Latest KFF Health News Stories
South Sudan, UNFPA Program Works To Deploy More Midwives Throughout Country
The Ministry of Health of South Sudan and UNFPA, working through the Capacity Placement of International United Nations Volunteer Midwives Project, has deployed 18 midwives throughout South Sudan since December 2010, when the program began, the Sudan Tribune reports. South Sudan, where 2,054 per 100,000 women die during labor, according to figures from the health ministry, has fewer than 100 midwives for a population of more than eight million people, Minister of Health Michael Milli Hussein said, the newspaper notes. Midwives and others involved in the project are meeting in Juba this week to discuss progress and goals, the Tribune writes (10/25).
Denver-Based Dialysis Operator Is Target Of Federal Probe
DaVita Inc., which is the biggest operator of dialysis clinics in the nation, announced that it is the subject of a government probe into payments for drugs it used in the N.Y. Medicaid program.
Immunizations can be a cost-effective means of disease prevention, but “[t]o reach the fully realized stage of cost-effectiveness, … it is vital to acknowledge — and more importantly, address — the barriers that often prevent them from either being as cheap or as widely used as needed,” Forbes contributor Sarika Bansal writes in a Forbes opinion piece. She cites costs associated with vaccines, such as shipping and refrigeration; time and monetary commitments from potential vaccine recipients; a lack of medical professionals in rural areas; and the implementation of public awareness campaigns as barriers to successful immunization campaigns.
Venture Capitalists Focus On Medical Device Rules
As Congress considers legislation that sets fees for medical device makers, venture capitalists are taking a position on what they see as regulatory roadblocks.
NPR’s Tell Me More Examines Cholera In Haiti
NPR’s Tell Me More host Michel Martin on Monday spoke with Christine Ivers of Partners In Health (PIH) in Haiti and journalist Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald about the ongoing cholera outbreak in Haiti. The guests discuss the origins of the epidemic, ongoing public education campaigns, and PIH’s plans to rollout a cholera vaccine (10/24).
Survey Investigates Provider-Beneficiary Ratio In Medicaid Managed Care Plans
Modern Healthcare reports on a survey of members of the Association for Community Affiliated Plans.
Abortion: Federal Court Blocks N.C. Ultrasound Requirement
Federal court’s injunction affects new N.C. law which takes effect today. In addition, the New York Times examines state “personhood” amendments.
Federal Panel Recommends HPV Vaccine For Boys
The organization that helps set vaccination standards for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted overwhelmingly to immunize boys; girls have been getting the vaccine for several years to help guard against cervical cancer.
Quarter Of Medicare Drug Plans Get Poor Ratings
Federal officials gave negative assessments to more than 25 percent of these prescription drug plans. In the Washington area, that number is even higher. Also in the news, Medicare’s database comparing hospital patient safety.
Is The Health Law To Blame For Premium Cost Increases?
iWatch News investigates whether blame for these increases should actually fall on the health law.
A selection of opinions about health care policy from around the country.
State Roundup: Ohio Voters Will Determine Public Employee Benefits
A selection of health care stories from around the country.
Cancer Experts Say Needs Of Younger Patients Slighted
The Los Angeles Times reports that adolescents and young adults often receive inconsistent care and that research often overlooks this group.
White House Urges Community Health Centers To Hire Vets
The Obama administration on Tuesday called on community health centers to hire 8,000 military veterans in the next three years. The plan would draw on funds already included in the health law to boost primary care at these clinics.
Speculation Abounds About What Is On The Deficit Panel’s List
Some Democrats have concerns that defense budget cuts are no longer being considered by the super committee. If this is true, it would force deep cuts to health programs and other discretionary spending.
CLASS Act Post Mortem Continues
Even though the administration made clear it no longer intends to proceed with the implementation of the long-term care insurance program, Republican opponents are pushing hard for its actual repeal. Meanwhile, supporters continue to ask questions about why the administration opted to not move forward.
First Edition: October 26, 2011
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the public’s distrust of government, the super committee’s progress — or lack thereof and the latest from the campaign trail.
Opinion Pieces Respond To U.N. Special Rapporteur’s Report On Reproductive Health Policies
Several opinion pieces respond to a report (.pdf) presented on Monday to the U.N. General Assembly by Arnand Grover, U.N. special rapporteur for the Right to Health, that “considers the impact of criminal and other legal restrictions on abortion; conduct during pregnancy; contraception and family planning; and the provision of sexual and reproductive education and information,” according to the report summary. The report also states, “Realization of the right to health requires the removal of barriers that interfere with individual decision-making on health-related issues and with access to health services, education and information, in particular on health conditions that only affect women and girls. In cases where a barrier is created by a criminal law or other legal restriction, it is the obligation of the State to remove it” (8/3).
Positive Outlook, Support For Change In Polio Programs Important For Eradication Efforts
A new report from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) “has concluded that the major obstacle to eradication is not political or scientific or monetary, but something seemingly mundane — bad management,” health reporter Andre Picard writes in his Globe and Mail column, adding that “the panel offers concrete proposals for what needs to be done to close the deal.” He continues, “The fundamental problem though, according to the expert panel, is that the global eradication effort is overeager to celebrate the successes (like India) and ignore the failures (like Pakistan).”
GOP Governors Lobby Deficit Panel On Cuts
Four Republican governors sent a letter to the super committee urging them
