Latest KFF Health News Stories
Today’s Editorials And Opinions
Readings from the opinion pages.
Dutch Provide Lessons On Health Reform, While Europe’s Highest Court Rules For Drug Maker
Health care overhaul in the Netherlands offers competition and universal coverage. Also, Europe’s highest court sides with drug companies over pricing matter.
Workplace Wellness Programs: Good For Health Costs?
Some companies offer discounts to healthy employees, but patient advocates fear such wellness programs could be unfair.
Sebelius Defends Policy On Insurers’ Politically Oriented Letters
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius defends memo telling insurers to stop sending letters to seniors about Medicare Advantage and health reform legislation.
Medicare Fraud, Once A White-Collar Crime, Now Attracts Mafia, Violence
Attracted by fast, easy money and relatively short prison sentences, Mafia members and violent criminals increasingly turn to Medicare fraud.
Doctors, Hospitals Lag On EMR But Use Props – New And Old – To Close Gap
Though few hospitals now use electronic medical records, doctors making the transition may have some back-up at certain facilities, including ‘scribes’ and iPhones.
First Edition: October 7, 2009
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Baucus Says Bill Score Could Come Wednesday
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus said Tuesday that the CBO could release its score of the Finance Committee bill Wednesday.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Supporting Health Reform Efforts
President Obama’s push for health care reforms got a new supporter Tuesday: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Health Experts Examine Maternal Mortality In Africa At Conference
Inter Press Service reports on a discussion among health experts at the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics’ (FIGO) 19th World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Cape Town, South Africa, about maternal mortality rates in Africa.
Reuters Examines Health Effects Of Climate Change in Africa
Reuters examines how floods, droughts and rising temperatures, thought to be caused by climate change, are compromising African farm lands and leading to health problems for already vulnerable populations
African Leaders Gather To Discuss Ways To Bolster Continent’s Drug, Diagnostic Development
Business Day examines efforts currently underway in Africa to bolster the continent’s ability to develop new drugs and diagnostics.
New Cases of H1N1 Worldwide Up 24,000 In Two Weeks
The number of H1N1 (swine flu) cases reported in WHO regions worldwide has grown by at least 24,000 in two weeks to cross the 340,000 mark since the virus was first detected in mid-April, the CDC reported Monday, according to Agence France-Presse.
Developing Countries Lobby For More Voting Power In World Bank, IMF
Developing countries Monday at a meeting in Istanbul said they should get larger percentages of the vote at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Associated Press reports.
News outlets explore the health implications of natural disasters in Indonesia, the Philippines, Tonga, Samoa and India.
Senate Finance Committee Vote Delayed
A health care reform bill vote in the Senate Finance Committee has been delayed as members wait for a score on the overhaul by the Congressional Budget Office.
Examining The Recent Winners And Losers In the Health Reform Debate
Drugmakers, hospitals, biotechnology and labs are the lastest winners in the health overhaul debate as lawmakers consider the impacts on reform shareholders.
Insurers Push Back Against The Finance Committee’s Softened Individual Mandate Penalties
Unhappy with the softened penalties on individuals who don’t purchase insurance in the Senate Finance Committee’s health reform amendments, hospitals and insurers are pushing back.
