Latest KFF Health News Stories
UNICEF Representative Highlights Humanitarian Challenges In Yemen
Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF’s representative in Yemen, said the country is facing humanitarian challenges and is “absolutely in dire need of humanitarian assistance,” Reuters reports.
VOA News Examines Debate Over U.N. Women Funding Levels
VOA News examines advocates’ concerns over funding levels for U.N. Women.
Eight Out Of 10 Countries Using mHealth Services, WHO Report Says
Eighty-three percent of countries are using mobile phone technology for health services, according to a WHO study (.pdf) released on Tuesday at the Mobile Health Summit in Cape Town, South Africa, Agence France-Presse reports (6/7).
Number Of New E. Coli Cases Abating But More Deaths Expected
“Germany reported two more deaths and 300 more E. coli cases Wednesday, but its health minister insisted that new infections were dropping, giving some hope that the world’s deadliest E. coli outbreak was abating,” Associated Press reports (Greishaber, 6/8).
Torrential Rains Trigger Flooding, Mudslides, Additional Cholera Cases In Haiti
“At least 20 people have died due to torrential downpours in Haiti, authorities said Tuesday, and aid agencies are scrambling to respond to a resurgence of cholera triggered by the heavy rain,” CNN reports (6/8).
Cancer Professionals Urge World Leaders To Attend U.N. Meeting On NCDs
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) on Monday sent a letter (.pdf) signed by major U.S. medical societies representing about 300,000 health care professionals to the White House urging President Barack Obama to participate in the U.N. High Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases that is scheduled for September, Agence France-Presse reports.
Volatile Food Prices Likely To Continue, Threatening Food Security In Developing World, FAO Says
“Drought in some areas and heavy rain in others are keeping world food prices near record levels, threatening the food supply for poorer, food-importing countries,” the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in its biannual report (.pdf) on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reports (Rai/Henshaw/Moffett, 6/8).
Media Examine HIV/AIDS Epidemic As U.N. Meeting Prepares To Convene
This week, political leaders will gather in New York at the U.N. High Level Meeting on AIDS to “frame the ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS,” Nature News reports.
Blue Shield Of California Will Cap Earnings
As part of a new initiative to hold down costs, the insurer announced yesterday that it will cut this year’s premiums by 2.5 percent for many of its policy holders.
A selection of opinions and editorials from around the country.
State Roundup: N.J. Plan Would Cut Medicaid By $500 Million
News outlets report on a variety of state health policy issues.
HHS Rule For Health Exchanges Takes Shape
Meanwhile, legislation in Oregon to create a health insurance exchange was passed by the state House of Representatives and will now go to the governor.
Costs, Insurance Company Regulations Can Make Physical Therapy A Pain
NPR reports on how high costs and limited care are becoming a harship for patients who need physical therapy.
Health Law’s Independent Payment Board Draws New Opposition
Politico reports on the Independent Payment Advisory Board’s growing unpopularity and CQ HealthBeat details the complexities that will be involved in the overhaul’s expansion of health coverage for children and families. In the background, politics come into play as part of the run up to 2012.
Hospitals Want Race, Ethnic Issues Factored Into Readmissions Program
The American Hospital Association noted in a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Donald Berwick that research shows facilities with disproportionately large numbers of minorities have higher readmission rates.
Ryan Medicare Revamp Continues To Be Political Flashpoint
A congressionial Democrat holds a town hall meeting on the budget plan by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., which includes significant changes to the Medicare program. Republicans see the budget blueprint as a litmus test.
Study: Many Employers Will Cut Back On Health Plans When Overhaul Kicks In
A report by McKinsey & Co. concluded that at least 30 percent of employers will stop offering health insurance in 2014. The projection is based on a survey of more than 1,300 businesses of various sizes and industries.
