Latest KFF Health News Stories
House Republicans Use Ag Spending Bill To Push Back Against Certain Health Measures
The Washington Post reports that in the House, GOP lawmakers are using an agriculture appropriations bill to send messages about certain health proposals, including about food company marketing to children.
Medicaid No Longer Paying For Hospital Mistakes
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a final rule designed to end payments for a list of specific health care-acquired conditions, sometimes called “never events.”
HHS Inspector General: $3.4 Billion Recovered In First Half Of 2011
Of this amount, $3.2 billion was netted by fraud investigations, many of which were carried out in collaboration with the Department of Justice.
UNICEF Appealing For $6M To Continue Water Treatment In Zimbabwe
UNICEF on Wednesday said it needs $6 million to continue treating water in Zimbabwe, which does not have the funds to do it on its own, Deutsche Presse-Agentur/M&C reports.
HHS Says Indiana Cannot Cut Medicaid Payments To Planned Parenthood
Officials say that federal law requires enrollees in Medicaid to be able to seek services from any qualified provider.
Message Is Key In Debate Over Medicaid Block Grant Plans
Some congressional Democrats are concerned that Medicaid will become even more of a target for funding cuts and, as a result, are rallying their troops and preparing their battle cry.
New Survey: State Tax Revenues Up But So Are Medicaid Costs
State officials expect to still have tight budgets in the coming year.
IOM Finds Flaws In Medicare Payments To Hospitals, Doctors
The report released Wednesday concluded that the Medicare program uses inaccurate and unreliable data to determine provider payments.
State Roundup: Texas Special Session Highlights Health Issues
News outlets report on a variety of state health policy issues.
Media Outlets Examine Case Of Man Cured Of HIV, Leukemia Through Bone Marrow Transplant
In a special report, Reuters examines the case of Timothy Ray Brown, who was cured of HIV and leukemia after undergoing “a bone marrow transplant using cells from a donor with a rare genetic mutation, known as CCR5 delta 32,” which researchers knew conveyed resistance to HIV infection.
U.S. Should Delay And Reform Pakistan Aid, Report Says
U.S. aid efforts in Pakistan have become “muddled” and should be delayed until reforms are implemented, a report (.pdf) compiled by a Center for Global Development (CGD) task force, said on Wednesday, Agence France-Presse reports (Tandon, 6/1).
Previously Unknown E. Coli Strain Affects More Than 1,500 In Europe; Source Remains Unknown
The WHO on Thursday said “that an unusually lethal strain of E. coli, which has infected more than 1,500 people in Germany, mystified public health officials and threatened to touch off panic in Europe, was a previously unknown variant of the bacteria, raising new concerns about the extent and severity of the contagion,” the New York Times reports.
Food Security Should Be A Priority
“Any system that produces enough food for the entire world and yet fails to feed one in seven people, which is subject to rampant speculation and land-grabbing, and where crops and land that could be used to feed people are instead turned into fuel for Hummers, is patently not working,” a Guardian editorial says.
U.S. Must Provide Ample Funding For GAVI
“Considering its wealth, the U.S. spends relatively little on humanitarian aid that can make an enormous difference in the lives of millions of people
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the latest Medicare dust up in the ongoing budget negotiations and about oral arguments in the latest round of appellate court action related to health law legal challenges.
Sanofi, DNDi Announce Three-Year Research Collaboration For Neglected Tropical Diseases
The pharmaceutical company Sanofi and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) on Monday announced a three-year research collaboration to develop drugs for nine neglected tropical diseases, RTTNews reports.
Relatives Of Women Who Died In Childbirth In Uganda Sue Government
“Relatives of two woman who died in childbirth launched a landmark lawsuit against the Ugandan government Friday to highlight the failure to provide adequate maternal healthcare,” Sapa/Agence France-Presse/IOL reports.
HHS To Reduce Rates For High-Risk Insurance Pools
The Obama administration on Tuesday took steps in the 18 states where the federal government runs high-risk insurance pools to make coverage more affordable to people with pre-existing conditions.
States And Exchanges: A Progress Report
Some states are moving ahead with health insurance exchanges while others are moving more slowly than expected.
