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Polls: Obama scores higher in trust on Medicare

A new Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found that 52 percent of the public trusts President Barack Obama over GOP presidential pick Mitt Romney to do a better job with Medicare's future, although young people were more receptive than seniors to GOP Medicare proposals. Meanwhile, a survey by AP-GfK found substantial belief in the widely challenged idea that the law includes "death panels."

28 Sep 2012

Politico: GOP budget plan in the red without Ryan cuts

Call it Paul Ryan's 0.5 percent solution. In a little-noticed but vital change last spring, the House Budget Committee chairman cut half a point from the annual growth rate he had allowed for Medicare spending.

28 Sep 2012

Extend Health announces availability of two free guides for seniors

Extend Health, operator of the nation's largest private Medicare exchange and a Towers Watson company, announced today the availability of two free guides designed to help seniors who are turning 65 - and becoming eligible for Medicare for the first time - navigate the complexity of their health care options to make informed choices about Medicare coverage.

28 Sep 2012

Easy steps to protect against spread of influenza

Flu season is here and Concentra is sharing some easy steps to protect against the spread of influenza, including seasonal flu vaccines available at all Concentra locations across the country. Concentra is a subsidiary of Humana Inc., one of the nation's leading health and well-being companies

27 Sep 2012

Assisted Living Federation of America launches Stop Alzheimer's Petition

Today the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) has launched the Stop Alzheimer's Petition, which urges the President of the United States and members of Congress to make preventing and effectively treating Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia a priority on Capitol Hill.

27 Sep 2012

Deficit continues to be test for Obama -- with debate about Medicare and Medicaid central to both campaigns

The New York Times reports that with the deficit over $1 trillion, President Barack Obama and GOP presidential pick Mitt Romney propose different prescriptions, especially regarding government health programs. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports on how health firms are preparing for possible election outcomes.

27 Sep 2012

First Edition: September 26, 2012

Today's headlines include a reports about a round of new polls sizing up the status of the presidential campaign as well as one from The Associated Press measuring public opinion about the implementation of the health law.

26 Sep 2012

Double-digit premium increases seen in popular Medicare drug plans

Seniors in seven of the 10 most popular Medicare drug plans will see marked premium increases for 2013 if they don't opt to change plans, according to an analysis by Avalere Health.

26 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: The 'real story' of Ryan at AARP; 'Get thee to an emergency room'

The headlines this weekend were all about the boos Paul Ryan elicited on Friday when he addressed the AARP, the self-styled seniors' lobby. The herd of independent media minds missed the real story, which is that the Republican Vice Presidential nominee went into the heart of the entitlement culture, told some hard truths, and even won applause for doing so.

26 Sep 2012

Roundup: Calif. mental hospitals released from fed oversight; Kansas hospitals cooperate to recruit rural docs; Va. abortion law questions

A U.S. District Court judge Monday released the state's mental hospitals from federal oversight on all but one issue -- a significant step in ending a costly six-year reform effort. The extensive court-supervised changes were imposed on four hospitals in 2006 as part of a settlement to a lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice. The department alleged that the state was violating patients' civil rights by heavily drugging and improperly restraining them and failing to provide appropriate treatment.

26 Sep 2012

First Edition: September 25, 2012

Today's headlines headlines include reports about a study that details accelerating health care spending.

25 Sep 2012

Health issues are hot topics on campaign trail

From their appearances Sunday night on CBS' 60 Minutes to their answers to questions about their proposals for Medicare, President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney draw stark differences in their visions.

25 Sep 2012

State roundup: Anthem dumps Cedars-Sinai, UCLA docs

Two of the most prestigious names in Southern California health care -- Cedars-Sinai and UCLA -- are getting shut out of a major insurance plan for being too expensive. In a bold cost-cutting move, Anthem Blue Cross has eliminated doctors affiliated with the hospitals from a health plan offered to about 60,000 employees and dependents at the cash-strapped city of Los Angeles.

25 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: How media missed Ryan AARP story; Romney and women voters; The price of medical mistakes

25 Sep 2012

Health Care REIT completes public offering of 29,900,000 shares of common stock

Health Care REIT, Inc. today announced it has successfully completed its public offering of 29,900,000 shares of common stock at a price of $56.00 per share for total gross proceeds of approximately $1.7 billion. Total shares sold includes 3,900,000 shares sold pursuant to the underwriters' exercise in full of their option to purchase additional shares.

25 Sep 2012

Lawmakers spar on Medicare Advantage plans

In a Capitol Hill hearing Friday, Republicans challenged the Obama administration's so-called Medicare Advantage "bonuses."

24 Sep 2012

Medicare takes center stage as president, Ryan address AARP

GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan's plan to overhaul Medicare returned to the political spotlight Friday as both presidential campaigns jabbed each other during a summit of the AARP, the country's top advocacy group for seniors. Both Ryan, who addressed the group in person, and President Obama, who spoke ahead of Ryan via a video feed ..., accused the other side of advancing ideas that would undermine and destroy the popular health-care program for the elderly and the disabled.

24 Sep 2012

Health law, Medicare both hot issues in House and Senate races

News outlets examine how health issues are playing out in a House race in Pennsylvania and a Senate race in Massachusetts.

21 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: AARP's agenda on health law; Cuccinelli 'demeaning' Va. AG's office; Government's health care role

President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak Friday via satellite to a convention sponsored by AARP. ... here are five facts you're unlikely to hear from the president, or AARP, about how each treats seniors: First, while AARP poses as a disinterested senior advocate, it functions as an insurance conglomerate, with a liberal lobbying arm on the side. AARP depends on profits, royalties and commissions to make up more than 50 percent of its annual revenues.

21 Sep 2012

USA Today/Gallup Poll shows Obama more trusted on Medicare

Other polls indicate President Barack Obama is faring well in some swing states. GOP nominee Mitt Romney's campaign hopes to shift the focus to federal spending and Medicare issues as Obama and GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan speak today to the AARP.

21 Sep 2012