Latest KFF Health News Stories
From Zambia To Kansas City: One Woman’s AIDS Odyssey
More than 6,000 people in the Kansas City region are living with HIV/AIDS, including Bester Seemani, who says an AIDS diagnosis twelve years ago completely changed her life and her journey back home to Zambia.
Today’s Headlines – July 26, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including coverage of a new study that finds Medicaid may help people live longer. Politico: White House Tailors Minority Health Care Pitch The message: Blacks and Hispanics, among whom uninsured rates are significantly higher than among whites, stand to benefit disproportionately under the health law, gaining […]
Words Can Wound: How The Media Describe The Mentally Ill And Disabled
Despite gains, outdated or demeaning language still crops up in everyday speech and in the media.
Medicaid Expansion Reduces Mortality, Study Finds
As states decide whether to expand their Medicaid programs to cover low-income childless adults, the impact of their choices became clearer today in a study showing a reduction of mortality in states that have already made that move. The research published in the New England Journal of Medicine found a 6.1 percent reduction in mortality […]
Michael Weinstein: ‘We Have A Long Way To Go’ In The U.S.
The president and co-founder of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation tells Joanne Silberner that it is important to keep public policy focused on proven methods for controlling AIDS.
Today’s Headlines – July 25, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about new Congressional Budget Office health law estimates that reflect the Supreme Court’s decision on the Medicaid expansion. The Washington Post: CBO: Court Ruling Cuts Cost Of Health-Care Law, But Leaves 3 Million More Uninsured President Obama’s signature health-care initiative will cost a bit […]
CBO Reports On Impact Of Medicaid Ruling, Health Law Repeal Effort
Federal spending under the health care law is likely to be $84 billion lower over the next 11 years than previously projected now that states can opt out of the law’s Medicaid expansion, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis released Tuesday. The CBO estimated that 6 million fewer low-income Americans will gain coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s […]
Minnesota Wants Outside Audit Of Medicaid HMOs
The Minnesota Department of Human Services announced Monday that it is seeking bids for an outside audit of Medicaid payment rates for fiscal years 2003 through 2011. The move follows months of controversy over whether the state’s contracts have been too generous. The move means the administration of Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, is seeking […]
Phill Wilson: ‘Advances Have Not Benefitted All Populations Equally’
AIDS in 2012: The founder and executive director of the Black AIDS Institute tells Joanne Silberner that the AIDS epidemic can be combated by making policy choices based on science and by ensuring that the health law’s essential benefits package provides for both HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention.
States Cut Medicaid Drug Benefits To Save Money
Illinois is the latest state to act, imposing a limit of four drugs.
13 States Cut Medicaid To Balance Budgets
Provider cuts may limit care for poor people and make it harder to expand the program in 2014.
GAO: Proposed Rule May Leave Some Children Ineligible For Subsidies
While most uninsured children will qualify for coverage under the federal health law, a small percentage — 6.6 percent of the total, or at least 460,000 — may be shut out because of how the government proposes to define “affordable” coverage, says a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The proposed Treasury Department rule […]
To help balance their budgets, 13 states are cutting Medicaid either by lowering fees paid to medical providers, reducing benefits, or tightening eligibility for the health insurance program for the poor and disabled. Most changes went into effect July 1, though some take effect later this year and some are pending federal approval. Kaiser Health News surveyed the 50 state Medicaid programs:
When Going Back To The Hospital Is Good News
No one wants to be readmitted to a hospital, but it does beat one alternative: death. As Medicare prepares to start punishing hospitals with higher than expected readmission rates, new government data show that some hospitals with high readmissions are actually doing a better job than most in keeping Medicare patients alive. Beth Israel Deaconess […]
Today’s Headlines – July 24, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including news from the campaign season as well as reports from the international AIDS conference currently taking place in Washington, D.C. The Wall Street Journal: Deloitte: One In 10 U.S. Employers To Drop Health Coverage Around one in 10 employers in the U.S. plans to drop […]
Lisa Fitzpatrick: Routine Testing For HIV Needed
AIDS In 2012: The medical director of infectious diseases at United Medical Center tells Joanne Silberner that in addition to more frequent testing, more attention needs to be paid to keeping people with HIV under the care of a doctor.
Forget The Company Plan-The Boss Wants You On Dad’s Insurance
Employers can encourage young adults to forego the office’s plan and take advantage of health law provision allowing them to join their parents’ policy.
Medicare IDs Few Hospitals As Outliers In Readmissions
Correction: An earlier version of this report incorrectly listed 10 hospitals as having better than average readmission rates for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia patients. Only two hospitals, Citrus Memorial Hospital of Inverness, Fla. and Sarasota Memorial Hospital of Sarasota, Fla., had better than average readmission rates for those three conditions tracked by Medicare’s Hospital Compare […]
Today’s Headlines – July 23, 2012
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the international AIDS conference taking place this week in Washington, D.C. The Associated Press: Working Poor Stand At Center Of Medicaid Debate Jose Gallegos’ company eliminated employee health insurance to save money, so when his gut started hurting and his skin took on […]
Greg Millett: New HIV Infections Are Down, But ‘Much More’ To Be Done
AIDS In 2012: Senior policy advisor in the Office of National AIDS Policy tells Joanne Silberner the president’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy has improved coordination among federal agencies and that the 2010 health law will improve access to care for those living with HIV/AIDS.