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Mo. Senate candidate blasted for comments on rape

Republican Rep. Todd Akin, who is challenging Sen. Claire McCaskill, suggested in a TV interview that some rapes are "legitimate" and women can shut down a pregnancy from such an attack.

20 Aug 2012

Appeals court dismisses challenge to doctor-owned hospital expansion limit in health law

An appeals court has dismissed a challenge to a part of the health law that limits expansion of doctor-owned hospitals on grounds that a lower court that issued an earlier ruling didn't have jurisdiction in the case.

20 Aug 2012

Political cartoon: 'A Little Extra Slice?'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "A Little Extra Slice?" by Jerry King.

20 Aug 2012

Ryan's positions on women's issues becomes campaign target

Politico reports on how Rep. Paul Ryan's record on reproductive issues -- including co-sponosring a "personhood amendment" that would declare a fertilized egg to be a person, and voting to defund Planned Parenthood -- could widen President Barack Obama's lead among women. Meanwhile, a controversial comment about rape by a GOP candidate running for Senate in Missouri has stirred anger and angst.

20 Aug 2012

Happtique introduces mRx solution for electronically prescribing medical apps

Happtique, a mobile health application store and total app management solution, today announced the commencement of its pilot program of mRx, Happtique's patent-pending solution that enables physicians and other health practitioners to electronically prescribe medical, health, and fitness apps to their patients.

20 Aug 2012

Aetna to buy Coventry Health for $5.7B

Aetna is joining the post-health law insurer purchasing fray and buying Coventry Health for a proposed $5.7 billion to increase its Medicaid business.

20 Aug 2012

Clash over Medicaid opt-in

The three governors, whose states have among the highest uninsured populations and some of the most limited Medicaid programs in the country, say their states can't afford Medicaid expansion and don't want the federal government interfering with their programs.

20 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

First Edition: August 20, 2012

Today's headlines focus on how the Medicare story is continuing to unfold on the presidential campaign trail.

20 Aug 2012

Obama, Ryan make pitches for Medicare plans

After several days in which he mentioned only generalities on the campaign trail, Representative Paul D. Ryan sought on Saturday to play offense on Medicare, attacking in detail President Obama's health care plan, seizing an issue that has the potential to be one of Mr. Ryan's biggest liabilities in joining the Republican presidential ticket.

20 Aug 2012

CDC: Baby boomers should be tested for Hep C

Americans born between 1945 and 1965 are at particularly high risk for Hepatitis C and should be tested, according to new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

18 Aug 2012

For hospitals, the rush is not on to become an ACO

According to a Commonwealth Fund report, only about 13 percent of hospitals surveyed are participating or planning to participate in an accountable care organizations.

18 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

USAID blog examines structural issues fueling HIV epidemic

"During the recent International XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, D.C., exciting breakthroughs in HIV prevention, treatment, and care -- even a possible cure -- took center stage," but, "despite recent advances, many men and women remain at risk of HIV as a result of structural issues that fuel and have an impact on the epidemic," Molly Fitzgerald, technical advisor for AIDSTAR-One, writes in this post in USAID's "Impact Blog."

18 Aug 2012

Democrats unleash Medicare attack ads in congressional races

Ads from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee are being run against Rep. Dan Benishek of Michigan and North Carolina state Sen. David Rouzer, the Republican opponent of Rep. Mike McIntyre.

18 Aug 2012

Moody's, Standard & Poor's offer health industry perspectives

Moody's gave American not-for-profit health care sector a negative outlook because of uncertainly surrounding funding for federal health programs and gridlock surrounding the health law. But the S & P notes that revenue for Medicare and commercial insurers grew over the year that ended in June.

18 Aug 2012

Polls: Opposition to changing Medicare cuts across party lines

Two polls, one conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, and another conducted by KFF and the Washington Post, find that a majority of Republicans and Democrats oppose plans to cut Medicare benefits or transform the program into a "definied-contribution" model.

18 Aug 2012

Outcome of governors' races will impact the health law's reach

Politico Pro reports that if power shifts to the right the implementation of the health law could be minimized.

18 Aug 2012

Study finds 'alarming patterns' of tobacco use in developing countries

"Two fifths of men in developing countries still smoke or use tobacco, and women are increasingly starting to smoke at younger ages, according to a large international study which found 'alarming patterns' of tobacco use," Reuters reports.

18 Aug 2012

U.N. calls for more aids to reach 2.5M people affected by conflict in Syria

"Some 2.5 million people face destitution in Syria as fighting grows ever more intense in populated areas, the United Nations top relief official said Thursday, calling on the Government and donors to facilitate more aid through non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the ground," the U.N. News Centre reports.

18 Aug 2012