Latest KFF Health News Stories
Needle Exchanges Could Be Limited Under Congressional Bill
The New York Times reports on federal legislation that could limit needle exchanges.
Obama Applauds House Health Bill Passage, Urges Quick Senate Action
President Obama is pressing the Senate to pass health care legislation as soon as possible.
With House Hurdle Cleared, Democrats Reflect On Health Bill Compromises
Flush with victory, Houses Democrats reflect on the compromises they made along the way.
Age Rating To Continue Under Health Care Bills
The health care proposals being considered by Congress would prohibit insurers from charging higher premiums based on preexisting conditions, “[b]ut the far reaching clampdown on insurers leaves one highly controversial element untouched: the issue of charging higher premiums to older policyholders than to younger, presumably healthier consumers who are less likely to file costly claims,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
Costly ER Bills Raise Questions, Concerns
The high cost of emergency room care, especially for the uninsured, provokes questions and concern.
First Edition: November 9, 2009
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including more analysis of the late-night Saturday House passage of health reform legislation and what might happen next in the Senate.
On The Sunday News Shows, GOP And Democratic Leaders Parse Health Reform Politics, Senate Support
Although yesterday’s House vote to approve Democratic-backed health reform legislation was an important advance, the push to overhaul the nation’s health care system will face a rocky road in the Senate. It’s opponents say Democrats who support it will pay a political price.
Democrats Hail Historic House Health Reform Bill, Turn Focus To Senate
News outlets are still digesting the House of Representatives’ passage of a landmark health care overhaul and also looking ahead to the Senate, where an effort to meld two health reform bills is stalled.
A Divided House Approves Sweeping Health Reform Legislation, 220-215
After months of debate and negotiations, the House of Representatives approved one of the most ambitious efforts ever to change the country’s health care system, with 219 Democrats and one Republican voting for the bill and 39 Democrats voting against the bill.
House Debates Historic Health Reform Legislation, Anti-Abortion Amendment Passes
The House of Representatives, bitterly divided along partisan lines, is debating the Democrats’ sweeping health care reform bill.
Obama On Health Reform Vote: ‘This Is Our Moment’
President Barack Obama visited Capitol Hill and made a brief televised statement this afternoon to press the House to pass the Democratic health reform bill.
Democrats’ Late-Night Abortion Agreement Opens Door To Vote On Health Bill
In a middle-of-the-night Rules Committee decision, anti-abortion Democrats prevailed, and got agreement to a vote that would decide how new health insurance “exchanges” would deal with abortion coverage.
Hoyer Says Health Vote Could Be Delayed
“House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said ‘delay tactics’ could prevent the vote from occurring at the 6 p.m. Saturday scheduled time,” and “suggested the debate could go into Sunday or next week,” The Hill reports.
Publications Examine U.S. Funding For Global HIV/AIDS
In light of a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) report calling for sustained HIV/AIDS funding, VOA News writes: “Many AIDS-related groups and activists have been calling on U.S. President Barack Obama to fulfill his funding pledges made during the presidential campaign. But are they asking too much, considering the economic downturn?” Sharonann Lynch, an HIV policy advisor for MSF, said, “PEPFAR has the opportunity to save six million lives and it shouldn’t settle for three.”
H1N1 Is Now Most Dominant Flu Strain Worldwide, WHO Says
The H1N1 (swine flu) virus is now the dominant flu strain worldwide, the WHO reported Thursday, with the virus accounting for up to 70 percent of the flu viruses sampled in some countries, the Associated Press reports. “We remain quite concerned about the patterns that we’re seeing,” Keiji Fukuda, the WHO’s Special Adviser on Pandemic Influenza to the Director-General, said during a press briefing.
Reuters Examines China’s Involvement In Fighting Malaria In Africa
Chinese scientists have been working on enhancing “the rare sweet wormwood shrub, from which artemisinin
ART As Part Of HIV Prevention Strategy Supported By WHO
“AIDS drugs should be given to all who need them to reduce new infections, the World Health Organization said,” following a three-day meeting on the topic of using antiretroviral therapy (ART) to prevent the spread of HIV, Bloomberg reports. “Providing more antiretroviral drugs ‘will achieve a significant transmission benefit,’ Teguest Guerma, interim director of the WHO’s AIDS department, said
President Obama Discusses Africa’s HIV/AIDS Epidemic With President Of Botswana
President Barack Obama met with Botswana’s president, Ian Khama, on Thursday to discuss issues facing the country, including the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa, Bloomberg reports (Johnston, 11/5).
Student Health Plans In Massachusetts Blasted By Report
“Insurance companies rack up much higher profits on health coverage sold to nearly 100,000 Massachusetts college students than on plans available to the general public, according to long-awaited data released late yesterday by the state,” The Boston Globe reports.
