Latest KFF Health News Stories
U.S. To Commit Additional $1B To H1N1 Vaccine Development
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Sunday the U.S. has agreed to put an addition $1 billion towards ingredients for the production of a vaccine that offers protection against the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, Reuters reports.
IRIN Examines ‘Dramatic Plunge’ In Family Planning International Donor Funding
IRIN examines how a “dramatic plunge” in international donor funding for family planning could undermine other health- and humanitarian-related goals, including fighting poverty and hunger.
More Than Half Of Malaria Drugs In West Africa ‘Sub-Standard Quality,’ Says UNODC
VOA News reports that fake pharmaceuticals pose a greater risk to stability and human security in West Africa than illegal drug trafficking, according to U.N. Office Against Drugs and Crime report.
Obama’s Focus On Health Care Crucial To Reform
“After a week of international diplomacy, President Obama returns to Washington this week facing an even greater diplomatic challenge: nudging the large and controversial health-care reform package toward consensus on Capitol Hill,” The Washington Post reports.
House Seeks To Pay For Reform With New Tax On Wealthy
House Democrats are expected to begin marking up a health reform bill this week that would be paid for with new taxes, but Senate Democrats are playing down the tax idea.
Investigation Finds Problem Nurses Stay On Job Amid Nursing Shortage
An extensive investigation finds that problematic nurses often stay on the job in California, while the national nursing shortage hits Florida particularly hard.
Philadelphia Area Increases Inpatient Hospice Care
A new market emerges for special end-of-life care that is inpatient and offers quiet rooms, home-like settings and high-tech alternatives.
Today’s Selection Of Opinions And Editorials
Opinions and editorials from around the United States.
Lobbying Groups Prepare For Reconciliation Process, Step Up Fight On Bill Features
Lobbyists are preparing briefs on how their clients would fare if health reform moves to a reconciliation process to pass legislation, Roll Call reports.
Federal Program Cracks Down On Medicare Fraud In Houston
A federal program targets Medicare fraud in the Houston area as news of three cases representing at least $35 million in false claims emerged within the past week.
Health Reform Stalled in Congress By Busy Schedule, Divided Lawmakers
“Lawmakers from both parties are telling the White House they will go on vacation next month and leave behind – and incomplete – President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul,” the Associated Press reports.
Small Business: The Hunt For Affordable Health Insurance
“For entrepreneurs trying to start or run a business, the obstacles are huge. But few loom as large as one: health care,” The Wall Street Journal reports.
Survey: Illinois Seniors Delay Buying Prescription Drugs
Some seniors in Illinois are delaying buying prescription drugs because of the cost, according to the AARP.
For Doctors In Congress, Little Harmony On Health Care
“In the struggle to overhaul the nation’s health care system, 16 physicians ended up in ringside seats – as members of the House and Senate. But they have taken different lessons from their experiences in medicine, and they do not agree on what a bill should look like,” the New York Times reports.
Slumping Economy Hurts Health System, But Stimulus Provides Some Relief
The receding economy has dragged down Michigan’s health care system, “offering a preview of how a lingering recession could corrode Americans’ hospitals, savings and health,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Officials Hope Health Reform Reaches Rural America
Rural Americans are hopeful that health reform includes funding for clinics and health care services in their communities, where the cost of care is often high, CNN reports.
Physician-owned Hospitals Under Fire In Reform Bills, While One M.D. Moves Into Franchising
In its dealings with hospitals, pharmaceutical makers and physician groups, President Obama’s administration has favored compromise, but that’s not the case when it comes to physician-owned specialty hospitals.
Health IT Guidlines Anticipated
“The Obama administration this week will outline what the nation’s doctors and hospitals must do to qualify for billions of dollars in government support to adopt electronic patient records,” the New York Times technology blog, Bits, reports.
FDA Approves Expanded Use Of HIV Drug
Merck announced on Thursday that the FDA has approved expanded use of its HIV drug, Isentress, Reuters reports.
Increased ‘Dialogue’ Needed In Black Community About HIV/AIDS, Opinion Piece Says
“HIV/AIDS has literally become a state of emergency in the Black community and our leaders, organizations and institutions can no longer afford to remain silent,” Lisa Fager Bediako, project coordinator for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s ACT! Against AIDS Leadership Initiative, writes in the Florida Courier.
