Latest KFF Health News Stories
Dialysis Patients Often Not Told About Transplant Options, Newspaper Reports
An investigation by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review finds that dialysis patients are often not told about the possibility for transplants, even though the procedure could be cheaper and lead to longer lives.
Health Care Reform: Detailing Women’s Stake In The Debate
A New York Times blog, examining health care reform as a women’s issue, finds women in a precarious situation because of they need more health care than men but are often dependent on men for insurance.
Timeline Tightening On Senate Finance Reform Bill
Sen. Max Baucus readies his committee to finish its markup by Thursday or Friday, while aides point to Oct. 12 for Senate floor debate on a merged bill.
Insurance Industry Eyeing Potential Victories As Overhaul Efforts Progress
The individual mandate, health insurance cooperatives and rule-writing by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners are all become important elements of the Baucus reform bill.
GAO Finds That A Federal Program Is Missing Problem Nursing Homes
A federal program to investigate poor performing nursing homes misses hundreds of troubled facilities, GAO reports.
Administration Officials Court Key Lawmakers On Health Care
White House aides are preparing full court press on the Hill for health care reform, and the president will play a strong role.
Government Plans Intense Monitoring For Swine Flu Vaccine Side Effects
Although health officials say they have no reason to expect any unusual problems with the H1N1 vaccine, the government is establishing an extensive tracking system for possible side effects.
Private Health System Takes Root In British Columbia
Private clinics and surgical centers, although technically illegal in British Columbia, have begun to attract consumers who are looking for shorter waits for health care.
Company Gives Officials, Lawmakers A Preview Of How Health ‘Exchanges’ Work
Officials and lawmakers get a preview of how a health reform plan may look like by examining health exchanges.
First Edition: September 28, 2009
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Fresh From G-20, Obama Renews Health Care Push
President Barack Obama told the Congressional Black Caucus that ‘the country cannot wait any longer’ for health reform, but did not mention a pubic option. The administration is courting key senators for a Senate Finance Committee vote this week.
Progress On The Baucus Bill Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
As the Senate Finance Committee prepares to take up health overhaul legislation on Tuesday, sniping between the parties and among Democrats is taking a toll. Chairman Max Baucus insists the committee is moving forward.
House Dems Consider Taxing Insurers For High-Premium Plans
In the House, Democrats are considering levying a tax on insurance companies for providing high-premium plans. In the Senate, the Finance Committee has recessed before considering the public option.
IRIN Examines How User Fees Have Kept Most Vulnerable From Accessing Healthcare
IRIN examines how fees for medical services have kept poor populations from accessing services, in light of the recent announcement by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown that he was launching a program aimed at greatly reducing such fees in Malawi, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nepal and Burundi.
WHO Lowers Expectation Of H1N1 Vaccine Output, Appeals For Donations To Fight Pandemic
International drug makers are expected to produce three billion doses of the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine, “enough for just under half the world’s population,” a WHO official said Thursday, Canwest News Service/Ottawa Citizen reports. “The agency was hoping pharmaceutical companies would be able to make about five billion doses a year, but data collected over the summer led to the revised estimate,” the news service writes.
In light of the U.S. Army’s announcement yesterday that an experimental HIV vaccine trial it is sponsoring in Thailand showed modest potential for preventing infection, the Associated Press/Washington Post examines how military research is contributing to the fight against major diseases around the world.
A draft G20 communique revealed Friday that the group of countries “has called on the World Bank to work with donor agencies to create a multilateral trust fund to increase agricultural investment in poor countries,” Reuters reports. In July, the G8 launched a $20 billion agriculture initiative to help developing countries.
UPS Pledges $9M To Help Relief Organizations, Combating Human Trafficking Addressed At CGI
Shipping company UPS on Thursday at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) annual meeting, “announced a multi-year, $9 million project to help relief organizations respond better to global emergencies,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
At Finance Committee, Fireworks Surround Efforts To Add Drug Discount, Eliminate Individual Mandate
In a victory for President Obama and Finance Chairman Max Baucus, Finance Committee Senators on Thursday defeated an amendment to proposed health care reform that would have tried to squeeze more money out of pharmaceutical companies.
