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Viewpoints: NYT's Kristof on the death of his friend; Obama, Romney fight for women

I wrote in my last column about my uninsured college roommate, Scott Androes, and his battle with Stage 4 prostate cancer - and a dysfunctional American health care system. I was taken aback by how many readers were savagely unsympathetic. "Your friend made a foolish choice, and actions have consequences," one reader said in a Twitter message.

19 Oct 2012

Lack of 'fiscal cliff' talk offers proof that the urgent issue is frozen until after election

The fact that House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and President Barack Obama have not discussed looming automatic spending cuts leads this roundup of Capitol Hill news.

19 Oct 2012

Okla. lawsuit provides first test of legal arguments against health law's insurance exchanges

Some of the lawsuit's backers maintain that last summer's Supreme Court health law decision would not be the "law's last trip" to the high court.

19 Oct 2012

Roundup: Ore. lawmakers petition for separate dental care; Docs failing to check drug registry in Colo.

The state is inviting public comment on how dentists fit with reforms of the Oregon Health Plan. Last week, two lawmakers and a dental executive submitted a petition to the Oregon Health Authority asking that dental care remain separate until 2017 from the state's new coordinated care organizations (CCOs), provider networks set up to integrate services, manage spending and reward prevention in the care of low-income members of the Medicaid-funded system.

19 Oct 2012

In second face-off, Obama and Romney rumble over a range of issues

News outlets examine how each candidate fared in Tuesday night's town-hall style debate. In general, many media sources note how little discussion surrounded issues related to Medicare and the health law.

19 Oct 2012

Swing state highlights: Medicare steals spotlights in congressional campaign ads, debates

KHN's Sarah Barr samples political coverage each week from swing states to see how health policy developments, and other political issues, are playing.

19 Oct 2012

Roundup: Mass. launches information exchange; Ga. fight brews over new prompt-pay rule

Massachusetts on Tuesday launched a statewide health information exchange that will allow health care providers to share electronic health information as they seek to improve coordination of care, lower costs and increase patient safety. Gov. Deval Patrick successfully sent his health data from 907-bed Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to 659-bed Baystate Medical Center in Springfield as part of the launch.

19 Oct 2012

Viewpoints: 'Scrappy' debate offered little new on entitlement programs; Staring down the fiscal cliff

President Obama and Mitt Romney faced off Tuesday night in a scrappy, at times downright nasty town-hall debate that featured a feistier, more focused Obama than was seen in their first encounter and that broadened the discussion to social issues such as immigration, contraceptive coverage and gun control. ... In the end, on the domestic front, the debate performance of both has been about as disappointing as their dodging on the campaign trail.

19 Oct 2012

First Edition: October 18, 2012

Today's headlines include resports about how the presidential candidates are crafting messages on women's health issues in order to appeal to female voters.

18 Oct 2012

How health care is playing up and down the ballot

The Medicare question is echoing from the top of the ticket into the Florida Senate race between Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson and challenger Connie Mack.

18 Oct 2012

Social Security payments to rise 1.7% but higher Medicare premium may offset increase

The average senior will get about $21 more per month, but federal officials note that some of that will be needed to cover the increase in Medicare premiums, which will be announced next month.

18 Oct 2012

Hill staffers predict deal to prevent cuts to Medicare physician payments

At an event Tuesday, staffers from both sides of the aisle predicted that a "doc fix" agreement would be reached to prevent large scheduled cuts from kicking in.

18 Oct 2012

Health law regs moving slowly in advance of election

CQ HealthBeat reports that the Office of Management and Budget has no updates on its website for at least a half-dozen pending regulations related to insurance exchanges and essential benefits.

18 Oct 2012

Calif.'s top health care official says state could dump health plan for kids and maintain quality care

California's top health official said Tuesday that she thinks the state can end a health care program for low-income children without disrupting their care.

18 Oct 2012

Study: 3 in 10 kidney transplant patients require readmission to hospital within 30 days of discharge

Three in 10 patients receiving a kidney transplant require readmission to the hospital within 30 days of discharge following surgery, according to a Johns Hopkins analysis of six years of national data.

17 Oct 2012

Behind the campaign frenzy, big issues at stake in presidential election

Substantively, any agreement in Congress, which opens a week after the election, could define the terms for how Mr. Obama and lawmakers move next year on efforts to contain the long-term costs of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, the programs that are driving forecasts of unsustainable debt. And it would determine how much money is available to address Mr. Obama's priorities like education, energy and health care through his term.

17 Oct 2012

Study: Premium support plan could raise seniors' costs in many areas of country

A Kaiser Family Foundation study released Monday found that almost six in 10 Medicare beneficiaries would pay higher premiums under a hypothetical privatized system similar to that proposed by GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

17 Oct 2012

UnitedHealth's profit jumps 23 percent in third quarter

The raised profit forecast for the nation's largest insurer was attributed to big enrollment boosts in the company's Medicare and Medicaid plans, even as medical costs remained stable despite an improved economy.

17 Oct 2012

Polls: Contraception, abortion, health cuts, Medicare factor in to voters' decision-making

A new round of polls show that GOP presidential pick Mitt Romney is closing the gap with President Barack Obama in the fight for women's votes.

17 Oct 2012

Viewpoints: Two views of Romney/Ryan victory impact on abortion; Unmarried women gain electoral clout

It is no secret that Mitt Romney and his running-mate, Representative Paul Ryan, are opponents of abortion rights. ... They would depart slightly from the extremist Republican Party platform by allowing narrow exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the woman. Beyond that, they would move to take away a fundamental right that American women have had for nearly 40 years.

17 Oct 2012

Medicare News and Research

Viewpoints: NYT's Kristof on the death of his friend; Obama, Romney fight for women

Lack of 'fiscal cliff' talk offers proof that the urgent issue is frozen until after election

Okla. lawsuit provides first test of legal arguments against health law's insurance exchanges

Roundup: Ore. lawmakers petition for separate dental care; Docs failing to check drug registry in Colo.

In second face-off, Obama and Romney rumble over a range of issues

Swing state highlights: Medicare steals spotlights in congressional campaign ads, debates

Roundup: Mass. launches information exchange; Ga. fight brews over new prompt-pay rule

Viewpoints: 'Scrappy' debate offered little new on entitlement programs; Staring down the fiscal cliff

First Edition: October 18, 2012

How health care is playing up and down the ballot

Social Security payments to rise 1.7% but higher Medicare premium may offset increase

Hill staffers predict deal to prevent cuts to Medicare physician payments

Health law regs moving slowly in advance of election

Calif.'s top health care official says state could dump health plan for kids and maintain quality care

Study: 3 in 10 kidney transplant patients require readmission to hospital within 30 days of discharge

Behind the campaign frenzy, big issues at stake in presidential election

Study: Premium support plan could raise seniors' costs in many areas of country

UnitedHealth's profit jumps 23 percent in third quarter

Polls: Contraception, abortion, health cuts, Medicare factor in to voters' decision-making

Viewpoints: Two views of Romney/Ryan victory impact on abortion; Unmarried women gain electoral clout

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