Latest KFF Health News Stories
More Corporations Announce Tax Impact Of Health Law
Businesses continue to disclose new charges from a corporate tax provision of the health care overhaul.
A Selection Of Today’s Opinions And Editorials
A sampling opinions and editorials from around the country.
Prescription Drug Spending Up In 2009
A report by IMS Health shows that prescription drug spending in the US rose 5.1 percent in 2009.
S.C. Senate approves higher cigarette tax to raise money for Medicaid program but the governor vows to veto the bill.
Mass. Rejects Insurers’ Rate Hikes
Massachusetts regulators denied 235 of 274 requests by health insurance plans to raise premiums because officials view the hikes as excessive.
Dems Tout Savings From Medicare Fraud Crackdown, Swindlers Exploit Health Bill Confusion
Congressional Democrats making a case that the health overhaul will strengthen Medicare and Medicaid by improving benefits and fighting fraud. Meanwhile, consumer advocates warn that swindlers will try to take advantage of confusion about the new law.
Today’s research roundup includes studies and briefs from Health Affairs, the journal Pediatrics, the Commonwealth Fund and the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports on the President’s speech in Maine and continued analysis of the new health law’s policy provisions.
Advanced Directives For End-Of-Life Decisions Work, When Seniors Issue Them
One in four elderly Americans require someone else to make decisions about their medical care at the end of their lives, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Scientists Identify Potential New Method For Treating Sleeping Sickness
Scientists have identified a potential new approach to treat human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), commonly known as sleeping sickness, which afflicts “tens of thousands of people in sub-Saharan Africa” annually, IRIN reports. By targeting an enzyme the sleeping sickness parasite needs in order to survive, researchers say they can kill it without causing harm to the patient (4/1).
Donors Pledge $5.3B Over 18 Months To Help Rebuild Haiti
Donors at a conference Wednesday pledged to provide Haiti with $5.3 billion over the next 18 months to help the country rebuild after the January earthquake, the Wall Street Journal reports (Rhoads/Lauria, 3/31).
Bloomberg Examines Potential Benefits, Drawbacks To PrEP
“Gilead Sciences Inc. may learn this year whether its drugs for treating HIV can also stop people from catching the virus in the first place,” Bloomberg writes in a piece that examines the potential benefits and drawbacks to using low-doses of HIV/AIDS medications to reduce a person’s risk of becoming infected with HIV. According to the news service, the initial results of 10 trials including more than 20,000 people could be available as early as July.
Democrats, Republicans Vie To Claim Public Opinion About Health Reform
With an eye on the midterm elections, politicians – including the president – are working to boost or oppose the health reform law.
Implementation Outreach Aims To Educate The Public On Health Care Changes
USA Today reports on “Enroll America” a private campaign aimed at “making it easy for Americans who qualify for Medicaid or private insurance subsidies to sign up.”
More Big Companies Report Charges Spurred By Health Law
The health law’s early impact on large firms
A Selection Of Today’s Opinions And Editorials
A sampling of opinions and editorials from around the country.
Reform Promotes Patient Safety By Creating Payment Incentives, Making Mistakes Public
The health reform law attacks the problem of medical errors on two fronts: It establishes new payment incentives for safer care, and makes some mistakes public.
States Examine How They May Be Impacted By Reform, Medicaid Expansion
States examine how they will be impacted by national health care reform including with the expansion of Medicaid.
