Latest KFF Health News Stories
Afghanistan Breaks Ground On $30M Hospital For Treatment Of TB, AIDS, Malaria
“Afghanistan has begun work on a $30 million hospital for the treatment of tuberculosis [TB], a disease that health officials say kills more than 10,000 Afghans every year,” VOA’s “Breaking News” blog reports. “The Japanese government is paying for the 80-bed center in the Afghan capital, which will also treat malaria and AIDS patients,” the news service writes, noting, “Japan is the second-largest donor to Afghanistan, after the United States.” VOA adds, “During Thursday’s groundbreaking in Kabul, Afghan Health Minister Suraya Dalil said Afghanistan ranks in the top 20 worldwide for the most TB patients,” and she noted the country has 2,000 centers nationwide that can diagnose and treat the disease (5/17).
“By voting to ban any U.S. contribution to UNFPA” in the FY 2013 State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill, the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday “made a judgment call that saving the lives of women and girls around the world is simply not a U.S. priority,” Valerie DeFillipo, president of Friends of UNFPA, writes in a Huffington Post “Global Motherhood” opinion piece. She notes that “[c]ommittee members voted against amendments that would permit funding to UNFPA for preventing and treating obstetric fistula, ending female genital mutilation, and providing family planning services and contraceptive supplies in nine sub-Saharan African countries with high rates of poverty and maternal mortality where USAID does not provide family planning assistance.”
Mo. Legislators Reportedly Reach Compromise On Abortion Coverage Bill
The St. Louis Beacon reports that the legislature might take up a bill Friday that strips controversial provisions passed by the House earlier in the week.
AMA: FTC Decision On Who Can Whiten Teeth Could Change Medical Practice Regulation
The doctors’ group says the federal rule could have a “devastating impact on public health” by impeding state regulation. Other legal cases in today’s news include a dentist in trouble in Florida and a deal on mental health care in Arizona.
Mass. Senate Passes Health Care Cost Measure With Eye On Saving $150B
The Massachusetts Senate passed a health care cost containment bill Thursday that aims to cut costs by $150 billion over 15 years. The bill, which now goes to the Massachusetts House, would eventually align cost growth with gross state product, would move toward paying for health care with global payments and would change the state’s medical malpractice lawsuit system.
Legislatures Confront Coverage Issues, Cuts To Health Programs
State lawmakers in North Carolina and California consider cuts to health and welfare programs, including children’s health care. In Kansas, legislation to require insurers to cover autism disorders fails to advance.
Despite Contraception Controversy, Sebeilus To Speak Today At Georgetown
Criticism about Health and Human Services Sec. Kathleen Sebelius’ appearance at the Jesuit institution has mounted this week because of her role in the Obama administration’s rule on contraception requirements in the health care law.
FDA Gives Patients Less-Expensive Option, Approves First Generic Versions Of Plavix
The Food and Drug Administration’s go-ahead will give patients who have to take blood thinners more options.
Geithner Pushes Back Against GOP Calls For Long-Term Cuts To Medicare, Social Security
The Wall Street Journal reports that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner offered a broad-based criticism of the Republican economic agenda.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care policy from around the country.
State Highlights: U.S. Says Medicaid Overpaid $700M To N.Y
A selection of health policy stories from New York, Kentucky, Texas, Connecticut and California.
Responding To Flap, Hospital Debt Collector Draws On Political Defenders
Chicago-based Accretive Health calls for national standards on bill collection practices, as the American Hospital Association reports recent updates to its 2003 guidelines on the topic.
Survey: Health IT Spending A High Priority At Not-For-Profit Hospitals
In other news, Partners HealthCare hopes to replace its patchwork approach to electronic health records with a single commercial system.
Research Roundup: EHRs Don’t Seem To Improve Diabetes Care
This week’s selections come from the Annals of Family Medicine, the Urban Institute, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Rand Corp.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, report that congressional conservatives are fighting amongst themselves over health law strategies.
HHS Sets Deadline For State Health Exchange Proposals
The Department for Health and Human Services released guidelines detailing the requirements states must meet in their proposals if they want to gain federal approval to operate these insurance markets.
GOP Makes Plans To Pursue After The High Court Rules On The Health Law
If the law is upheld, Republicans plan to take to the floor to “tear out” the law’s most controversial provisions, Politico reports. Meanwhile, in related news, Reuters reports on the questionable fate of lesser known, but still controversial, aspects of the health law — billions of dollars in new taxes.
House Appropriations Committee Releases Draft Report On FY13 State, Foreign Operations Spending Bill
The House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to mark up the FY 2013 State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill on Thursday, The Hill’s “Global Affairs” blog reports (Pecquet, 5/17). On Wednesday, the committee released the State and Foreign Operations Draft Committee Report (.pdf), which provides additional information on funding through the appropriations bill for U.S. global health programs at USAID and the State Department, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Policy Tracker. “This funding comprises a significant portion of the Global Health Initiative budget (total funding for the GHI is not currently available as some funding provided through USAID, HHS, and DoD are not yet available),” the website writes. The House Appropriations State and Foreign Affairs subcommittee released the draft bill on May 8 and approved it on May 9, according to the website.
Doctors Trade Prescription Pads For Electronic Options
The Associated Press reports on this trend.
Ad Charges President Obama With Using The Health Law To Raise Taxes
News outlets report on the details of the ad campaign, which is being paid for by Crossroads GPS, and also provide fact checking regarding some of its assertions.
