Latest KFF Health News Stories
FDA Eyes Home-Based Medical Equipment For Regulation
The Food and Drug Administration is calling for greater oversight of at-home medical equipment.
E-Prescribing To Grow As DEA Eases Regulation
The Drug Enforcement Administration will back away from its limits on what drugs doctors can prescribe online.
Report Details Progress In Fighting Malaria In Africa, Notes Funding Shortfall
Global funding for malaria reached $1.7 billion in 2009, a “ten-fold” increase since 2004, and the production of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) worldwide rose to 150 million last year, according to a report, released Monday, from UNICEF and the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) partnership, which also highlighted the need for additional funding, Agence France-Presse reports (4/19).
Federal Health Reform Implementation Stirring Up State Politics And Policies
Colorado’s governor will sign an order establishing a board of health policy advisors to guide the transition to national health reforms.
A Selection Of Today’s Opinions And Editorials
Health Experts Gather In Ethiopia To Discuss Child, Maternal Health In Africa
A group of health experts gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, to kick off a continental conference on maternal and child health, VOA News reports (Heinlein, 4/19).
Hundreds of new medical marijuana dispensaries have cropped up in Denver, Boulder and other Colorado cities, causing the state to stop accepting walk-up applications from people seeking cards that allow them to buy the plant.
Reuters Examines Uneven Economic Growth, Welfare Programs In India
Reuters reports on the recent efforts by India’s government to expand welfare programs throughout the country: “Since helping the Congress party win re-election last year, welfare has fast become the government’s knee-jerk answer to policy dilemmas as it tries to ease food inflation, help growth trickle down to the poor, and win hearts and minds in” the country, the news service writes.
Scam Artists Hawk Fake Insurance Policies, Prey On Seniors
Using the new health overhaul law, scam artists hawk try to sell consumers fake insurance policies. Consumer advocates warn “there is no government health insurance program called ObamaCare, and federal employees aren’t out selling it door to door or by telephone,” the Miami Herald reports.
Australia Heading For Its Own Health Overhaul
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd reached agreement with 7 of the country’s 8 states on a health overhaul which shifts power from states to the national government.
“Bridging the cultural chasm between physicians … and traditional healers is seen as essential for improving care on tribal lands, where hospitals and clinics struggle to keep doctors,” The Associated Press reports. Provisions in the new health bill focus on recruiting and retaining health care providers.
States struggle to balance budgets and control Medicaid costs.
Hospital Chiefs Worry About Health Law’s Effects, CMS Proposes Medicare Payment Cuts
Hospital administrators worried about their bottom lines are waiting to see the consequences that health care reform will have on their organizations, the Kansas Health Institute News Service reports.
Study: Magazine’s Rankings Of Hospitals Reflect Reputation, Not Necessarily Quality
A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine examines U.S. News & World Report’s hospital rating system and finds that reputation does not track closely to objective quality measures.
White House Officially Names Berwick As Pick To Head CMS
President Obama released a statement today naming Dr. Donald Berwick to head up the agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid, and praised his approach to health care.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including ongoing coverage of health reform’s political implications as well as action taken by the nation’s two largest insurers to meet a requirement of the new health law early.
Two Large Health Insurers Extend Coverage To Young Adults
WellPoint and UnitedHealth announce plans to allow young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance policies in advance of the date set in the new health law.
Obama Camp, Industry Shift From Political Battle To Implementation Focus
President Barack Obama’s administration is making decisions about who will head up different efforts in the implementation of the health overhaul law. Industry and other interests also are gearing up.
Health Law Hits Consumers, Companies In Complex Ways
News outlets report on the new health law’s impact on various segments of the population, including the self-employed, small business owners and seniors.
