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Roundup: Rate regulation on Calif.'s 2014 ballot; Ga. state workers facing health premium hike; Kan. Medicaid overhaul recruiting providers

An initiative that would bring health insurance rate regulation to California has qualified for the November 2014 ballot, setting the stage for a vigorous and costly battle between insurers and consumer groups. The measure, sponsored by Consumer Watchdog, would give the state insurance commissioner the power to deny certain premium increases if they are deemed excessive.

26 Aug 2012

Blog examines strategies for obtaining epidemiological data during an emergency

In this post in the PLoS "Speaking of Medicine" blog, Ruby Siddiqui, an epidemiologist with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) based in London, highlights a recent news story in which the organization reports "mortality rates in a refugee camp in South Sudan are nearly double the threshold for an emergency" and examines how such data are obtained in an emergency situation.

23 Aug 2012

Child mortality at double emergency rate in South Sudan refugee camp, MSF reports

"Children in a refugee camp in South Sudan are dying at more than twice the rate internationally recognized as an emergency, according to new figures released by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)," the Guardian reports.

22 Aug 2012

Presidential campaign keeps focus on Medicare

GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney and his running-mate pick Paul Ryan are taking their Medicare message to New Hampshire today. Meanwhile, President Obama blasts the Republican ticket on its Medicare plan.

20 Aug 2012

Obama and Romney offer competing Medicare visions

GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney broke out a whiteboard outside an air terminal to illustrate his key points. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama's campaign launched a new ad to argue his approach strengthens the program, citing plaudits from the seniors group AARP.

18 Aug 2012

Ryan pressed on $716 billion, 10-year Medicare cut

Romney criticizes those reductions in the future growth of Medicare, which were put in place by the 2010 health law. But his running mate, Wisconsin Republican Paul Ryan, is put on the spot by reporters about why he included those same reductions in his budget proposals, which were passed twice by the House.

18 Aug 2012

First Edition: August 17, 2012

Now on Kaiser Health News' blog, Jenny Gold reports on a new survey about accountable care organizations: "Few hospitals interested in becoming accountable care organizations are ready to take on financial risk, according to a survey released Friday from The Commonwealth Fund."

17 Aug 2012

Florida is ground zero in battle for seniors' votes

Florida's 29 electoral votes appear to be among the most sought-after prizes as both campaigns craft their Medicare messages to woo the state's older voters.

16 Aug 2012

Obama team sees opportunity in Ryan's record on abortion

News outlets report that the policy positions taken on abortion and contraception issues by Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney's running mate pick, could widen the so-called gender gap.

16 Aug 2012

ADHD in girls portends continuing problems, through early adulthood

Girls with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - and their families - often look forward to the likely decline in visible symptoms such as fidgety or disruptive behavior as they mature into young women.

15 Aug 2012

Choice of Ryan energizes campaign--for both GOP and Dems

By choosing U.S. Representative Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney has added some verve to what had been a tedious presidential contest. ... Now we have the potential at least for a true contest of ideas: What is the optimum size and role of government? What is the best way to reduce trillion-dollar annual deficits and $15 trillion in total debt? With a rapidly graying population and entitlements that eat up most of the federal budget, can Medicare's growth be stopped without impoverishing senior citizens? Is it time to raise taxes, even on the middle class?

14 Aug 2012

Pressure builds on presidential nominees on health care issues, a GOP running mate

The presidential race picks up with conservatives pushing presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney to pick Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., as his running mate while Romney's latest TV ad accuses President Obama of using his health law to "declare war" on religion.

12 Aug 2012

Viewpoints: Democrats must get tough on entitlements; Fla. Gov. Scott says feds should stay out of state Medicaid decisions

Democrats nurtured entitlements, which provided a bedrock of security for Americans. But we never said no to entitlement expansion or benefit increases. We haven't supplied enough discipline, and they are out of control. Conversely, we've ignored the New Frontier investment programs, bragging about them but meting out only subsistence rations. They're now stunted and need higher rations. We have one more chance. The fiscal cliff was designed to force tough choices.

12 Aug 2012

African leaders, international community must act on commitments made at London family planning summit

In this UNFPA opinion piece, Babatunde Osotimehin, U.N. under-secretary-general and UNFPA executive director, and Sharon Camp, president and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute, reflect on last month's London Summit on Family Planning, where "leaders from 18 African countries made unprecedented commitments -- financially and politically -- to strengthen their family planning programs,"

10 Aug 2012

First Edition: August 10, 2012

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, in collaboration with The Washington Post, Susan Jaffe writes: "Concerned that a growing number of seniors have been unexpectedly forced to pay thousands of dollars for nursing home care after a stay in a hospital, Medicare has launched a pilot project to test whether relaxing its hospital payment rules could help beneficiaries".

10 Aug 2012

Biden seeks to allay veterans' concerns about benefits

Speaking at the Disabled American Veterans' national convention, Vice President Joe Biden reminded the group that veterans benefits were exempted from the automatic budget cuts that will be imposed on military and domestic programs as of Jan. 2. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama signed into law a legislative package that provides improved health care, housing, education and memorial services.

6 Aug 2012

Cholera affecting refugees in Eastern Congo, MSF reports

"The first case of cholera has emerged among thousands of people in an impromptu refugee camp in eastern Congo who fled fighting between a new rebel group and government forces backed by U.N. peacekeepers," according to Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the Associated Press/Washington Post reports (Muhumuza, 8/3).

6 Aug 2012