International Health Journalism Fellowship Project: RUSSIA/UKRAINE

2006 Fellows

Natalia A. Feduschak, a Kaiser International Fellow and a freelance journalist, wrote and delivered the following lectures about HIV/AIDS to journalism students at the Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University and Kyiv International University between April 2005 and November 2006. The lectures are based on her own research and interviews conducted in Ukraine and Europe, through resources provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS, numerous Ukrainian non-profit groups and the experiences of people living with HIV/AIDS.

• Lecture 1: Overview of HIV/AIDS Globally – English Language Version (.pdf) Ukrainian Language Version (.pdf)
• Lecture 2: HIV/AIDS in Ukraine – English Language Version (.pdf) Ukrainian Language Version (.pdf)
• Lecture 3: HIV/AIDS and National Security – English Language Version (.pdf) Ukrainian Language Version (.pdf)
• Lecture 4: Reporting Tools for Covering HIV/AIDS – English Language Version (.pdf) Ukrainian Language Version (.pdf)
• Lecture 5: Ethical Guidelines for Covering HIV/AIDS – English Language Version (.pdf) Ukrainian Language Version (.pdf)

Natalia A. Feduschak, a Kaiser International Fellow and a freelance journalist, published the following articles on HIV/AIDS and the impact the epidemic has on countries where Ukrainians migrate. The articles were published in the Ukrainian newspaper, Kyivskiy Telegraf, between October 2006 and June 2007. The articles are based on Feduschak’s own research and interviews conducted in Ukraine and Europe, through resources provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

• Article 1: Blow from within: AIDS threatens national security through the military – English Language Version (.pdf) Russian Language Version (.pdf)
• Article 2: Peacekeepers in Kosovo and HIV/AIDS: Ukrainian soldiers reliably protected against the “new black death” – English Language Version (.pdf) Russian Language Version (.pdf)
• Article 3: Home without AIDS: Italy begins to pay attention to the health of Ukrainians – English Language Version (.pdf) Russian Language Version (.pdf)
• Article 4: Ukrainian workers got equal access to medical care: legalization of nearly 200,000 hired workers in Portugal significantly improved the level of their health care – English Language Version (.pdf) Russian Language Version (.pdf)
• Article 5: Britain treats “HIV Tourists” – English Language Version (.pdf) Russian Language Version (.pdf)

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International Health Journalism Fellowship Project: RUSSIA/UKRAINE

2004 Fellows

“Time to Live” Irina Roldugina, Akzia, December 2004 (.pdf)

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International Health Journalism Fellowship Project: RUSSIA/UKRAINE

2005 Fellows

“Stop AIDS Series” Tatyana Fedyaeva, Narodnoe Radio, July 28, 2005 (.pdf)

“HIV/AIDS Close-Up” Yuri Tishkov, Vecherniy Krasnoyarsk, August 2, 2005 (.pdf)

“Stop AIDS Series” Tatyana Fedyaeva, Narodnoe Radio, September 4, 2005 (.pdf)

“Lost Children Series” Olga Sedurina, Echo of Moscow Radio In Perm, October 12, 2005 (.pdf)

“Lost Children Series” Olga Sedurina, Echo of Moscow Radio In Perm, October 26, 2005 (.pdf)

“HIV in Kaliningrad” Irina Raldugina, Akzia, October 28, 2005 (.pdf)

“Volga Region Immunodeficiency” Ada Gorbacheva, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 28, 2005 (.pdf)

“Lost Children Series” Olga Sedurina, Echo of Moscow Radio In Perm, November 2, 2005 (.pdf)

“Disease Initially Discovered in Homosexuals Equally Affects Both Sexes” Ada Gorbacheva, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, November 25, 2005 (.pdf)

“A School For Real Volunteers” Vladimir Klyshnikov, Medezinskaya Gazeta, December 1, 2005 (.pdf)

“Adjustment For A Troubled Slavic Soul” Vladimir Klyshnikov, Medezinskaya Gazeta, December 1, 2005 (.pdf)

“Positive Employee” Yelena Dub, Postup, December 1, 2005 (.pdf)

“A Right To… The Right” Yelena Dub, Postup, December 1, 2005 (.pdf)

“Stop AIDS Series” Tatyana Fedyaeva, Narodnoe Radio, December 5, 2005 (.pdf)

“Stop AIDS Series” Tatyana Fedyaeva, Narodnoe Radio, December 21, 2005 (.pdf)

“Stop AIDS Series” Tatyana Fedyaeva, Narodnoe Radio, December 26, 2005 (.pdf)

“Wind From The North, Moderate To Strong” Vladimir Klyshnikov, Medezinskaya Gazeta, December 28, 2005 (.pdf)

The 2005 Kaiser/TPAA Journalism Fellows (.pdf)

“War On Drugs” Olena Dub, Postup Newspaper, July 11, 2005 (.pdf)

“Kids In Cages” Ada Gorbachyova, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, July 06, 2005 (.pdf)

“No Fool Like An Old Fool” Ada Gorbachyova, Kaliningrad, September 30, 2005 (.pdf)

“An Outreacher And Lolita” Vladimir Klyshnikov, Meditsinskaya Gazeta, July 6, 2005 (.pdf)

“Uncounted Vulnerability” Vladimir Klyshnikov, Meditsinskaia Gazeta, July 21, 2005 (.pdf)

“There Is No Such Thing As Green Feta Cheese!” Vladimir Klyshnikov, Meditsinskaia Gazeta, July 27, 2005 (.pdf)

