Latest KFF Health News Stories
UNICEF Chief To Step Down After Term Ends In 2010
UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman will not seek a second term as head of the agency after her term expires in a few months, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on Wednesday, Xinhua reports. In a statement, Ban said that he learned of Veneman’s plan to step down “with great regret.”
American Medical News Examines PEPFAR Five-Year Strategy
American Medical News examines the future of PEPFAR, as outlined in a five-year strategy released Dec. 1. “The plan’s five-year strategy report calls for strengthening other countries’ abilities to lead [a] response to the AIDS epidemic and other health issues, and expanding prevention, care and treatment,” the news service writes. “It also seeks to integrate and coordinate HIV/AIDS programs with broader global health and development programs to maximize the impact on health systems, and invest in innovation and operations research to improve patient care and provide the best outcomes.”
Obama Says Liberal Critics Are Overlooking Gains In Health Bill
“This notion I know among some on the left that somehow this bill is not everything that it should be … I think just ignores the real human reality that this will help millions of people and end up being the most significant piece of domestic legislation at least since Medicare and maybe since Social Security,” Obama tells NPR.
Senate Approves Health Care Bill
In a strict party-line vote at 7 a.m., Democrats push through measure to guarantee access to health insurance and cut costs. Bill must now be melded with House version.
CBO Questions Democratic Claims On Medicare Savings
CBO letter released by Sen. Jeff Session, R-Ala., says the estimated savings in the health care bill overstates “the improvement in the government’s fiscal position.”
Today’s Opinions And Editorials
Kaiser Health News presents a selection of opinions and editorials from around America.
Health Overhaul Will Keep Insurers From Dropping People After They Become Too Expensive
Less attention is paid to reforms in congressional health care bills that will change how insurers treat people with chronic diseases and how the bills will ensure they have access to health insurance, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Lawmakers, Public Take Aim At Deal Struck For Sen. Nelson
News outlets report on deals struck with individual senators, in particular Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., in an effort to win support for health care legislation.
Obama Defends Health Bill In Oval Office Interview
In an interview with The Washington Post, President Obama “rejected criticism that he has compromised too much to secure health-care reform or turned over too much authority to congressional leaders in pursuing his broad legislative agenda.”
Republicans Bitter About Deals, Resigned About Likely Overhaul Passage
After a series of last minute deals paved the way for Senate Democrats to move forward with health overhaul legislation, Republicans lashed out, but also acknowledged that their options for fighting the legislation at this late date are limited.
Industries Brace For Health Overhaul As Senate Nears Deal
Many companies and their lobbyists now believe the overhaul is inevitable and are hoping to ease changes that will affect their businesses.
Schumer’s Hunting Trip With Nelson; Reid Gets A Hero’s Welcome
News outlets profile some of the major players in the health care debate.
Nursing Shortage Awaits Baby Boomers
Baby boomers will likely add additional strain to the already stretched nursing system.
States Slash Budgets Including Cuts In Health Programs
States slash health budgets amid broader cuts.
FDA ‘Ambiguity’ Means Patients Get Unapproved Devices
A Chicago surgeon invented a silicone and metal ring to repair heart valves, and implanted them in 150 patients before his new device received FDA approval.
White House Does Not Expect Conference Bill Before State Of The Union Speech
Senators will vote at 8 a.m. Christmas Eve on the health overhaul legislation on Christmas Eve. Both Democrats and Republicans are viewing passage as inevitable.
More H1N1 Vaccines Available In U.S., Many Americans Don’t Want It
About 40 million Americans have received the swine flu vaccine, according to the CDC.
Lawmakers Brace For Conference As House Liberals Vow Not To Give In On Key Issues
Democrats are looking ahead – and at each other – before beginning the “potentially difficult” process of reconciling the Senate and House versions of health care reform.
More H1N1 Vaccines Available In U.S., Many Americans Don’t Want Vaccination
While an increasing number of H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines are available in the U.S., “more than half of American adults say they still don’t want it, and one-third of parents say they don’t want their children to get it either, according to two surveys,” the Washington Post reports. “As of this week, 111 million doses of vaccine against the pandemic strain of H1N1 flu have been released to states and cities. Not all have been used. There have been no unusual or unexpected vaccine side effects reported.”
