Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans' health care system, but it also affords an opportunity to address the serious flaws that plagued health care in New Orleans before the storm struck, researchers at the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured say in a paper published August 29 on the Health Affairs Web site. The Kaiser authors advocate transforming the way Louisiana finances health care for the poor and uninsured from a hospital-centric model to one in which dollars follow the patient. The paper also provides an in-depth overview of the effects of Katrina on New Orleans, the federal and state response to the storm, and the current state of health care in the city.

In a second Health Affairs Web Exclusive published August 29, Kathryn Hyer and coauthors say the deaths of nursing home residents that resulted from Hurricane Katrina illustrate the importance of integrating long-term care (LTC) facilities into the emergency planning process. Because those responsible for dealing with health care and medical services during emergencies have not recognized LTC facilities as medical entities, restoration of public utility services to these facilities has not been seen as a high priority, Hyer and coauthors say. Their article is based on results from a February 2006 meeting attended by representatives of the federal government and six states and sponsored by the Florida Health Care Association, a LTC industry trade group.

The September/October Health Affairs, to be released September 12, focuses on the policy issues surrounding biotechnology. These issues are taking on increasing importance as biotech company pipelines surge and products are approved by the Food and Drug Administration.