Latest KFF Health News Stories
Reid Planning To Start Debate On COBRA, Medicaid Help Extensions
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is planning to start debate Monday on extending COBRA health coverage benefit subsidies for the laid-off and increasing Medicaid reimbursements to states as part of a larger package of expired government programs.
Rescission Is Rare Point Of Agreement In Health Care Overhaul
NPR reports that rescission, “where health insurance companies cancel policies after people run up heavy bills” is one of the points of agreement among lawmakers of both parties in health care reform as evidenced by its inclusion at last week’s health care summit.
Towns Struggle With High Health Costs
Municipalities struggle with health costs. In Massachusetts, financially strapped towns seek a change in the law to have employees pay more.
Medicare Cuts To Doctors Payments Go Into Effect Today
Significant cuts to Medicare payments for doctors go into effect today. The House passed a bill to postpone the cuts but a similar Senate effort stalled. Many physicians and health professionals worry that the cuts could cause doctors to see fewer Medicare patients.
Drugmakers’ Business Practices Draw Scrutiny
Top California Medicaid officials in charge of pharmacy issues failed to disclose trips paid for by drug-industry funded business groups. Separately, doctors earned tens of thousands of dollars for promoting new drugs.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the Democrat’s next steps on health reform.
GOP Presses Campaign Against Democratic Health Reform; McCain Seeks To Strip Medicare Out Of Bill
GOP officials on Sunday talk shows stressed their belief that health overhaul goes beyond tax and fiscal issues usually reserved for the budget reconciliation tactic. Meanwhile, House Democrats indicated they expect a successful vote on a bill.
Sen. Kyl Says Republicans Will Support Temporary COBRA Extension
The extension, which stalled Friday after GOP Sen. Jim Bunning objected, would extend unemployment benefits, including federal subsidies for health insurance for laid-off workers.
Obama Will Announce Next Step On Health Bill By Mid-Week
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the president will provide more details next week. Gibbs declined to talk about the possibility that Obama will recommend trying to pass the bill by using complicated procedure called reconciliation.
Reconciliation May Be Democrats Last Hope For Health Overhaul
At the close of Thursday’s summit, President Obama hinted that Democrats may now move forward with reconciliation, a complicated procedure that would allow them to pass health overhaul legislation even without a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority in the Senate.
Health Policy Research Roundup: Length Of Hospital Stays, Analyses Of Obama’s Reform Proposals
Recent studies also exam the president’s plans for HIV/AIDS spending and community strategies to fight hypertension.
News Outlets Examine Development Of Low-Cost Diagnostic Tool, Infectious Disease Surveillance
CNN examines the work of a Harvard University chemistry professor to “shrink a medical laboratory onto a piece of paper that’s the size of a fingerprint and costs about a penny.” According to George Whitesides, who created a prototype of the inexpensive paper “chip,” the technology could be used to diagnose such diseases as HIV, malaria and tuberculosis in developing countries.
Some U.S. Troops Stay In Haiti; Aid Officials Prepare For Rainy Season
Kenneth Merten, the U.S. ambassador to Haiti, said on Thursday that American troops would stay in the country to aid in its recovery, Agence France-Presse reports. “There are about 6,500 soldiers in Haiti at the moment. There were some 20,000 for the emergency effort launched in the wake of January 12,” Merten said. “What is planned for the moment is more and more staff from USAID on the ground and fewer and fewer troops. Gradually, they’ll leave. In my opinion, we will need some American troops to stay here for the foreseeable future” (2/25).
Today’s OpEds: Health Summit Critiques
Kaiser Health News presents a selection of Friday’s opinions and editorials from around America.
Children with autism and people with spine and brain injuries are among those who would have benefits cut under the South Carolina spending plan approved by a House committee.
The VA Will Reexamine Gulf War Illness Cases; House Probes Impact Of Burn Pits
The Veterans Affairs Administration is planning to take another look at Gulf War Illness Cases, while the House probes the impact of burn pits.
Colorado City A Model For Low-Cost, High Quality Care, Series Details
Colorado Public News/Los Angeles Times presents a series of stories about Grand Junction, Colorado, which delivers some of the best and lowest-cost health care in the nation.
Criticism, Passion Emerge At Day-Long Health Care Meeting
Strong personalities and opinions emerged at yesterday’s bipartisan health care summit.
