Latest KFF Health News Stories
Medicare Changes Could Save Money For Taxpayers, Enrollees But Seniors Fret
Health reform legislation could change key aspects of Medicare policy, such as the amount seniors pay for drug coverage, a prospect that leaves many beneficiaries wary of the overhaul amid reassurance from the administration and harsh warnings from critics.
First Edition: August 31, 2009
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Emotions Still Running High In Health Care Reform Debate
From California to New York City, people have been rallying in support of or opposition to health overhaul legislation.
As Kennedy Is Memorialized, Talk Turns To Impact On Health Legislation
Even before Sen. Edward Kennedy’s funeral, Republicans and Democrats talked about how his death should affect health care bills.
Enzi, Other GOP Finance Negotiators Cast Doubts On Health Bill’s Prospects
In the GOP weekly address, Sen. Mike Enzi aid Democratic health bills would not save money and would limit consumer choice.
White House Official: President Committed To Addressing HIV/AIDS
Jeff Crowley, the director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, this week discussed the government’s role in addressing HIV in the first of a series of town hall meetings convening “across the nation as part of the Obama administration’s attempt to dialogue with the public to design a national strategy to fight HIV/AIDS,” the Southern Voice.
Federal Agencies Provide Grants To State Organizations To Boost Health Info Tech For HIV/AIDS
The HHS department has awarded the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J., with a $2.8 million grant “to create an electronic system to boost the care of women of color with HIV/AIDS,” HealthcareITNews reports.
Sioux City, Iowa ‘One-Stop Shop’ Profiled For Awareness Efforts, Services
KPTH.com profiled the Sioux City, Iowa-based Siouxland Community Health Center, “a one-stop shop” for people living with HIV, which is seeking to raise community awareness of the virus.
Controversy Surrounds CDC’s Consideration Of Circumcision Guidelines
A Chicago Tribune health column discusses recent findings indicating routine male circumcision could help prevent the spread of HIV, evidence which has “led both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics to consider issuing first-ever recommendations on routine circumcision of boys.”
Lawmakers, Though Still Elbowing, Agree On Some Health Care Reforms
Lost in the debate over key issues is the fact that lawmakers working on health care reform agree on major parts of reform, including barring insurance companies from discriminating based on pre-existing conditions and imposing a lifetime cap on benefits.
Scare Tactics Favored By Generations Of Reform Opponents
Just like in earlier attempts to overhaul the American health system, opponents have turned to scare tactics.
Town Halls Still Volatile In Many Districts
Some lawmakers have continued to face raucous crowds, while others have found methods like making their appearances ticketed events quiet protestors. One legislator even made plans with the Bakersfield, Calif., police department before speaking with voters.
Bishops Turn Against Reform, Conservative Christians Ramp Up Opposition
Catholic bishops, who last month appeared to embrace the health overhaul’s goals, have been speaking out against reform proposals in recent weeks.
The Economist Examines Africa’s Demographic Transition
The Economist examines how Africa’s economic growth is resulting in a demographic transition “that others have already traced: as people get richer, they have fewer children” and poses the question: “Can Africa capitalise on the demographic dividend?”
Health Experts Appeal For Vaccines To Be Added To National Immunization Programs
During a recent three-day Asian Vaccine Conference, health experts appealed to countries to add “under-utilised vaccines such as those of pneumococcal, haemophilus influenzae type-b (Hib), and rotavirus” into national immunization programs, the Nation reports.
Pressure On G20 Leader To Tax Financial Transactions For Aid Money Intensifies
G20 finance ministers meeting in London next Friday, ahead of a G20 meeting in Pittsburgh “will face concerted pressure to introduce a tax on financial transactions as a coalition of anti-poverty campaigners aim to force the issue onto the agenda,” the Guardian reports.
