Latest KFF Health News Stories
OECD Report Finds U.S. Pays More By Far For Health Care
In most cases, those higher costs don’t translate into better outcomes, says report comparing 34 nations.
A selection of health policy stories from California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Maryland and Colorado.
Democrats Ask Obama Not To Dilute Contraceptive Benefits
HHS has recommended free contraceptive services be included in health plans but Republicans are seeking to limit that.
Insurance Commissioners Back Brokers On Health Law Standard
The state regulators approved a resolution asking for a change in the law to exempt insurance brokers’ fees from an insurance company’s administrative costs.
Viewpoints: Blame For Super Committee Mess, Supreme Court Recusal Is The Judges’ Call
A selection of health policy opinions and editorials from around the nation.
Merck Agrees To Pay $950 Million In Vioxx Settlement
The pharmaceutical giant will pay a $321 million criminal fine and a $628 million civil settlement.
House Panel Seeks Records About Kagan And Health Law
The Supreme Court justice’s role in her old job at the White House is under examination by the House Judiciary Committee.
Congress Facing Deadline On Medicare Payments To Doctors
Preventing a scheduled cut in reimbursements to physicians is estimated to cost $20 billion next year, but Congress is expected to find at least a short-term fix before the end of the year.
First Edition: November 23, 2011
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations include an examination of changes in Medicare that the Democrats have endorses and a Kansas abortion case.
Medicare To Cover Infusion Costs For Prostate Cancer Vaccine, Company Says
In Medicare news, the drug maker Dendreon says federal officials have said they will pay doctors to administer the drug. Also, policymakers are studying Medigap to see if curbs on those policies could help cut Medicare costs.
Recession Cuts Into Health Spending; High-Deductible Plans Spread
Politico looks at the effect of the economic downturn on consumers use of health care services and the Los Angeles Times finds more employers are offering the high-deductible plans.
WHO Director-General Chan Submitted As Applicant For Second Term
The WHO “said on Monday it has received just one application for the U.N. health agency’s top post,” from China, which submitted Margaret Chan, the current WHO director-general and former Hong Kong health chief, Agence France-Presse reports. “An executive board meeting in Geneva between January 16 and 23 will decide whether to put the name forward to the World Health Assembly in May, which would make the final decision regarding the appointment,” the news agency writes (11/21).
Commonwealth Fund President To Step Down At End Of 2012
Karen Davis, who has run the health care research foundation The Commonwealth Fund since 1995, will step down at the end of 2012.
Romney, Gingrich Targeting Medicaid To Pay For Other Programs
To prevent automatic cuts to the defense budget, Mitt Romney calls for reducing federal payments to states for Medicaid, while Newt Gingrich would “transform” Medicaid to help fund partial Social Security privatization.
Flagging Medical Errors; Expediting Malpractice Settlements in N.Y.
News outlets report on innovations to reduce medical errors and speed up resolution of medical malpractice lawsuits.
Prioritizing The Family Planning Needs Of Young Women
The world reached a population milestone in October, but “[i]n the many discussions that have sprung up around the seven billion benchmark — all of them important and illuminating — I don’t hear enough about our world’s most vulnerable: our youth,” Jill Sheffield, founder and president of Women Deliver, writes in this Huffington Post opinion piece. “Nearly half of the world’s seven billion inhabitants is under the age of 25,” she notes, adding “when it comes to sexual and reproductive health, young women and girls around the world face tremendous challenges — which demand tremendous solutions.”
George W. Bush To Travel To Africa To Raise Awareness About Cervical, Breast Cancer
Former President George W. Bush will travel next month with former first lady Laura Bush and officials with the George W. Bush Institute to Tanzania, Zambia and Ethiopia “where they’ll visit clinics and meet with governmental and health care leaders … to raise awareness about cervical and breast cancer, an effort he calls a ‘natural extension’ of” the PEPFAR program launched during his presidency, the Associated Press reports. “The new program, called the Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon initiative, seeks to expand the availability of cervical cancer screening and treatment and breast care education in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America,” the news service notes.
