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Stanford Medical School comment on Supreme Court ruling on health-care reform law

Today’s Supreme Court ruling on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 advances the broad effort to extend health-care coverage and control medical costs, though it raises questions about how certain provisions of the policy will be implemented, Stanford University School of Medicine experts said. Here are some initial comments on the court’s landmark decision.

29 Jun 2012

Massive study outlines success for assisted reproductive technology

A groundbreaking study of nearly 250,000 U.S. women reveals live birth rates approaching natural fertility can be achieved using assisted reproductive technology, where eggs are removed from a woman's ovaries, combined with sperm and then returned to the woman's body.

29 Jun 2012

Roundup: Sole abortion clinic in Miss. sues over new law, Kansas awards Medicaid managed care contracts

The lone abortion facility in Mississippi asked a federal court on Wednesday to block a new state law that will require doctors who perform the controversial procedure to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. The law, set to take effect on Sunday, threatens to make Mississippi the only U.S. state without an abortion clinic.

29 Jun 2012

AHF urges Gilead to set initial price on latest HIV/AIDS drug combination

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) announced that California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer has sent a letter to California-based drug company, Gilead Sciences, Inc. urging the company to set an initial price on its latest HIV/AIDS drug combination—which is known as the 'Quad'—that is "…sensitive to ongoing state budget difficulties," and which will also "…provide the means to keep people with HIV/AIDS alive and as healthy as possible."

28 Jun 2012

First Edition: June 28, 2012

Today's headlines set the scene for the much-anticipated Supreme Court health law decision, expected out later this morning.

28 Jun 2012

Hatch overcomes primary challenge

The veteran Utah senator campaigned heavily on his seniority and experience, maintaining that they put him in a powerful position to work on issues related to deficit spending and health care costs. Meanwhile, a Missouri candidate is being hammered over his stance on the insurance mandate.

28 Jun 2012

California plan to move 880,000 children into Medi-Cal met with skepticism

A budget plan to save money by moving thousands of children into the Medicaid program is scrutinized while legislators scramble to draft companion legislation to implement the budget.

28 Jun 2012

The ruling's possible market repurcussions

The uncertainty surrounding the fate of the health law has triggered a guessing game by some investors.

28 Jun 2012

TTU researchers’ Romneycare results now available in Health Care Management Review

With the U.S. Supreme Court decision looming on the fate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) - informally known as Obamacare - two Texas Tech University researchers and a former colleague have published research that shows a similar plan implemented by Mitt Romney in Massachusetts did not work well for hospital productivity in the short term.

28 Jun 2012

Decision anticipation: Everyone is looking for clues, and making plans for what comes next

News outlets are examining the high court's decisions earlier this week to find signals of what to expect in tomorrow's health law decision. Meanwhile, the White House, congressional Democrats and Republicans, lobbyists, and even the general public offer glimpses of their views.

28 Jun 2012

Roundup: Conn. budget chair threatens governor on health care cuts; Report faults Pa. on Medicaid monitoring

The House chairwoman of the legislature's budget panel threatened Tuesday to scuttle new restrictions on health care for the poor sought by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's administration after learning patients were warned of changes before they had been enacted. Rep. Toni Walker, D-New Haven, who not only co-chairs the Appropriations Committee, but also an advisory panel conducting a hearing Tuesday on the changes, charged the Department of Social Services with overstepping its bounds.

28 Jun 2012

California selects Accenture to implement CalHEERS

Accenture has been selected by the State of California, following a competitive bid process, to implement a statewide health insurance exchange, the California Healthcare Enrollment, Eligibility and Retention System (CalHEERS).

28 Jun 2012

First Edition: June 27, 2012

Today's headlines include stories previewing the market, policy and political implications of the Supreme Court' health ruling, which is due out on Thursday.

27 Jun 2012

How far will the ruling reach?

What the Supreme Court decides will impact the billions of dollars that have already been spent to implement the measure, as well as consumers, employers, small businesses, the health care industry, the insurance marketplace, and, of course, politics and K Street.

27 Jun 2012

Women more likely to support health insurance requirements than men

As the Supreme Court prepares to issue its ruling on Thursday, Americans are divided along party, ideology and gender lines on a key provision of the healthcare law. A new National Agenda Opinion Poll by the University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication reveals women are significantly more likely to support health insurance requirements than men.

27 Jun 2012

First Edition: June 26, 2012

Today's headlines include reports setting the scene for Thursday's Supreme Court decision that will determine the health law's future.

26 Jun 2012

Congressional eyes focused on the high court

Depending on how the decision shakes out, funding provided for the health law would be fair game during a time marked by difficult budget choices. Meanwhile, the GOP stays steady on its pledge to repeal the health law, or whatever remains of it.

26 Jun 2012

States offer test kitchen for health law theme of coverage expansion

Some state programs will continue, regardless of the high court's finding. Still, the various Supreme Court scenarios that could play out would cause some rethinking of state-level reform approaches.

26 Jun 2012

What happens after the court decides?

Heartbreak at the White House? More debate? The contingency plans? News reports include speculation about the policy and political impact of the high court's decision. Also, examinations have already begun regarding what could have been done differently.

26 Jun 2012

Awaiting a court decision: Would consumers love the law if they suddenly lose it?; The market can fix health care

I still harbor the perhaps naïve hope that some conservative justices -- Anthony Kennedy? John Roberts? - will pull back from judicial activism and allow the voters to decide the fate of the health-care law in this fall's elections. And here is where the court's reintroduction of the health-care issue into the political debate could be turned into a blessing by allies of reform, provided they take advantage of the opportunity to do what they have never done adequately up to now. They need, finally, to describe and defend the law and what it does.

26 Jun 2012