Latest KFF Health News Stories
GOP To Stall Confirmation Of HHS Nominees, Due To Flap Over Insurers’ Letters To Seniors
The Obama administration’s reaction to a letter sent by the insurance company Humana to some Medicare recipients continues to draw controversy.
Labor Chief Asks For Probe Into Health Insurance Lobbying
AFL-CIO President urges state insurance regulators to probe lobbying by health insurance companies on reform efforts.
Poll: More Approve Of Obama’s Handling Of Health Care, But Many Still Confused
The latest New York Times/CBS News poll finds that Americans are still confused and anxious about a health care overhaul, but more approve of Obama’s handling of the issue.
House Passes Bill To Stop Some Medicare Premium Increases
The House voted overwhelmingly to stop scheduled Medicare Part B premium increases next year and is sending the bill to the Senate.
First Edition: September 25, 2009
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
GOP Threatens To Block Health Nominees Over Insurer “Gag Order”
Top Senate Republicans say they won’t allow the White House to fill health posts until the “gag order” against insurers is ended.
House Passes Bill To Eliminate Medicare Premium Hike
The House has passed a bill to eliminate a monthly premium hike for millions of Medicare recipients next year. The measure will now move to the Senate.
Senate Finance Panel Rejects Amendment To Squeeze Drug Makers
The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday rejected an amendment that would have squeezed more money from the drug industry.
African Leaders Malaria Alliance Launched At U.N. General Assembly
On the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly Wednesday, African heads of state formed a 20-member African Leaders Malaria Alliance with the goal of eliminating deaths from malaria by 2015, the Associated Press writes. “With an estimated 500 million annual cases, Africa is the continent most affected by malaria, accounting for 86 percent of all cases and 91 percent of all malaria deaths worldwide, President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania said at the alliance’s launch,” the news service writes (9/24).
Kerry, Lugar Letter Calls For Obama To Appoint USAID Leader Quickly
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., and the ranking Republican Senator Richard Lugar, R-Ind., have sent a letter to President Barack Obama “urging” him to nominate a candidate
G20 Countries Could Tax Foreign Exchange To Help Achieve U.N. MDGs, Opinion Piece Says
The G20 countries “could help both the poor and the global economy by fully financing lagging efforts to fight poverty and disease worldwide, and the best way to do this would be to impose a very small tax on the prosperous foreign exchange industry,” Philippe Douste-Blazy, a former French foreign minister who is a special adviser to the U.N. secretary general on innovative financing, writes in a New York Times opinion piece.
Investigational Vaccine Shows Modest Potential For Protecting Against HIV Infection
For the first time, scientists say an investigational vaccine has modest potential for protecting people against HIV infection, the Associated Press reports. “The vaccine – a combination of two previously unsuccessful vaccines – cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by … 31 percent in the world’s largest [HIV] vaccine trial of more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, researchers announced Thursday in Bangkok,” the news service writes (Marchione/Casey, 9/24).
Merck, Qiagen Pledge Cervical Cancer Tools At CGI, Meeting Highlights Effects Of Gender Inequality
Drugmaker Merck & Co. announced Wednesday at the Clinton Global Initiative’s (CGI) annual meeting in New York that it will “donate more than $500 million of its Gardasil cervical cancer vaccine” with the goal of improving women’s health in developing countries, Bloomberg reports. The vaccine works by preventing strains of the human papillomavirus that cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. The Netherlands-based company Qiagen NV said it “will donate tests to screen patients to determine if they have certain strains” of the sexually transmitted virus, according to the news service (Pettypiece, 9/23).
Senators Fight Over Medicare Spending Cuts, What It Would Mean For Beneficiaries
The Senate Finance Committee fought over proposed Medicare cuts – including cuts to the private Medicare Advantage – Wednesday that would fund part of a Democratic push at health care reform.
Divide Deepens Between Senate Finance Democrats and Republicans
Senate Finance Committee Democrats and Republicans are finding little middle ground on the Baucus health care proposal.
Procedural Amendments Take On Political Weight As Finance Committee Debates Health Bill
A Republican amendment that would have required the legislative language of a health reform bill be posted for three days before the panel could vote on the bill was voted down by Democrats Wednesday.
Experimental HIV Vaccine Shows Promise
An experimental HIV vaccine raises hope of reducing the risk of infection.
States Worry Over Medicaid Expansion; Montana Expands Kids Coverage
State officials continue to worry about additional costs that would stem from a Medicaid expansion. Meanwhile, Montana unveils a plan to expand health insurance for children and Republicans are touting their own alternative to a federal health care overhaul in Iowa.
Democrats Face High Stakes, GOP Seeks Advantage
Senators are struggling to balance the interests of their many constituents in health reform. The GOP is hoping to seize the advantage.
