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Texas congressional candidates will face off in Spanish debate, health policies among key issues

Texas' first congressional candidate debate in Spanish could help decide one of the closest races in the country. Incumbent Republican Rep. Francisco "Quico" Canseco, 63, a tea party conservative, will face challenger Pete Gallego, 50, a Democratic state representative, Tuesday night in an hourlong debate aired by Spanish-language network Univision.

27 Sep 2012

Study finds increase in number of total knee replacements among U.S. Medicare population

Total knee replacement is a very common and safe surgery that's used to relieve severe pain and disability caused by knee osteoarthritis, and to improve patients' quality of life. However, it's also very expensive at approximately $15,000 per procedure. With an estimated 600,000 total knee replacements performed annually in the United States, the aggregate annual cost for total knee replacement (also known as total knee arthroplasty or TKA) is $9 billion.

27 Sep 2012

Prime Healthcare Services purchases Dallas Medical Center

Prime Healthcare Services announced today that it has purchased Dallas Medical Center, located in Dallas, Texas.

27 Sep 2012

First Health, Stratose announce partnership

Stratose, a leader in healthcare cost containment services for medical, dental and workers' compensation claims, is pleased to announce their partnership with First Health.

27 Sep 2012

Deficit continues to be test for Obama -- with debate about Medicare and Medicaid central to both campaigns

The New York Times reports that with the deficit over $1 trillion, President Barack Obama and GOP presidential pick Mitt Romney propose different prescriptions, especially regarding government health programs. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports on how health firms are preparing for possible election outcomes.

27 Sep 2012

Political cartoon: 'Fourth And Goal'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Fourth And Goal" by Chris Weyant.

26 Sep 2012

First Edition: September 26, 2012

Today's headlines include a reports about a round of new polls sizing up the status of the presidential campaign as well as one from The Associated Press measuring public opinion about the implementation of the health law.

26 Sep 2012

New report: Population aging will have broad economic consequences for the U.S.

The aging of the U.S. population will have broad economic consequences for the country, particularly for federal programs that support the elderly, and its long-term effects on all generations will be mediated by how -- and how quickly -- the nation responds, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council.

26 Sep 2012

Medicare plans, policies draw analysis, voters' interest

News outlets report on how Medicare and other health policy issues will play in the presidential debates; on similarities and differences between the candidates' Medicare plans; and offer tips for reporters trying to cover this complicated issue.

26 Sep 2012

Double-digit premium increases seen in popular Medicare drug plans

Seniors in seven of the 10 most popular Medicare drug plans will see marked premium increases for 2013 if they don't opt to change plans, according to an analysis by Avalere Health.

26 Sep 2012

Obama administration warns hospitals on Medicare billing abuses

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder notified hospital trade groups Monday that they planned to prosecute providers that use electronic records to "game the system" by billing Medicare for more complicated care than they actually deliver.

26 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: The 'real story' of Ryan at AARP; 'Get thee to an emergency room'

The headlines this weekend were all about the boos Paul Ryan elicited on Friday when he addressed the AARP, the self-styled seniors' lobby. The herd of independent media minds missed the real story, which is that the Republican Vice Presidential nominee went into the heart of the entitlement culture, told some hard truths, and even won applause for doing so.

26 Sep 2012

Candidates, committees spend money and stand ground in House and Senate races

The Associated Press looks at competitive House races in New York, where Republicans are spending significant money to hold three seats held by freshmen. In the meantime, Todd Akin is standing his ground in his Senate race in Missouri.

26 Sep 2012

First Edition: September 25, 2012

Today's headlines headlines include reports about a study that details accelerating health care spending.

25 Sep 2012

Health issues are hot topics on campaign trail

From their appearances Sunday night on CBS' 60 Minutes to their answers to questions about their proposals for Medicare, President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney draw stark differences in their visions.

25 Sep 2012

AMGA to convene more than 600 participants at IQL 2012 Annual Conference

The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) is convening more than 600 participants, representing the leaders of the nation's preeminent healthcare provider organizations, at the IQL 2012 Annual Conference, October 3 - 5 at the Gaylord National Harbor Resort & Conference Center in National Harbor, MD.

25 Sep 2012

Health on the Hill: House Republicans attack Obama administration on Medicare Advantage

In this edition of Health on the Hill, Kaiser Health News' Mary Agnes Carey interviews CQ Roll Call's Emily Ethridge about last week's House Ways and Means health subcommittee hearing on the health law's cuts to the private Medicare Advantage program.

25 Sep 2012