Latest KFF Health News Stories
Kennedy’s CLASS Act Would Establish National Long Term Care Insurance
Congress is starting to consider long-term care with the proposal of a long-term insurance program.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Hatch Backs Out Of Health Reform Talks, Pelosi Says She Has Votes
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, told reporters Wednesday that he is not participating in bipartisan talks to change a Senate Finance Committee bill aimed at reforming health care, FoxNews reports.
Poll: One In Six People In The U.S. Are Without Insurance
According to a Gallup-Healthways Well-Being poll 16 percent of Americans – one of six adults – are uninsured.
Baltimore Churches Participate In Program Providing HIV Testing To Residents
Eleven Baltimore churches on Tuesday provided HIV testing to local residents as part of a larger effort by the JACQUES Initiative, a program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Institute of Human Virology, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Small Clinical Trial Examines Drug’s Ability To Reduce HIV In Body
In the first human trial of GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) experimental HIV drug S/GSK1349572, the drug was able to reduce HIV to undetectable levels in 70 percent of the 35 patients taking the treatment for 10 days, according to findings presented at the International AIDS Society’s conference in Cape Town, South Africa, Bloomberg reports.
Expert Discusses HIV-Related Kidney Disease, Susceptibility Among Blacks
The New York Daily News profiled Paul Klotman, chair of the Samuel F. Bronfman Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai, who is “one of the world’s leading experts on the kidney diseases associated with HIV.”
“HIV infection rates among babies are significantly cut when mothers are given prolonged ARV treatment during breastfeeding,” according to findings released at the International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Cape Town, South Africa on Wednesday, Reuters reports.
Prevention, Vaccines Addressed At IAS Conference
During the 5th International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, scientists “renewed the call for more immediate and urgent effort to be directed towards HIV prevention amid the dominance of treatment interventions and the world-wide search for a quick fix vaccine, which many agree, is years away,” Health-e/allAfrica.com reports.
U.N. Reports $4.8B ‘Record’ Aid Funding Shortfall
The U.N. on Tuesday said “it is running a record funding-shortfall of $4.8 billion for its aid operations in 16 crisis-ridden countries” and has received “less than half of the $9.5 billion it needs to carry out it humanitarian operations this year,” VOA News reports.
Increased Fighting Makes Humanitarian Work, Health Situation More Difficult In Somalia, U.N. Says
Despite increasing danger posed by “al Qaeda-linked militants,” U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes said Tuesday U.N. aid workers “were not backing away” from the country, Reuters reports.
Insurers ‘Spinning’ Some Data To Shape Reform
Insurers sometimes cherry-pick facts to make their case against certain aspects of reform efforts, including a public plan, The Washington Post reports.
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.
