Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: August 10, 2011
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s picks for the debt panel and what Americans — according to two new polls — expect the ‘super committee’ to accomplish.
Obama Urges Approach with ‘Modest’ Medicare Adjustments
As the stock market plunged, President Barack Obama said the nation’s deficit couldn’t be ignored. He recommended an approach that includes spending cuts as well as increased tax revenue and “modest adjustments” to health care programs.
The ‘Super Committee’: Who Will Be Selected? What Choices Will They Have?
News outlets report on the work ahead regarding this budget-trimming panel. First on the list – appointing its members. After that, however, the hard work of finding at least $1.2 trillion in spending cuts will begin. Medicare and Medicaid will certainly be on the table.
Obama Administration Announces Additional $105M For Humanitarian Efforts In Horn Of Africa
“President Obama has approved an additional $105 million for ‘urgent humanitarian relief efforts’ in the Horn of Africa, White House press secretary Jay Carney announced in a statement Monday afternoon,” Politico’s “Politico44” blog reports (8/8). “Carney says the money will help provide food, shelter, water, and sanitation and health services to those in need,” according to the Associated Press/Washington Post (8/8). The money will come out of the Emergency Relief and Migration Assistance Fund, Carney said, adding that the U.S. has provided about $565 million in humanitarian aid so far this year, Reuters notes (8/9).
UNICEF-Funded Study Shows Extent Of Violence Against Children In Tanzania
According to a study published Tuesday by Muhimbili University in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in collaboration with the CDC and funded by UNICEF, “nearly three out of every 10 girls and nearly three out of every 20 boys in Tanzania claim to have experienced sexual violence,” the Guardian’s “Poverty Matters Blog” reports. The blog says it is “the first time an African country
Proportion Of New HIV Cases Increasing Among Older Population In China
The case of a Chinese man nearly 80 years old who was recently diagnosed with HIV is “shedding light on a segment of the Chinese population said to be overlooked by the country’s AIDS education efforts,” according to “a recent report from state-run media Xinhua News Agency,” the Wall Street Journal’s “China Real Time” blog reports.
HealthyCal reports that more people over age 55 are living with HIV.
Republicans Stay Quiet On Birth Control Coverage Rule
But a group of state legislators has raised concerns about the measure’s CLASS Act.
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the country.
Dems Split On Supreme Court Medicaid Case
Some congressional Democrats told the Supreme Court Monday that low-income Medicaid beneficiaries should be able to file suit to enforce their rights to care and to challenge state cuts to the program.
Spermless Mosquitoes Could Reduce Spread of Malaria, Study Suggests
In an effort to curb the spread of malaria, researchers from Britain and Italy have genetically altered male mosquitoes so that they do not produce sperm, according to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Los Angeles Times’ “Booster Shots” blog reports (Khan, 8/8).
State Roundup: Insurers Fight Fla. Decision On State Workers’ HMO
News outlets report on a variety of state health policy issues.
House Dem Supports Lawsuit Against Medicare Regarding Physician Pay
The action, which is being brought by the Center for Primary Care in Georgia, takes issue with the way Medicare sets its reimbursement rates for specialists and primary care physicians.
$4 Billion Nursing Home Funding Cut Shows ‘Health Care Complexity’
The Connecticut Mirror explains how this scheduled reduction, which will take effect Oct. 1, came to be. The Denver Post quantifies what the local impact might be.
Medicare Officials Report Positive Results For ACO Precursor Program
Some health policy experts, though, considered the findings from the five-year demo programs to be discouraging, noting that six of the 10 sites involved in the effort did not qualify for savings. But some news coverage highlights success stories.
Study Finds Demand Continues For Safety-Net Care In Massachusetts
Even though the state reduced the number of uninsured residents in its health care overhaul, many people still get treatments at community health centers and safety-net hospitals.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including more speculation about the ‘super committee’ and how difficult it will be for the panel to reach it’s savings target without cutting into Medicare and Medicaid.