“Lost Children” Olga Sedurina, Echo of Moscow, September 5, 2005 (.pdf)

“HIV/AIDS Close Up” Yuri Tishkov, Vechernij Krashoyarsk, June 27, 2005 (.pdf)

“Talk to America” Inna Dubinskaya, Voice of America, June 14, 2005

“You’ve got AIDS, And so we live” Yes! Magazine, February 2005

“Cosmo Against AIDS” Tatyana Hotenko, Cosmopolitan, Februrary 2005

“I Have Been HIV-Positive For Five Years” Alexandra Volina, Good Housekeeping, Februrary 2005

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Health Affairs Article: Comparing the Assets of Uninsured Households to Cost Sharing Under High Deductible Health Plans

Relatively few uninsured households have enough financial assets to cover the cost-sharing in consumer-driven health plans tied to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), according to this study by Kaiser Family Foundation researchers published as a Health Affairs Web Exclusive on April 15, 2008.

Consumer-driven plans generally require enrollees to pay for most health-care expenses themselves until they reach the plan’s relatively high deductible. At that point, the plan begins to pay at least some of the costs of additional health-care expenses. The plans also permit tax-free contributions to savings accounts that can be used to cover out-of-pocket costs, with unused funds rolling over from one year to the next.

The new study analyzes the asset levels of households with two or more uninsured members in 2004 and compares it to the range of cost-sharing features in HSA-qualified health plans in that year. Assets are an important consideration because low- and moderate-income families may not have adequate income to pay the potentially high cost-sharing under these policies and would have to dip into any savings to pay their bills.

Health Affairs article (abstract)

Health Affairs article (reprint)

This Medicare Part D Data Spotlight examines the variation in 2008 Part D plan coverage, cost sharing and utilization management tools for the 10 prescriptions most commonly used by Medicare beneficiaries, including treatments for cholesterol, cardiovascular health, osteoporosis, dementia, gastrointestinal reflux and ulcers.

It looks at data from the 47 stand-alone prescription drug plans available nationwide in 2008. This data spotlight is one in a series analyzing key aspects of the 2008 Medicare Part D prescription drug plan choices. The analysis was conducted jointed by Jack Hoadley of Georgetown University, Elizabeth Hargrave and Katie Merrell of NORC at the University of Chicago, and Juliette Cubanski of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Data Spotlight (.pdf)

This Medicare Part D Data Spotlight focuses on the availability of drug plans for beneficiaries receiving the Part D low-income subsidy in 2008 and changes since 2006.

It looks at data from the 47 stand-alone prescription drug plans available nationwide in 2008. This is one in a series analyzing key aspects of the 2008 Medicare Part D prescription drug plan choices. The analysis was conducted jointed by Jack Hoadley of Georgetown University, Elizabeth Hargrave of NORC at the University of Chicago, and Juliette Cubanski of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Data Spotlight (.pdf)

This synthesis of key findings from analysis presented in a series of eight Medicare Part D 2008 Data Spotlights describes key features of stand-alone prescription drug plans offered in 2008 and trends since 2006.

The synthesis covers a range of topics, including premiums, the coverage gap, benefit design, cost sharing, specialty tiers, formularies, utilization management, the top 10 brand-name prescription drugs, and the availability of low-income subsidy plans. The analysis was conducted jointed by Jack Hoadley of Georgetown University, Elizabeth Hargrave of NORC at the University of Chicago, and Juliette Cubanski and Tricia Neuman of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Data Spotlight (.pdf)

The National ADAP Monitoring Project Annual Report provides the latest data on state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs). ADAPs, part of the Ryan White Program, provide HIV medications to low-income people with HIV/AIDS who have limited or no prescription drug coverage. ADAPs operate in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories and associated jurisdictions.

The report, the 12th in an annual series, was released by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) at a policy forum on April 8, 2008.

Report:

Summary & Detailed Findings (.pdf)

Full Report (.pdf)

ADAP Formularies by State (.pdf)

Finally, it bears mentioning for organizations like Kaiser that do research and analysis and are committed to public education on complex health policy issues, that the kinds of activities that will be most useful will vary depending on what stage we are at on the “critical path.” At this early stage, education about the problems and the issues is critically important to establish the facts and dispel myths. What are the public’s concerns and experiences with the health care system? How do insecurities about health care affordability and coverage relate to growing economic worries? This is also the time to develop policy ideas that could be a basis for broader agreement in 2009. Later, when we get to a legislative debate in 2009, the details of health reform plans will become all important, as will the challenge of analyzing them and explaining what different plans and proposals could mean for average people. But the main point is simply this: We are only at the beginning of this debate, indeed the real debate has not yet begun, and there are key decision points — in effect different mini health reform debates — still to come.

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If there is a debate in the new Congress in 2009 about comprehensive health reform legislation, a major question is: Will there be an appetite for a bipartisan, centrist deal? No matter who is in the White House or what the margins are in the Senate, it is very unlikely that the deep divisions about how to reform our health care system between left and right will have been transformed enough to support passage of legislation that will entirely satisfy either liberals or conservatives. Health care’s ideological divide is too deep. It will therefore take a compromise somewhere in the middle, shading left if there is a Democratic president or more right if there is a Republican one, to get legislation passed, but there will be a centrist compromise or no compromise at all on health reform in 2009. Of course other challenges will present themselves as well. Health care’s famous interest groups will become active in the process. And the challenge of paying for expanding coverage, always a major hurdle, will be exacerbated by the pressure to balance the budget in what may still be a shaky or recovering economy.

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