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Viewpoints: Looking beyond the court's eventual decision

Speculation about the likely death of "Obamacare" has raged ever since the Supreme Court heard three intense days of legal arguments in March. The pundits have crowed about how the individual mandate is the Achilles' heel of President Obama's healthcare law (Theda Skocpol and Lawrence R. Jacobs, 6/20).

22 Jun 2012

London family planning summit 'must be about enabling women to choose'

"As the London family planning summit looms closer, the debate begins over how much money is needed, what it should pay for and whether the fundamentally important issues of women's reproductive rights will be addressed," Sarah Boseley, health editor of the Guardian, writes in her "Global Health Blog."

22 Jun 2012

States wonder: What happens to us after health law ruling?

States are anxiously considering the effect of the pending court decision. In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott says his state will comply with the health law if it is upheld. And in California, officials and lawmakers worry over what a ruling could mean for plans to institute consumer protections.

22 Jun 2012

Supreme Court spotlight: What Medicaid changes might result from the ruling?

There is a lot at stake for Medicaid's future, as the court weighs a challenge to the program's expansion. Some states, though, pledge to move forward regardless of the decision.

22 Jun 2012

Research funding in sub-Saharan Africa needs to 'reflect true disease burden'

With the disease burden of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria expected to make up less than 15 percent of the total disease burden in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by 2030, and non-communicable diseases to account for nearly 40 percent of the total in the region, "[a] revision of the approach to research and health care in SSA is therefore urgently needed, but international donors and health communities have generally been slow to respond to the changing environment."

22 Jun 2012

Some small businesses frustrated by health insurance tax-credit rules

The Wall Street Journal reports on how the health law's small business tax credit is working, while The Washington Post examines insurance rebates to consumers.

22 Jun 2012

Addressing the need for a new global roadmap for reducing child mortality

"In mid-June, representatives of 80 governments, the private sector, NGOs, civil society and faith-based organizations met to launch the Child Survival Call to Action: a sustained, global effort to lower child mortality rates, especially in high-risk countries," a VOA editorial reports.

22 Jun 2012

Reproductive health advocates react to Rio+20 draft document in opinion piece, blog

Representatives meeting at the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday "announced that they have reached an agreement [.pdf] on the outcome document," the U.N. News Centre reports.

22 Jun 2012

First Edition: June 22, 2012

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, Roni Caryn Rabin writes: "They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the problem of the uninsured is no exception. The Houston metropolitan area has one of the highest rates of uninsured people in America, and a health safety net imploding under the demands of too many people and too few resources.

22 Jun 2012

Some Republicans shy away from prevailing GOP view on Medicare, budget

The Los Angeles Times reports that some Republican lawmakers have "economic visions" that are different from the budget plan advanced by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and embraced by GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney.

22 Jun 2012

New report tallies death rates among people who lack health insurance

The report, released by Families USA, concluded that each year more than 26,000 working-age U.S. adults die prematurely because they lack health insurance.

22 Jun 2012

N.C. budget includes additional funds for Medicaid; KanCare plan triggers nerves

Medicaid spending and revamp plans being advanced in various states are drawing headlines and public scrutiny.

22 Jun 2012

Hospitals attract investors' attention

Such construction plans are just one example of how publicly traded U.S. hospital chains are preparing for a new era in healthcare. In many cases, operators like Community Health and Health Management Associates Inc are becoming turnaround strategists, taking over struggling nonprofit community hospitals for bargain prices and investing in new technology for the promise of a new revenue stream.

22 Jun 2012

Using Medicare data to curb Medicaid fraud

Projects are underway to make Medicare data more useful to states in an effort to keep fraudulent providers out of their respective Medicaid programs.

22 Jun 2012

Guardian blog profiles work of Brazilian family planning organization

"In the 1990s, when the U.S. shifted its aid policy away from family planning, and from Latin America, the Brazilian NGO Bemfam found itself with a yearly funding hole of $2 million," the Guardian's "Poverty Matters Blog" reports in a profile of the NGO and family planning in Brazil.

22 Jun 2012

State roundup: Mass. grapples with EHR privacy issues

Providers in separate networks are preparing to share patients' records more widely online -- to better coordinate care and cut wasteful spending. This will probably intensify the debate about what should and should not be shared, as well as fears about the unauthorized release of patient information.

22 Jun 2012

Ads take issue with health law

News outlets report on various ad campaigns designed to criticize the Democrats' health law.

22 Jun 2012

Analyzing the court's possible impact

Consumers, small businesses and even the health insurance marketplace will face significant ramifications depending on how the court rules.

22 Jun 2012

IU gastroenterologist develops first guidelines for diagnosis and management of NAFLD

An Indiana University School of Medicine gastroenterologist led a team of distinguished physicians who developed the first guidelines for diagnosis and management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

22 Jun 2012

U.N. agencies renew commitment to REACH initiative to combat child hunger, malnutrition

"United Nations agencies on Wednesday stressed the need to tackle child hunger and undernutrition in the pursuit of sustainable development, highlighting a joint initiative that offers practical and effective approaches to combat this problem in the most affected countries," the U.N. News Centre reports.

22 Jun 2012