Morning Breakouts

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Obama Presses Lawmakers On Health Reform

Morning Briefing

New fault lines are opening in President Obama’s push for health reform, but the administration is pushing back with ads, speeches and back-room negotiations, according to news reports.

Massachusetts Hospital Sues State Over Cost Of Universal Care

Morning Briefing

A hospital that serves thousands of indigent Massachusetts residents sued the state on Wednesday, charging that its costly universal health care law is forcing the hospital to cover too much of the expense of caring for the poor, according to the New York Times.

Cost Emerges As Lightning Rod Issue

Morning Briefing

The cost of health care reform has emerged as a key battle in overhaul efforts. Several publications look at how costs will affect specific groups including the middle class and businesses.

Senators Seek $100 Billion For Health Reform From Insurers

Morning Briefing

“Key senators say they want to force the health insurance industry to pay as much as $100 billion toward the 10-year cost of the health care overhaul sought by President Obama,” CQ Politics reports.

Proposals May Limit Insurance Choices and Squeeze Some Middle Earners

Morning Briefing

“President Obama and leading Democrats have stressed that people who like their employer-sponsored insurance would be able to keep it, under a health care overhaul. But they haven’t emphasized the flip side: That people who don’t like their coverage might have to keep it,” Kaiser Health News reports.

Lawsuits Allege Some Medical Device Companies Gave Kickbacks To Surgeons

Morning Briefing

Whistleblowers allege in lawsuits unsealed Wednesday that some medical device companies gave kickbacks to heart surgeons to get the doctors to use their products to treat a heart condition, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Lobbyists Elbow For Attention As Health Reform Votes Loom

Morning Briefing

Conservatives and lobbyists doing some work for them are saying President Obama’s revamp of the health care system in America will produce a costly government-run program that limits patient choice, The Associated Press reports.

Insurer, Tech Vendor Plan Major ‘Telehealth’ Network

Morning Briefing

A major health insurer, UnitedHealth, and a computer networking company, Cisco Systems, are teaming up to create “a network of virtual clinics to make medical care available in offices, stores and rural areas around the country,” Bloomberg reports.

Senate HELP Commitee Completes Health Bill

Morning Briefing

The Senate panel approved along party lines this sweeping, $600-billion measure that would expand coverage to nearly all Americans by requiring individuals get insurance and employers to contribute to the cost.

Media Looks At Surgeon General Nominee’s Potential Influence On HIV/AIDS, Other Health Issues

Morning Briefing

The AP/Lexington Herald-Leader on Tuesday examined the nomination of Alabama physician Regina Benjamin for U.S. Surgeon General by President Obama, the history of the position and how former Surgeon Generals have addressed health issues such as HIV/AIDS.