Latest KFF Health News Stories
Obama Prepares For Tonight’s Primetime Address As He Pushes Reform
President Obama prepares his primetime address for tonight. So far this week, he has visited two hospitals, made a trip to Cleveland for a town-hall meeting and conducted a conference call urging bloggers to motivate their followers — all part of his effort to rally support.
Health Care Overhaul Could Include Changes To Doctor Payments
The executive branch may get new authority to cut Medicare spending.
Six Finance Senators Strive For Bipartisan Compromise
As the public face of health reform devolves into a partisan fight
Blue Dogs: We Have Agreement With House Dems On Health Bill
Work on the House health care reform bill is slowing as Rep. Henry Waxman of California and fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats have a “verbal” agreement on Medicare spending.
Costly Drugs Known as Biologics Prompt Exclusivity Debate
“A bitter Congressional fight over the cost of superexpensive biotechnology drugs has come down to a single, hotly debated number: How many years should makers of those drugs be exempt from generic competition?” The New York Times reports.
Today’s Opinions And Editorials
Today’s selection of opinions and editorials.
Some Health Groups Increase Lobbying Spending, But Only A Slight Rise Overall
“Drug makers, advocacy groups, biotechnology firms and insurance companies have ratcheted up efforts to offer their two cents-and in most cases much, much more-in influencing the health care legislation now working its way through Congress,” The New York Times reports.
Young Adults Face Tough Time Getting Insurance
Young adults are facing tough times with limited job prospects and no health insurance, The Associated Press reports.
Admin, Dems Face Challenge In Showing Voters What Reform Means For Them
As health reform proposals emerge from congressional committees, partisan fighting boils and the president wades into the debate with a series of televised addresses, news reports turn to an unanswered question. How will reform help the average voter?
H1N1 Death Toll Doubles Over Last Month; First Vaccine Trial Begins
The worldwide death toll from the H1N1 (swine flu) virus has doubled in the past month, reaching over 700, the WHO announced Tuesday, the AP/Google.com reports.
More Than Half Of Primary Care Doctor Grads Are Immigrants
“Nationally, about a quarter of all residency graduates began their medical training abroad. And in primary care – where there is a national shortage of physicians – more than half of all graduates are immigrants,” The Concord Monitor reports.
Health Care Experts Examine Top Performing, Low Cost Communities
Talk about health care reform efforts has largely focused on all the things that are wrong with the current system. In contrast, an event in Washington, D.C., Tuesday examined best practices in ten top performing communities where they spend less and have better quality of care.
Small Businesses Fear Reform Could Worsen Rising Health Costs
“Many small businesses are worried that rising health insurance costs are choking their growth and hindering the creation of new companies, and they fear health care reform plans being debated in Congress and by the Obama administration could end up costing them even more in taxes, according to business advocates,” the Baltimore Sun reports.
Massachusetts Proposal To End Fee-For-Service Could Be National Model
A proposal in Massachusetts to end the practice of paying doctors for individual procedures could prove a model to hold down costs for U.S. health care reform, Reuters reports.
New Poll: American Confidence In Access To Care Is Growing
“Americans are showing more confidence in their ability to get and afford the health care they need, according to a poll released Tuesday,” the Associated Press reports.
Today’s early-morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Obama Continues The Push For Health Reform
In advance of a primetime news conference scheduled for later this week, President Barack Obama took to the offensive Tuesday challenging Democrats as well as Republicans to take action.
House GOP Leader Tells Obama To Scrap Health Reform Plan
House GOP Leader John Boehner, of Ohio, said Tuesday that President Obama should “scrap this (health reform) bill,” The Hill reports.
Federal Official Comments On HIV Travel Ban, Needle Exchange In U.S. At Conference
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci told delegates at the 5th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Cape Town, South Africa “that a bill to lift the ban on funding needle exchange programmes was working its way through Congress, and restrictions on HIV-infected people entering the U.S. were also almost certain to be lifted in the near future,” Plus News/IRIN.
Antiretrovirals Can Be Used To Prevent Spread of HIV/AIDS, Model Shows
In addition to acting as life-saving therapy to people living with HIV/AIDS, WHO researchers say antiretrovirals (ARVs) may also be able to prevent the spread of HIV, Health-e/allAfrica.com reports.
