Latest KFF Health News Stories
Vertical Farms Could Solve Food Production Problems, Opinion Piece Says
“If climate change and population growth progress at their current pace, in roughly 50 years farming as we know it will no longer exist,” which means that the “majority of people could soon be without enough food or water,” Dickson Despommier, a professor of public health at Columbia University, warns in a New York Times opinion piece.
GOP Unveils Latest Salvo In Health Reform Battle: Seniors’ Bill Of Rights
Republicans unveiled what they’ve termed the “Health Care Bill of Right for Seniors” Monday in an attempt to drive opposition to reform through a new message to the elderly.
Grassley: ‘Government Is Not A Competitor, It’s A Predator’
Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, 75, is presenting new skepticism about reform plans.
Obama’s Rhetoric Fails To Capture Voters’ Support
The rhetoric being used by the White House is failing to capture voters’ support for health care reform.
Reports Warns Swine Flu Could Affect Half Of U.S. Population
A presidential panel released a report that says swine flu could infect up to half of the U.S. population. It warns that schools could be acutely affected and urges the release of vaccines and drugs in September.
Report Warns H1N1 Could Affect Half Of U.S. Population
A U.S. presidential panel report released Monday estimates H1N1 (swine) flu could infect up to half of the country’s population, the Washington Post reports.
Sebelius Names Chair Of Presidential Advisory Council On HIV/AIDS
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Monday named Helene Gayle, president and chief executive of the charity CARE USA, as the chair the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, Reuters reports.
Online Patient Data May Open New Doors In Medical Research
“Since the Internet’s earliest days, patients have used the Web to share experiences and learn about diseases and treatments. But now [advocates say] online communities have the potential to transform medical research,” the New York Times reports.
Today’s Selection Of Opinions And Editorials
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the country.
Hospitals Find Openness About Mistakes Improves Safety, Reduces Lawsuits
“Medical errors kill as many as 98,000 Americans each year,” writes Laura Landro in the Wall Street Journal’s “Informed Patient” column. But some hospitals are trying to be more open with aggrieved patients and their families in order to reduce the number of law suits.
Young Obama Supporters Missing From Health Reform Debate
Obama’s tech-savvy young activists who were instrumental in getting him elected are not working in the same way on health care reform, a gap Obama will have to fix to get his reform try back on track, The Associated Press reports.
First Edition: August 25, 2009
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
GOP Plan Centers On Seniors’ Bill of Rights
As the Republican National Committee unveiled this health reform ‘Bill of Rights’ today, Democrats hit back.
Calif. Budget Crisis Affects Local HIV/AIDS Programs
Local California HIV/AIDS programs are concerned about recent cuts in the state budget.
White House To Begin HIV/AIDS Community Discussion Forums
The White House has announced that it will begin holding “a series of community discussions on HIV and AIDS throughout the country,” the Associated Press/Washington Post reports.
Life Expectancies Of People Living With HIV In Virginia, Advancements In HIV Therapy Examined
The Richmond Times-Dispatch on Sunday examined how highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has impacted the life expectancies for people living with HIV/AIDS.
CDC Official Calls For National HIV/AIDS Strategy To ‘Strengthen’ U.S. Response
“The severe and continued burden of HIV in this nation is neither acceptable nor inevitable. But, significant progress will require that we strengthen our national response,” Kevin Fenton, director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention at CDC, writes in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution opinion piece.
CDC Considers Routine Newborn Circumcision To Prevent Spread Of HIV
U.S. health officials “are considering promoting routine circumcision for all baby boys born in the United States to reduce the spread of HIV,” the New York Times reports.
After Vacation, Obama Could Shift Health Reform Tactics
A vacationing President Obama will probably need to switch tactics on passing health care reform when he returns as he faces pushback from all sides on the scope and cost of his push, according to news analyses.
Senate Democrats Plot New Strategy, Consider Reconciliation To Pass Health Bill
Senate Democrats are increasingly considering using budget reconciliation – which would need a simple majority of 51 votes instead of the typical 60 – to pass health care reform without Republican support.
