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State highlights: Tenn. gov. hesitates on Medicaid expansion; Calif. primed for big 2014 health care ballot; abortion law fight in Texas rages on

Gov. Bill Haslam of Tennessee describes it as "trying to thread a needle from 80 yards." Mr. Haslam is only the latest Republican tailor trying to figure out whether to expand the state's Medicaid rolls as prescribed by President Obama's Affordable Care Act. In his case, it involves trying -- so far unsuccessfully -- to balance some sharply conflicting concerns: struggling hospitals, local business groups, dwindling state resources and fierce conservative opposition to the new health care law. And it has left him hanging out there, with no resolution in sight (Lyman, 11/16).

19 Nov 2013

Viewpoints: Obamacare has resisted death throes before; website success stories from 3 governors; health law taking a toll on choice of doctors in Medicare Advantage

The first time Obamacare seemed finished, doomed, doornail-dead, the voters of Massachusetts played the would-be executioner. In January 2010, they sent a pickup-driving Republican to the Senate to fill Ted Kennedy's seat, apparently depriving the health care bill of its crucial 60th vote and sending Democrats scrambling for a Plan B. ... the deeper force at work, the reason that these near-death experiences keep happening, isn't a website or a broken presidential promise. It's a problem inherent to contemporary liberalism, which is that liberals' proudest achievement, the modern welfare state, tends to resist, corrupt and baffle their efforts at comprehensive reform (Ross Douthat, 11/16).

19 Nov 2013

Pelosi downplays Democratic defections on health law

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., minimized reports of unrest within her caucus after 39 Democrats voted for a bill allowing insurers to sell plans for one more year that don't meet the health law's requirements.

19 Nov 2013

First Edition: November 18, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the political implications of the healthcare.gov difficulties as well continued coverage of reaction to President Barack Obama's policy cancellation fix.

18 Nov 2013

American Academy of Ophthalmology unveils comprehensive eye disease and condition patient database

The American Academy of Ophthalmology today unveiled the nation's first comprehensive eye disease and condition patient database. The IRIS Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight) made its debut in a presentation to 25,000 attendees during the opening session of the world's largest ophthalmic conference - the 117th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

18 Nov 2013

Health insurers leery about 'fix' to Obamacare woes

Top insurance industry executives met with the president on Friday and two spoke this morning, saying the rules change could create "problems."

18 Nov 2013

Cataract surgeries deliver 4,567% financial return on investment to society

Cataract surgeries performed over one year eventually save $123.4 billion over 13 years and delivers a 4,567 percent financial return on investment to society according to the results of a cost-utility study, published online today in the Academy's official journal, Ophthalmology, and will be presented on Nov. 17 at the world's largest ophthalmic conference, the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 117th Annual Meeting, in New Orleans. Researchers say that the results prove that healthcare interventions create substantial economic wealth.

16 Nov 2013

State highlights: Dispute over what doctors can say at Catholic hospital

A dispute between a Colorado cardiologist and a Catholic hospital over what he says is a ban on discussing abortion with patients, even when a pregnancy threatens a woman's life, is part of today's health policy roundup from Colorado and California.

16 Nov 2013

Research: Bariatric surgery significantly safer when performed at accredited center

Bariatric surgery is significantly safer when performed at an accredited center, according to new research* presented here at the 30th Annual Meeting for the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) during ObesityWeek 2013, the largest international event focused on the basic science, clinical application and prevention and treatment of obesity.

16 Nov 2013

First Edition: November 15, 2013

Today's headlines include range of stories examining the policy, marketplace and political dynamics in play as a result of President Barack Obama's move to stop the cancellation of insurance plans.

15 Nov 2013

Private or government-subsidized insurance plans determine weight loss after bariatric surgery

Researchers found the biggest determinant of weight loss after bariatric surgery was not how long a patient was on a medically supervised diet program before surgery, but whether or not the patient had private or government-subsidized insurance.

