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Capsules: Study finds potential, challenges for bundled payments

New this morning on Kaiser Health News' blog: reporter Christian Torres writes about a new Health Affairs study on bundling health payments.

9 Nov 2011

Innovation needed to improve water delivery systems

With more than one billion people lacking access to clean and safe water, and waterborne diseases causing 7,000 child deaths every day worldwide, "it's more important than ever that we be willing to look at old problems and find innovative ways to solve them. The issues of water access, quantity and quality need to be addressed at the same time," Kevin McGovern and Quincy Jones, chair and honorary chair, respectively, of The Water Initiative (TWI), write in a Huffington Post opinion piece.

9 Nov 2011

Despite gap, super committee Republicans warm to new revenue, but not taxes

Super committee Republicans are warming to the idea of finding new Medicare premium revenues to help bridge the still-wide gap between themselves and Democrats over deficit reduction proposals, but they aren't budging on their opposition to tax increases.

9 Nov 2011

Survey finds nursing homes plan layoffs because of Medicare cuts

The move follows a decision by Medicare in July to reduce reimbursements to nursing homes by 11 percent.

9 Nov 2011

Reuters examines reproductive health issues in Russia

Reuters examines abortion, contraception and sex education in Russia, where, "two decades after the Soviet Union's collapse, wider availability of contraception and a resurgence of religion have reduced the numbers of abortions overall, but termination remains the top method of birth control in Russia."

9 Nov 2011

Health insurance exchanges generating controversy, even within GOP

A Wisconsin state senator blocking health care reform implementation in the state is calling on Gov. Scott Walker's administration to return a major federal grant to build information technology infrastructure for new health insurance exchanges. So far, though, it looks like Walker isn't listening. Wisconsin is the last GOP-led state holding onto its Early Innovator grant.

9 Nov 2011

Viewpoints: Today's 'personhood' vote in Miss.; reactions to Romney's health care plan

What about in vitro fertilization, a process that both creates and discards embryos? What new rights would be afforded to a fetus, and how would those rights affect or compete with the rights of the woman who carries it? Would a woman who has an abortion be guilty of murder and subject to capital punishment? ... In their quest to ban abortion in Mississippi, the amendment's drafters appear to have rushed past such concerns.

9 Nov 2011

On Election Day, watching key ballot issues in Ohio, Mississippi

Voters across the nation will decide a host of statewide initiatives Tuesday and elect governors in Mississippi and Kentucky ... In battleground Ohio, voters will decide ... whether to prohibit people from being required to buy health insurance as part of the national health care overhaul.

9 Nov 2011

Brazil leading fight against hunger, WFP head says

"Brazil is a world leader in the fight against hunger and its experience can be shared with other countries, visiting World Food Programme [WFP] chief Josette Sheeran said Monday ... in the northeastern city of Salvador while inaugurating a local branch of a newly established Center of Excellence Against Hunger based in the capital Brasilia," Agence France-Presse reports.

9 Nov 2011

New poverty calculations show how health costs hurt seniors

The Census Bureau's analysis finds childhood poverty declining because of the CHIP health care program and supplemental nutrition efforts. But older Americans fare worse because of out-of-pocket health costs.

9 Nov 2011

Cutting U.S. global health funding would slow progress, hurt development in other countries

A Minnesota Daily editorial states that a proposed nine percent cut in U.S. global health program funding "would drastically slow ... progress and hurt development and advancement in other countries," adding that "investing in the development of poor countries is good for everyone involved. When there are more highly educated, healthy countries, there is more prosperity for all."

9 Nov 2011

Cancer specialists struggling to find better screening tests

With new concern about whether consumers should be tested for some cancers -- especially those that are slow growing -- researchers are working to find more specific tests and advice that can be helpful.

9 Nov 2011

Romney takes health care message to Iowa

Romney promised to "slay the deficit beast." The first step, he said, would be to reverse Obama's health reform law. ... Other themes: Romney continued his call to turn many federal responsibilities over to the states. He said states would be better positioned to run Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor.

9 Nov 2011

'Bundling' pay to doctors and hospitals is challenging

Studies in the journal Health Affairs looked at the concept of bundling payments to doctors and hospitals in which they are paid for "episodes of care" rather than for each individual treatment. The studies note the potential of such a move but also the difficulties.

9 Nov 2011

South Korea authorizes WHO to distribute medical aid for malnourished North Korean children

"South Korea on Tuesday authorized the World Health Organization [WHO] to resume distribution of Seoul-funded medical aid to North Korea, amid growing calls for humanitarian assistance for malnourished North Korean children," the New York Times reports.

9 Nov 2011

Fewer businesses take advantage of health tax credits

The Treasury Department says the number of small businesses taking a new tax credit set up in the 2010 health law is smaller than expected. Also, a report to be issued Thursday says the FDA should not be in charge of health information technology.

9 Nov 2011

RWJF announces recipients of 2011 Community Health Leaders Award

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is proud to announce today the recipients of its 2011 Community Health Leaders Award, honoring 10 individuals who have overcome daunting odds to improve the health and quality of life for disadvantaged or underserved communities across the country.

9 Nov 2011

Parents of children on Medicaid, CHIP give programs good grades

Parents whose children get their health services through Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program say they have good access to doctors and that their children are getting good care, according to a federal survey that the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services will release Tuesday morning.

9 Nov 2011

GHTC interviews prominent Americans, leading U.S. health officials on why Americans should care about global health

In anticipation of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech on the HIV/AIDS pandemic at the NIH on Tuesday, GlobalPost's "Global Pulse" blog provides video footage of interviews conducted by the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC) in which Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.); FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg; Amie Batson, deputy assistant administrator for global health at USAID; and actress Whoopi Goldberg respond to the question of why Americans should care about the global health.

9 Nov 2011

Heeding Gates's suggestions to fill global development finance hole without spending more money

In his Foreign Policy column, "The Optimist," Charles Kenny, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development and a Schwartz fellow at the New America Foundation, responds to a speech to G20 leaders last week by Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in which he "suggested that a financial transactions tax, alongside additional taxes on tobacco and carbon, could be used to help rich countries meet a global target of committing 0.7 percent of GDP to development aid."

9 Nov 2011