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Viewpoints: 'Thrice-buried' Obamacare 'looks very much alive;' Ted Cruz 'gets an earful'

Back when rate shock, website problems and lagging enrollment were threatening to unravel the new health care law before it fully took effect, I concluded a column on Obamacare's repeated near-death experiences with the following warning to conservatives: ... What isn't killed outright grows stronger the longer it's embedded in the federal apparatus, gaining constituents and interest-group support just by virtue of its existence even if it doesn't work out the way it was designed. ... the serious right-of-center alternatives to Obamacare have always included policies to expand coverage, and with a coverage expansion accomplished, Republicans may find themselves effectively forced in a more serious direction. ... wherever they go and whatever they do, they will have to deal with the reality that Obamacare, thrice-buried, looks very much alive (Ross Douthat, 3/31).

2 Apr 2014

State roundup: Federal judge lets Ariz. abortion rules stand; Mich. Medicaid expands

News organizations report on health care developments in Arizona, California, Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia.

2 Apr 2014

Looking forward: How to judge the rollout; challenges to come

Following the official end of the enrollment season, some outlets turn their attention to the upcoming issues surrounding the law.

2 Apr 2014

Expensive hepatitis drug draws huge sales

The demand for Gilead Sciences' Sovaldi, which costs $1,000 a pill, indicates how hard it is for insurers to curb the use of life-saving medicines. Meanwhile Humana names a former Goldman Sachs executive as finance chief.

2 Apr 2014

Enrollment dramas ripple through the states

As the health overhaul's first open enrollment period drew to a close, states experienced triumphs as well as tribulations -- whether they were running their own websites or using the federal exchange.

2 Apr 2014

Dust settles as the health law's open enrollment period comes to a close

Though March 31 is increasingly viewed as a somewhat soft deadline, it's come and gone amidst last-day technical troubles. In its wake, lots of analysis and speculation about where the ultimate tally -- now estimated to have topped 7 million -- may fall, as well as how many of those new enrollees were previously uninsured and how many will pay their premiums.

2 Apr 2014

First Edition: April 1, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including an array of stories as the health law's enrollment period comes to a close

1 Apr 2014

Providing health insurance coverage to uninsured people does not result in reduced readmission rates

Boston-In a first of its kind retrospective study, Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers have found that providing health insurance coverage to previously uninsured people does not result in reducing 30-day readmission rates.

1 Apr 2014

Marketplace website goes offline briefly this morning

The site was down for maintenance after federal officials said that it had 2 million visits over the weekend.

1 Apr 2014

Utah's Medicaid efforts may pave route for other red states

Gov. Gary Herbert and aides have been meeting with federal officials to find a different option. Meanwhile, news outlets look at the Medicaid expansion battles in Virginia and Florida and Republican concerns in Illinois.

1 Apr 2014

Assessing the possible impact of Obamacare on Nov. elections

A variety of news organizations analyzed what might happen in the fall, because of political campaigns built around the health law.

1 Apr 2014

Patients with autoimmune disease have 3.8-fold increased risk of developing epilepsy

Patients with an autoimmune disease have a 3.8-fold increased risk of developing epilepsy, according to a new population-level study from Boston Children's Hospital based on health insurance claim data.

1 Apr 2014

Mobile phones with tobacco screening guidelines offer cessation counseling

Smartphones and tablets may hold the key to getting more clinicians to screen patients for tobacco use and advise smokers on how to quit. Even though tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., clinicians often don't ask about smoking during patient exams.

1 Apr 2014

Looking ahead at health law milestones

With open enrollment for 2014 set to formally close today, analysts note that it will take years to assess whether the health law succeeds at creating stable markets for those without employer-sponsored insurance. Several look at likely victories and hurdles.

1 Apr 2014

Americans' experience with health law depends on where they live

Some states that embraced the law, like Oregon, have had difficulty enrolling residents because of glitch-ridden online marketplaces, while others like New Hampshire have seen unexpectedly strong enrollments despite prevailing critical views.

31 Mar 2014

Artists benefit from health law, but rural residents may pay more

Self-employed Americans such as artists stand to gain under the health law, but rural residents may pay more for coverage because of the higher costs of delivering care in a sparsely populated area and the disproportionate number of older people. Other media outlets offer advice for consumers trying to make sense of the law.

31 Mar 2014

Bariatric surgery patients report better quality of life

A study by Cleveland Clinic researchers shows bariatric surgery is a highly effective and durable treatment for type 2 diabetes in obese patients, enabling nearly all surgical patients to be free of insulin and many to be free of all diabetic medications three years after surgery.

31 Mar 2014

First Edition: March 31, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations offer assessments of the administration's campaign to get people signed up for health care and a look at the issues going forward after today's deadline for most enrollments.

31 Mar 2014

Diabetic Ketoacidosis is disproportionately high among youth

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening but preventable condition, remains an important problem for youth with diabetes and their families. Diabetic ketoacidosis is due to a severe lack of insulin and it is often the presenting symptom of type 1 diabetes. It can also be present at the onset of type 2 diabetes.

31 Mar 2014