance When It Comes To Prevention
The 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health challenges one common perception – articulated by a senior Republican lawmaker – of Medicaid as a “medical ghetto.”
Survey Finds Americans Hesitant To Seek Mental Health For Confidentiality Reasons
A survey from the American Psychiatric Association found that workers’ fears about losing their status at work and about confidentiality are the reasons they hesitate to seek treatment.
Florida Scholars Criticize Media Coverage Of Health Reform
Journalism reserachers find media did not provide good explanations of health care bills while an expert explains reconciliation.
Congress Faces One-Month Deadline On Doctor Payment Fix
The doctor payment fix and several marketplace issues, such as insurance red tape and malpractice cases, continue to loom while health care reform efforts stall.
Nursing Jobs No Longer Recession-Proof
News outlets report that nursing is no longer a recession proof profession.
Health IT Roundup: Buyers’ Remorse, Usage Survey
More physicians are buying electronic medical records, but not all are in love with them.
Companies May Hit New Anti-Discrimination Law When Asking Workers About Health Issues
Employers offering wellness and preventive health programs can sometimes run afoul of a new anti-discrimination law restricting their ability to ask workers about family medical histories, the Wall Street Journal reports.
First Edition: February 1, 2010
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including previews of the budget blueprint being sent today to Congress from the White House.
Democrats: Health Care Reform Is Still Alive
On Sunday talk programs, administration officials said that Americans want health reform. And the New York Times reports that, although the president has blamed lobbyists for helping stall the bills, “many of those lobbyists actually worked to support his health care overhaul.”
New Mental Health Coverage Rules Could Ensure Equal Treatment
The federal government issued new rules Friday to guarantee the same insurance coverage for mental health problems as for physical ailments, for most people.
At World Economic Forum, Gates Foundation Announces 10-Year, $10B Vaccine Commitment
Bill and Melinda Gates announced Friday during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that their foundation would commit $10 billion over the next decade to research, develop and deliver vaccines for the world’s poorest countries, the New York Times reports (McNeil, 1/29). The Gateses “said they hope the commitment would spur support by governments, corporations, and other donors for vaccinations efforts,” the Chronicle of Philanthropy writes (Wilhelm, 1/29).
Obama, Republicans Face Off On Health Care And Other Issues
During his appearance at the GOP policy retreat in Baltimore, the president took questions and reacted to Republican resistance to Democrats’ health reform proposals.
At a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on Thursday and in a “separate teleconference by relief organizations,” officials said international aid to Haiti has been delayed by the “island nation’s inept government, a lack of coordination by aid organizations and the legacy of past U.S. policy failures,” McClatchy/Miami Herald reports.
West Africa’s Sahel Belt Could Face Famine In 2010
The European Commission’s humanitarian aid department warned Thursday that West Africa’s Sahel belt could face famine this year, with millions potentially affected, Reuters reports (John, 1/29). “We are already into what looks like a period of extreme vulnerability and extreme difficulty for the most disadvantaged of the population,” according to Brian O’Neill, regional sector head of European Commission Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), Agence France-Presse writes.
Canada To Donate 5M Doses Of H1N1 Vaccine To WHO; Agency Has Received Commitment Of 200M Vaccines
The Canadian government on Thursday announced the country would donate five million doses of H1N1 vaccines to the WHO from the country’s current surplus, the Canadian Press reports (Branswell, 1/28). “[T]he donation will help the Geneva-based international body in its efforts to redistribute the vaccine to developing countries that couldn’t afford their own supplies,” the Globe and Mail reports (Alphonso, 1/28).
Today’s Opinions And Editorials
Kaiser Health News presents a sampling of Friday’s editorials and opinions from around America.
Single Payer Bill Passes Calif. Senate; Other States Consider Smaller Health Care Changes
California’s state Senate voted in favor of creating a single-payer health system Thursday. Other state health news includes Medicaid fixes, veterans issues, and spending from the tobacco settlement.
Texas Colleges Readying Students To Build, Maintain Electronic Medical Records
Three central Texas colleges are applying for a federal grant to train students in the use of electronic medical records, The Texas Tribune reports.
