Latest KFF Health News Stories
UNICEF Report Highlights Gains In Child Health, While 1B Still Lack Essential Services
A special edition of UNICEF’s annual State of the World’s Children report, released 20 years after the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, shows that “fewer youngsters are dying and more are going to school
Evidence Does Not Connect H1N1 Vaccine To Patient Deaths, WHO Says
The deaths of 41 people from six countries who had received the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine were not directly linked to the vaccine, the WHO said Thursday, the Associated Press/MSNBC reports (11/19).
A Selection Of Today’s Opinions And Editorials
Kaiser Health News presents a selection of Friday’s opinions and editorials.
Lancet Examines Uganda’s Child-Health Volunteers
Lancet World Report examines how a small group of village volunteers trained in basic health care are helping to improve the health of Ugandan children.
Guidelines On Cancer Screenings Spark Debate
New guidelines on mammograms and pap smears set off a debate between medical science and medical consumerism.
It’s Saturday Night For Senate Test Vote On Health Reform
Senate Democrats are preparing for debate in a procedural vote that, if successful, would mark a major step forward for the Senate health bill.
Lawmakers At Health Reform Crossroads
Sen. Mary Landrieu won an extra $100 million in Medicaid funds for Louisiana, her home state, in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care reform bill.
Spending To Treat Obesity’s Health Effects Will Quadruple In Next Decade
Study predicts that almost half of all U.S. adults will be obese by 2018.
California Issues Strict Rules For Health Professionals With Addiction Problems
News outlets examine San Francisco’s city-run universal health care plan, the effects of an increased cigarette tax in Florida, an end to police raids in nursing homes in Illinois and efforts to battle medical errors in New Jersey.
White House And Bishops At Odds Over Abortion
“The White House is on a collision course with Catholic bishops in an intractable dispute over abortion that could blow up the fragile political coalition behind President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul,” the Associated Press reports.
Poll: Majority Of Americans Support Medical Malpractice Reform
Independents and Republicans show deep support for limits on medical malpractice lawsuits, and nearly half of all Democrats say they would like to make it harder to sue doctors and hospitals.
Tax Provisions In Senate Health Bill Draw Scrutiny
Several newspapers report on new taxes in the Senate health bill and how they differ from those included in the House version.
Policy Flashpoints Fuel Reform Debate
Among the issues still in play in the reform package are immigrant coverage, abortion and the public option.
GOP And Industry Groups Quick To Decry Senate Health Bill
When Senate Democrats unveiled a bill meant to expand health coverage and restrain spending growth, Republicans didn’t like what they saw.
Olbermann Ties Free Clinics To Health Reform
“A nonprofit group’s campaign to hold free medical clinics for the uninsured in three states is turning into a not-so-subtle jab at moderate Democrats to support their party’s efforts to reform health care,” The Associated Press reports.
‘Botax’ On Cosmetic Surgery Questioned
A proposed tax on cosmetic surgery, a so-called “botax,” in the Senate health care reform bill is drawing criticism from plastic surgeons.
House Moves To Block Doctors’ Medicare Pay Cuts
The House voted largely on party lines Thursday to permanently put an end to annual cuts in doctors’ Medicare payments, which the Congress has temporarily averted from year to year.
Health Policy Research Roundup
Issue briefs and studies include examinations of abortion policy, Medicaid and CHIP and racial disparities in the health care system.
First Edition: November 20, 2009
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations,including analysis of Senate health bill provisions and expections about Saturday’s crucial vote.
House Lawmakers Take Positions In The Health Overhaul Debate
News reports Friday examine some key House lawmakers and their roles in health reform.
