Latest KFF Health News Stories
Maryland Hospital Fined For Not Reporting Errors
Marlyand health regulators have fined a hospital in Lanham, Maryland, for not reporting errors.
Medical Isotope Shortage Hurts Hospitals And Disrupts Medical Tests
Reuters reports that “a North American shortage of medical isotopes has forced many U.S. hospitals to begin rationing scores of diagnostic tests, and doctors said on Friday they see no quick solution.”
Lawmakers Spar Over Health Reform
Over the weekend, many key figures spoke publically about health overhaul legislation.
Agencies And Health Departments Prepare For Swine Flu
Governments and drug companies are struggling with the question of who should receive swine flu vaccines as they ramp up production. Amid news of low stock piles for pandemic preparedness supplies, federal agencies and small local health departments are preparing for the disease including in Massachusetts, which is seeking $1 million to increase the state’s stockpile of supplies.
Many in Congress Hold Stakes in Health Industry
“Almost 30 key lawmakers helping draft landmark health-care legislation have financial holdings in the industry, totaling nearly $11 million worth of personal investments in a sector that could be dramatically reshaped by this summer’s debate,” the Washington Post reports.
Physicians Wait For Health IT Guidelines, Officials Want ‘Every Doctor’s Office’ Online
Physicians still await clear cut rules for how they must use health information technology in order to be eligible to receive economic stimulus-funded incentives.
Access Issues Persist For Indians, Rural Americans, Immigrants
Several reports focus on continued inadequate health care for underserved populations.
Congress Clears Tobacco Bill For President’s Signature
The House of Representatives today voted by a 3-to-1 margin to pass a bill approved by the Senate yesterday.
Dodd’s Wife Serving On Health Care Company Boards
The wife of Sen. Chris Dodd, a leading player in this year’s attempt at health care reform, serves on the board of three health care companies, The Associated Press reports.
Demonstrators Gather At Washington, D.C., CVS Pharmacy To Protest Practice Of Locking Up Condoms
Protestors gathered outside a Washington, D.C., CVS Pharmacy to urge the pharmacy chain to end the practice of locking condoms in display cases in certain neighborhoods.
Los Angeles County Health Officials Release Report On HIV In Adult Film Industry
Twenty-two people in the adult film industry have tested positive for HIV in the last five years in Los Angeles County, according to a new report released on Thursday by county health officials.
Los Angeles County’s Commission On HIV Reconsiders Plan To Cut Nutrition Programs
The Los Angeles County’s Commission on HIV on Thursday backed down on a proposal that would have cut $350,000 from nutrition programs that serve people living with HIV/AIDS.
In a Journal of the American Medical Association commentary piece, Anthony Fauci and Carl Dieffenbach of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases explore results from a WHO mathematical model study that found universal, voluntary, annual HIV testing followed up with HIV immediate treatment — the “test and treat model” — could “reduce HIV incidence” and “end the [HIV] pandemic within 50 years.”
Declaration of H1N1 Pandemic To Accelerate H1N1 Vaccine Production
The WHO’s decision Thursday to declare H1N1 (swine) flu a pandemic will “speed the production of a vaccine against the new virus,” however scientists continue to caution that “it will be fall at the earliest before the first doses are available,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
Lawmakers Focus On Public Plan And Details Of Paying For Reform
Sen. Kent Conrad, who has proposed a cooperative insurance marketplace for Americans and small businesses to pool and purchase health insurance, said Thursday that his proposal worked from the premise that a public plan to purchase health insurance doesn’t have the votes to pass the Senate, The Washington Post’s Ezra Klein reports.
Lawmakers Want Federal Rules To Cover Home Health Care Workers And End-Of-Life Care
Lawmakers want federal rules to cover home health care workers while Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, plans to introduce legislation in Congress today to better educate the public on end-of-life care.
Senate Passes Landmark Bill: FDA To Regulate Tobacco
With an overwhelming vote of 79-12, the Senate passed landmark legislation Thursday to allow the Food and Drug Adminsitration to regulate tobacco.
Medicare Reimbursement Issues Enter Health Reform Debate
New legislation introduced Thursday would attempt to shift Medicare reimbursement policy to reward patient health outcomes, rather than the volume of services provided.
Nursing Shortage Eases With Recession’s Help
A study published today finds that the nation’s deep recession is helping to alleviate the decade-long nursing shortage, as workers who had left the field in better times are returning in droves.
Drugstores Group Sues Delaware Over Medicaid Cutbacks
Walgreen Co.’s member organization in Delaware has “filed a suit against the state to put a stop to Medicaid rate cuts” just one week after “Walgreens announced it will stop filling prescriptions of brand-name medications for patients on Medicaid” in Delaware, the News Journal reports.
