Latest KFF Health News Stories
Cambodia Reports 12,392 Cases Of Dengue Fever, 54 Child Deaths Since January
Cambodia’s director of dengue control at the Ministry of Health, Ngan Chantha, said on Monday that from January to September of this year, 12,392 cases of dengue fever had been reported and 54 children have died of the disease, Xinhua reports. In all of 2010, 5,497 cases of dengue and 37 child deaths from the disease were recorded, according to the news agency.
“The most popular contraceptive for women in eastern and southern Africa, a hormone shot given every three months, appears to double the risk the women will become infected with HIV,” according to a study involving 3,800 sero-discordant couples in Botswana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, the New York Times reports. The study, led by researchers at the University of Washington and published Monday in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, also found that when the contraceptive was “used by HIV-positive women, their male partners are twice as likely to become infected than if the women had used no contraception,” the newspaper writes. In addition, the study “found that oral contraceptives appeared to increase risk of HIV infection and transmission, but the number of pill users in the study was too small to be considered statistically significant, the authors said,” according to the New York Times.
New Rule Targets Poor Performers In Medicare Advantage, Part D Program
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services unveiled a rule Monday that would allow the agency to drop plans that fail for three years to earn at least three stars under a five-star rating system.
Senate Panel Looks Hard At Medicare Payments To Home Health Companies
An investigation by the Senate Finance Committee found that three home health care companies manipulated Medicare’s billing system to increase payments.
Drug Abusers Go Doctor Shopping With Medicare Benefit
Thousands of Medicare beneficiaries are using the program’s prescription drug benefit to gain prescriptions for frequently abused medications, according to a new Government Accountability Office Report.
Barbara Bush Says Cutting Foreign Aid Would Have ‘Enormous Implications’ At ‘Power Of 1%’ Event
At an event at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Barbara Bush, CEO of Global Health Corps and a board member of Population Services International (PSI), told the Daily Caller that reducing foreign aid as part of efforts to reduce the national debt would have “enormous implications for the U.S. if we don’t continue the efforts that we’ve already started” (Ballasy, 10/3). The event marked the launch of a campaign called “The Power of 1%,” sponsored by PSI, FHI360, PATH, World Vision and ONE and aimed at highlighting “the economics of global health and the benefits U.S. investments overseas have for Americans at home,” according to a campaign press release (.pdf) (10/3).
Viewpoints: ‘Soaring’ Insurance Premiums, Infant Mortality Ranking And The CLASS Act
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the nation.
Perry’s Handling Of Texas Pension, Health Care Funds Under Scrutiny
McClatchy reports that GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, is increasingly under the microscope for how he handled funds for public pensions and state teachers’ health care.
Hospital In Libyan City Of Sirte Running Low On Supplies
Health care workers fleeing the besieged Libyan city of Sirte on Sunday said people wounded in the fighting “are dying on the operating table because fuel for the hospital generator has run out,” Reuters reports. “The fighting has entered its third week and civilians are caught up in a worsening humanitarian crisis,” the news agency writes, adding that “[a]id workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) who brought medical supplies into Sirte on Saturday could not reach the hospital because of shooting.” The organization said it plans to return to Sirte and reach the hospital if security allows, Reuters notes (10/2).
Advocates Communicate ‘Human Toll’ Of Medicaid Cuts To Debt Panel
Groups are working to highlight to the congressional ‘super committee’ the impact possible program cuts would have on key health programs, such as Medicaid and rural hospitals.
Aetna, CVS Join Forces To Offer Co-Branded Medicare Drug Plan
This effort, which will following a pattern set by other insurers and retailers, will be available in 43 states and Washington, D.C.
Survey: Department Of Veterans Affairs Lacks Staff, Space To Meet Vets’ Mental Health Care Needs
The Washington Post reports on these findings, which underscore the VA’s lack of resources in dealing with the growing number of veterans who are seeking mental health services.
CD4 Quick Test Helps Increase Number Of Patients Who Return For HIV Test Results
A new quick test to determine the CD4 levels of individuals who test positive for HIV “resulted in a substantial increase” in the percentage of people returning to a clinic get those results, according to a study conducted in Mozambique and published last week in the Lancet, the New York Times reports. “Before quick testing was available, 42 percent of infected patients returned to learn their CD4 count at a subsequent visit. After point-of-care testing began, 78 percent of infected patients were evaluated — that is, almost twice as many infected people took this important first step toward drug treatment,” the newspaper writes (Bakalar, 10/3).
State Roundup: Private Hospitals Face Revenue Loss In Texas Medicaid Plan
News outlets report on a variety of state health policy issues.
First Edition: October 4, 2011
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports that the Supreme Court kicked off its new term by hearing a key Medicaid case that tests whether providers and patients can go to court to challenge decisions by cash-strapped states to reduce Medicaid payments.
Congress Blocks Funding Meant For Food Aid, Health Care To Palestinian Authority
“Congress has … blocked $200 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority [PA] since August, in a move a PA official described as ‘collective punishment’ for its United Nations bid” for statehood, GlobalPost reports (10/1). “The economic package is separate from security aid, which the U.S. lawmakers say would be counterproductive to block,” Agence France-Presse writes (10/2).
Supreme Court Opens New Term; Health Law Challenge Tops Agenda
Although action related to the lawsuits challenging the health law have not yet officially made it on to the high court’s docket, it is generally accepted that this question will likely be decided this term.
Justices Hear Arguments In Calif. Medicaid Case
Justices will hear arguments today regarding California’s plan to cut Medicaid payments to doctors, hospitals and other medical providers in an effort to address the state’s budget issues. Experts say the case has national implications because its central issue involves states’ rights to regulate their Medicaid programs.
