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Christie says Romney would tell 'hard truths'

Republican keynote address lays "the foundation for calls" by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to change Medicare, Wall Street Journal reports.

30 Aug 2012

Judge rewords Mo. health insurance exchange ballot measure

A judge has reworded a ballot measure that would require that state's governor to seek legislative or voter approval before establishing a health insurance exchange over charges that the secretary of state's ballot language was misleading.

30 Aug 2012

Viewpoints: Clarity needed on GOP health plan; Blaming the poor

As soon as he moves into the White House, Mitt Romney promises, he will demand that Congress repeal the health care reform law that is President Barack Obama's signature achievement. Far less clear is how Romney and Republicans in Congress would replace the Affordable Care Act. That is a critical question for Florida, which has nearly 4 million uninsured residents and has failed to develop its own solution.

30 Aug 2012

Ryan makes his pitch to voters tonight

The 42-year-old Wisconsin representative will be making the case that he is ready to be vice president, and may highlight aspects of his budget plans, which would revamp both Medicare and Medicaid.

30 Aug 2012

Obama clings to narrow lead in new polls

But recent surveys also indicate that despite speculation that Medicare policies may cause seniors to rebuff the Republican party, GOP presumptive nominee Mitt Romney continues to find strong support among this population.

29 Aug 2012

Genetic investigation of tribes may explain why East Asians have lower skin cancer rates

Genetic investigation of a Malaysian tribe may tell scientists why East Asians have light skin but lower skin cancer rates than Europeans, according to a team of international researchers. Understanding the differences could lead to a better way to protect people from skin cancer.

29 Aug 2012

Boehner predicts GOP victory, but not a mandate to overhaul Medicare

At a lunch with reporters, Mr. Boehner said that the nation's dire fiscal position, driven by health care spending, would confront Washington next year "regardless of who wins the election." But he was cautious about predicting a mandate for the House Republican plan to end the government guarantee for Medicare, replacing the program with fixed contributions that older Americans would use to buy private health insurance or pay into the government plan.

29 Aug 2012

Obama, Romney trade more Medicare barbs

President Barack Obama went on the Medicare attack, using his weekly address to challenge Republican charges that he cut Medicare. Obama also launched a new ad saying that the Romney-Ryan ticket would end Medicare as it exists today. But the Romney campaign has Medicare messages of its own.

28 Aug 2012

Poll: Economy trumps Medicare, women's health issues

As delegates to the Republican National Convention gather in Tampa, a new poll finds GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama neck-and-neck. Romney will use the week to introduce himself to American voters, but news outlets warn against expecting much substantive policy to emerge from the speeches.

28 Aug 2012

Mergers, acquisitions and new affiliations change roles for insurers, providers

But something had changed: his cardiologist's practice had been bought by Renown Health, a local hospital system. Dr. Hubbard was caught up in a structural shift that is sweeping through health care in the U.S. -- hospitals are increasingly acquiring private physician practices. Hospitals say the acquisitions will make health care more efficient. But the phenomenon, in some cases, also is having another effect: higher prices.

28 Aug 2012

Views on Medicare: Rep. Kathy Hochul's campaign; Ryan's vision; Wyden's role

Kathy Hochul is a young, first-term Democratic congresswoman fighting for her political life in a solidly Republican district outside Buffalo, N.Y. Unlike most of that liberal state, this is Romney country; a poll last week showed the GOP candidate ahead of President Obama in her district by a whopping 12 points.

28 Aug 2012

Official predicts consequences for Ala. Medicaid if voters don't OK emergency funds

The Associated Press reports that the official running Alabama's Medicaid program finances says if voters there don't approve funding the program with more than $437 million from the state's trust fund, the resulting large cuts could jeopardize medical care for the poor.

28 Aug 2012

Being physically fit also increases the chances of aging healthily

Being physically fit during your 30s, 40s, and 50s not only helps extend lifespan, but it also increases the chances of aging healthily, free from chronic illness, investigators at UT Southwestern Medical Center and The Cooper Institute have found.

28 Aug 2012

First Edition: August 27, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about this week's GOP convention, the politics of Medicare and abortion, and the latest health policy news from the states.

27 Aug 2012

Medicare, health policies stay in spotlight at top of the ticket

The Washington Post compares how Medicare fares under the health law versus under the Ryan plan, while NBC questions whether the GOP effort to hammer President Obama for reducing Medicare spending to pay for the health overhaul will work -- especially since GOP budget proposals make the same cuts.

27 Aug 2012

Viewpoints: Romney in WSJ column offers lessons from Bain; Ryan's ideological vote against curbing the deficit

My presidency would make it easier for entrepreneurs and small businesses to get the investment dollars they need to grow, by reducing and simplifying taxes; replacing Obamacare with real health-care reform that contains costs and improves care; and by stemming the flood of new regulations that are tying small businesses in knots.

26 Aug 2012

Roundup: Rate regulation on Calif.'s 2014 ballot; Ga. state workers facing health premium hike; Kan. Medicaid overhaul recruiting providers

An initiative that would bring health insurance rate regulation to California has qualified for the November 2014 ballot, setting the stage for a vigorous and costly battle between insurers and consumer groups. The measure, sponsored by Consumer Watchdog, would give the state insurance commissioner the power to deny certain premium increases if they are deemed excessive.

26 Aug 2012

Few state laws restricting abortion make exceptions for rape victims

Politico Pro examines state abortion laws and finds few waivers for rape victims. Also, California lawmakers spar over rape comments made by Missouri Republican Rep. Todd Akin.

24 Aug 2012

On campaign trail, polls and politics swirl around Medicare, abortion debates

A New York Times/CBS News/Quinnipiac poll finds that even in the midst of the Medicare debate, presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney appears to have gained ground in Florida and other swing states.

24 Aug 2012

First Edition: August 24, 2012

Now on Kaiser Health News blog, KUHF's Carrie Feibel, working in partnership with KHN and NPR, reports: "When Ashley Beecher had her first daughter, nursing was a struggle, and she sometimes had to supplement her baby's diet with formula. But when she had her second daughter in January, it was a very different story. … Beecher was reluctant to throw away the milk – mothers and doctors call it 'liquid gold' because of its health benefits - so she was excited to find out about the donor milk bank at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston."

24 Aug 2012