Latest KFF Health News Stories
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.”
Rural Hospital Places Critical Bet On Health IT; Technology Raises Fears Of Hackers
A small, rural hospital in Missouri is “rolling the dice” on electronic medical records, its CEO says.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Health Insurer Chief Says ‘Villain’ Comments Hurt Process
On a conference call with reporters Tuesday morning, Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans, said the “Washington politics as usual” of finger pointing at health insurers is hurting the process of trying to forge consensus on health reform.
Schumer: Senate Democrats Might Approve Health Reform Legislation Without Republicans
Some Senate Democrats are flexing their legislative muscles about going it alone if the GOP doesn’t agree to a bipartisan plan by mid-September.
Grassley’s Prediction: Health Reform Legislation To Face Final Vote In November
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said on Monday that legislation to overhaul the nation’s health care system is likely to face a final vote in the middle of November, Radio Iowa and The Hill report.
Black AIDS Institute Executive Director Discusses HIV/AIDS Among Black Community
PRI’s “Tavis Smiley Show” recently conducted an interview with Phill Wilson, executive director of the Black AIDS Institute, where he discussed HIV/AIDS among the black community, findings from the organization’s recent “Passing the Test” report and its “Test One Million” campaign, the role of the media in HIV/AIDS efforts and other issues.
Needle Exchange Restrictions Included In House Bill Could Hinder Programs, Advocates Say
A recently passed House bill that lifts the ban on the use of federal funding for needle exchange programs, which included an amendment addressing the locations of needle exchanges, “according to many health and human rights advocates, has been diluted to the point that it won’t help the same urban areas most afflicted by those illnesses,” the Washington Independent reports.
Scientists Discover New Strain Of HIV Closely Related To Simian Virus
Scientists have discovered a new strain of HIV in a 62-year-old woman from Cameroon that “differs from the three known strains
Impact Of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s HIV/AIDS Funding Cuts On County, Local Programs Examined
California HIV/AIDS service providers recently met to analyze how Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) recent funding cuts to the state Office of AIDS “would affect county health programs, non-profit service providers and their clients,” the California Progress Report reports.
Editorial Discusses Removal Of Needle Exchange Funding Ban
A Wilmington News Journal editorial discussed the potential lifting of the ban on using federal funding for needle exchange programs.
AFP Examines Debate Over H1N1 Spending, Resource Allocation
The Agence-France Press examines the debate over how much developed countries are spending to fight the H1N1 virus.
Nigeria, UNICEF Launch First National Child Health Week
UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman, who visited Nigeria to launch the country’s first ever National Child Health Week, said an unacceptably high number of children in the country are dying from preventable diseases, and she called on Nigerian government officials to provide integrated healthcare, Xinhua reports.
Washington Post Examines Health Toll Of Congo Conflict
The Washington Post examines the devastating toll the conflict in the Congo has had on the health of the country’s displaced civilians, as told through the death of a 36-year-old farmer, who succumbed to typhoid fever far away from the home he abandoned.