15 Nov 2013

Bariatric surgery safer when performed at accredited centers

Bariatric surgery is significantly safer when performed at an accredited center, according to new research presented here at the 30th Annual Meeting for the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery during ObesityWeek 2013, the largest international event focused on the basic science, clinical application and prevention and treatment of obesity. The event is hosted by the ASMBS and The Obesity Society.

15 Nov 2013

HHS health insurance enrollment figures far below targets

Only about a fourth of the enrollees signed up through the federal health exchange. The low initial sign up could set up a steep challenge for the health law.

15 Nov 2013

House oversight panel grills administration tech officials on website woes

The White House's chief technology officer, Todd Park, told the committee that teams are working aggressively to get the website functioning "for the vast majority" of consumers by the administration's Nov. 30 deadline. Meanwhile, a second panel heard testimony about website and security concerns.

15 Nov 2013

AdCare Health Systems third quarter 2013 revenues up 5%

AdCare Health Systems, Inc., a leading long-term care provider, reported results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2013.

15 Nov 2013

Kaiser Permanente to open doors to brand new specialty center in Lone Tree, Colorado

After years of planning, construction and preparation, Kaiser Permanente will open the doors to a brand new specialty center in Lone Tree on December 2nd. This is the largest construction project and the most significant addition to the health plan's brick-and-mortar presence in Colorado in nearly a decade.

15 Nov 2013

Rural residents have fewer choices for Medicare Advantage plans

A new analysis from HealthPocket examines enrollee options for Medicare Advantage plans and finds that rural residents have fewer plan choices, and higher premiums and out-of-pocket maximums than their non-rural counterparts.

15 Nov 2013

JAMA asks experts to examine 'critical issues' in health care

The Journal of the American Medical Association's current edition, published Tuesday, invited well-known health policy experts to comment on some of the big questions in their fields.

14 Nov 2013

Viewpoints: Some who supported health law learning first-hand about the downsides; small businesses not finding better deals; Clinton should know there is no 'magic solution'

Margaret Davis of West L.A. voted for President Obama and appreciates the ideas behind the Affordable Care Act. She agrees that everyone should have access to healthcare and no one should be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. But here's the problem: She knows firsthand, as the new law of the land rolls clumsily into being, that it's not working out to everyone's advantage (Steve Lopez, 11/12).

14 Nov 2013

New center launched to increase efficacy, reduce costs at four health care providers across Indiana

In response to rising national health care costs, the Indiana University School of Medicine and Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute have launched a new center to increase efficacy and reduce costs at four major health care providers across Indiana.

14 Nov 2013

Medicare News and Research

State highlights: Tenn. gov. hesitates on Medicaid expansion; Calif. primed for big 2014 health care ballot; abortion law fight in Texas rages on

Viewpoints: Obamacare has resisted death throes before; website success stories from 3 governors; health law taking a toll on choice of doctors in Medicare Advantage

Pelosi downplays Democratic defections on health law

First Edition: November 18, 2013

American Academy of Ophthalmology unveils comprehensive eye disease and condition patient database

Health insurers leery about 'fix' to Obamacare woes

Cataract surgeries deliver 4,567% financial return on investment to society

State highlights: Dispute over what doctors can say at Catholic hospital

Research: Bariatric surgery significantly safer when performed at accredited center

First Edition: November 15, 2013

Private or government-subsidized insurance plans determine weight loss after bariatric surgery

Bariatric surgery safer when performed at accredited centers

HHS health insurance enrollment figures far below targets

House oversight panel grills administration tech officials on website woes

AdCare Health Systems third quarter 2013 revenues up 5%

Kaiser Permanente to open doors to brand new specialty center in Lone Tree, Colorado

Rural residents have fewer choices for Medicare Advantage plans

JAMA asks experts to examine 'critical issues' in health care

Viewpoints: Some who supported health law learning first-hand about the downsides; small businesses not finding better deals; Clinton should know there is no 'magic solution'

New center launched to increase efficacy, reduce costs at four health care providers across Indiana

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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