Latest KFF Health News Stories
The Washington Post Explores Comparative Effectiveness Research
This type of research, referred to in shorthand as “CER,” is viewed by many as a way to solve the perplexing question of how to best treat the hundreds of common ailments that are part of day-to-day medicine.
Debate Emerges Regarding Benefit Of CT Scans For Lung Cancer
Some hospitals are offering discounted CT scans to worried smokers, leading experts to question whether it’s a marketing strategy or offers some health benefit.
Drug Prices: Medicare Shells Out More Than Medicaid
A government report concludes that the reason for the cost differential is because Medicaid discounts are set by law while Medicare prices are negotiated with private companies.
Georgia Creating Consumer-Focused Electronic Health Records System
With a federal grant in hand, the ultimate goal is that this program could result in a national trend, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Worries In Neb. About Exchange Deadlines; Federal Grant For Conn.
State officials are taking steps to involve the public and put systems in place by the Jan. 1, 2013 deadline.
Nursing Home, Hospice Pay Triggers Questions, Concern, Action
News outlets report on a range of issues related to Medicare payment of these facilities, including losses that are expected to result from a new payment rule for nursing homes and the lobbying effort being undertaken by hospiece facilities.
State Roundup: Health Insurance Ruling Reverberates; Calif.’s Aging Issues
News outlets report on a variety of state health policy issues.
A selection of editorials and opinions from around the country.
The Growing Field Of Hospital Medicine
The Connecticut Mirror reports that an increasing number of physicians are turning to hospital-based practice.
Health Care Incentives Included In New Rural Initiative
The Obama administration is launching a rural economic initiative that will affect rural doctors and hospitals.
Multistate Plans Should Face ‘Level Playing Field,’ Regulators Urge
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners expressed concern about a provision of the health law that could allow multistate insurance plans an advantage over smaller plans operating in health insurance exchanges.
First Edition: August 16, 2011
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about how the influence industry is jockeying for position with the ‘super committee’ as well as details of how Medicaid payments for prescription drugs stack up against those made by Medicare.
A Call For Safer Birth Practices In Timor-Leste
Cassandra Clifford, founder and executive director of Bridge to Freedom Foundation, calls for safer birth practices in Timor-Leste in this Aid Netherlands blog post. Clifford says that unsafe traditional birth practices, “the country’s history and lack of infrastructure, especially regarding healthcare,” and “a lack of education and understanding on maternal health, safe birth practices, and family planning” are contributing to a high maternal mortality rate and health complications among newborns. She says birth spacing, the “training of midwives, [and] training [in] hygiene methods for at-home deliveries is a must to bridge the gaps to safer birth practices” (8/15).
U.S., International Support For Somali Refugees Making A Difference
Ambassador Ertharin Cousin, U.S. representative to the U.N. Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome, writes about her recent visit to the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya in the State Department’s “DipNote” blog. “There is something remarkable about seeing how U.S. contributions
PlusNews Examines Challenges To Burundi’s PMTCT Program
“A shortage of health facilities and health workers, frequent drug shortages and a weak government policy mean HIV-positive pregnant women in Burundi often give birth without taking any precautions to prevent transmission of the virus to their children,” PlusNews reports.
U.S. Aid To Liberia Important For Health And Development Improvements
“Even now, eight years after our civil war ended, Liberia faces a huge uphill battle,” Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf writes in a Washington Post opinion piece, adding that “[w]ith support from the United States, we have been able to make progress.
As International Affairs Budget Faces Cuts, Development Community Must Fight For Aid
In the wake of the agreement to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, and “[w]ith 20 percent cuts already on the table, the international affairs budget is in for a tough fight throughout the fall,” Richard Parker, director of communications for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, writes in a post on Devex’s “Obama’s Foreign Aid Reform” blog, stating, “It is more critical than ever for the development community to demonstrate how strategic and effective its programs are for U.S. national security, for our own economy, and as a demonstration of our leadership in the world.”
East African Profiles New GAVI Alliance CEO Seth Berkley
The East African profiles Seth Berkley, the new CEO of the GAVI Alliance and founder and former CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. “‘In my time at GAVI, I would like to see the vision of polio eradication and measles elimination come to pass. We want all the existing childhood immunizations and new generation vaccines, including those for malaria, TB and HIV, to be available to all children that need them,’ Dr. Berkley said,” the newspaper writes (Mwangi, 8/14).
Latest Health Law Decision Pushes Challenges Toward Supreme Court
As court action continues, some policy experts expect this development to intensify efforts to find an alternative to the individual mandate.
Health Overhaul Draws Political Support, Fire In Various Campaigns
It was a hot topic when Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced his campaign for the GOP presidential nomination. It’s also been a hot topic in town hall meetings and congressional campaigns.
