Latest KFF Health News Stories
CQ Examines House Foreign Affairs Committee Outline To Overhaul U.S. Foreign Aid
Congressional Quarterly examines a “three-page concept paper” issued by the House Foreign Affairs Committee that lays out a plan to overhaul U.S. foreign aid.
Clinton Heads To Kenya As Africa Visit Begins
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton kicked off a seven country 11-day trip – “her longest overseas journey to date as the top U.S. diplomat – by flying Monday night to Kenya where she will address an African trade and development forum, meet top Kenyan officials and see the beleaguered president of lawless Somalia’s interim government,” the Associated Press reports.
Study Finds Evidence Of Malaria Origins, Could Lead To Vaccine Development
“Malaria may have jumped to humans from chimpanzees much as AIDS did, U.S. researchers reported on Monday in a [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences] study they hope could help in developing a vaccine against the infection,” Reuters reports.
Guardian Examines U.K. Offer To Help Provide Free Healthcare In ‘World’s Poorest Countries’
The Guardian examines British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s offer “to help some of the world’s poorest countries to make healthcare free
Tamiflu-Resistant H1N1 Identified Along Texas-Mexico Border
PAHO on Monday announced it had found Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 (swine) flu along the Texas-Mexico border, Agence-France Press reports.
Protesters Disrupt Democrats’ Best-Laid Plans For Health Reform ‘Conversations’
A series of protests stirred partisan clashes at Democratic events meant to promote health reform.
Senate Dems Prepare Contingency Plans As Finance Negotiators Grapple For A Deal
Sen. Charles Schumer says Senate Democrats are prepared to pass a health reform bill with a simple majority if some Republicans don’t agree to a plan by mid-September.
Battles Over Insurance Reform Afflict House Dems
Liberal House Democrats are growing increasingly upset at Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s underestimation of their frustration over a deal with fiscally conservative Democrats.
Lobbyists Play Ball, Flex Muscles On Health Care Reform
Pharmaceutical lobbying has ramped up and the Democrats are increasingly reaping the financial benefits.
Louisiana Cuts Rates For Medicaid Providers
“Louisiana will start paying less money Tuesday to many private health care providers for taking care of Medicaid patients, a move the state health department estimates will save $86 million this year,” The Associated Press/The Advocate reports.
Obama Really Does Have Best Health Care In The World
“When President Barack Obama said at a recent news conference that he has the best health care in the world, he wasn’t exaggerating,” The Chicago Tribune reports.
Health Reform: Good For Small Business, According To President’s Economic Advisors
A report from President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers finds that “health care reform would be good for small businesses because it would enable them to obtain better insurance coverage for less money,” The Denver Business Journal writes.
No Recess Rest In Health Reform Ad Wars
Major groups are promising that the August recess will be filled with advertising wars trying to control the message of the health care reform debate, Politico reports.
White House: ‘No Middle Class Tax Hike’
After two administration advisers raised the possibility of a middle class tax hike on Sunday, President Obama said he would “stand by his promise” to not raise taxes on families earning less than $250,000.
Today’s Selection Of Opinions And Editorials
Today’s Selection Of Opinions And Editorials
Mexico Steps Up Efforts To Attract Medical Tourists
Efforts to standardize quality measures for medical tourism are underway as Mexico tries to attract medical tourists. Such efforts come after the swine flu outbreak significantly hurt Mexico’s tourism industry, which ranks third as the country’s source of foreign income
Web Site Helps Caregivers Navigate Medicare
The Department of Health and Human Services has created a web site called “Ask Medicare” to help caregivers navigate the often confusing Medicare system.
Many Americans Find Themselves Flummoxed By Overhaul Proposals
As legislators seek to sell what has so far been a largely Washington insider effort, many Americans are confused about what health care reform actually entails.
For Doctors And Even Patients, Rationing Health Care Is An Everyday Occurrence
In an essay in The Washington Post, an infectious disease specialist writes that “the unspoken truth among doctors is that we objectively or subjectively ration care, and often don’t tell patients or their families.”
