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OpEds: Health reform repeal; CBO's numbers; Reviving public option?

[A]s a political matter, an outright repeal isn't really a winner. Most Americans dislike the law, but few are gunning to do away with it altogether. They don't like its mandates and costs, but they'd prefer to see a scaled down law that still provides more access to health care. Republicans run the risk of overreaching on this, as Democrats did in pushing a vast expansion of government into the health care field.

10 Jan 2011

Watson receives FDA approval for generic Fentora

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., has received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Fentanyl Buccal tablets, USP, in the 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mg strengths, the generic equivalent to Cephalon's Fentora ® tablets.

10 Jan 2011

Hospice of Michigan offers toolkit to help people on end-of-life decision making and planning

Hospice of Michigan offers a complete toolkit to empower individuals and families to take control of end-of-life decision making and planning. The free resource is the www.haveyouhadthetalk.org website from which a toolkit can be downloaded and printed for free.

10 Jan 2011

Colorectal cancer screening disparities in certain regions

Individuals from certain areas of the United States are more likely to get screened for colorectal cancer than those from other areas, particularly when comparing non-whites living in different parts of the country. That is the conclusion of a new study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Additional research is needed to better understand how colorectal cancer screening disparities develop in some regions and not in others.

10 Jan 2011

New lab-on-a-chip technology detects protein in blood less than 30 minutes

While most blood tests require shipping a vial of blood to a laboratory for analysis and waiting several days for the results, a new device invented by a team of engineers and students at the University of Rhode Island uses just a pinprick of blood in a portable device that provides results in less than 30 minutes.

10 Jan 2011

CBO analysis estimates health overhaul repeal price tag to be $230 billion

With the CBO findings, GOP efforts to undo the health law and claim the mantle of fiscal responsibility took a hit. Democrats immediately pounced on the cost estimate as new ammunition in an ongoing battle. But Republican leaders dismissed the document, saying it is a "job-killing" measure that would add to the nation's debt and instead pointed to a report of their own.

7 Jan 2011

Today's Opinions: Brooks, Reich, Fund, Cook on repeal; End-of-life care controversy continues

The health care reform law was signed 10 months ago, and what's striking now is how vulnerable it looks. Several threats have emerged — some of them scarcely discussed before passage — that together or alone could seriously endanger the new system. ... After the trauma of the last two years, many people wish the issue would go away. But it's not going away, especially since costs will continue to rise. (David Brooks, 1/6).

7 Jan 2011

First Edition: January 16, 2011

Today's headlines include news about public opinion regarding the GOP health law repeal effort.

7 Jan 2011

Regular blood test shows pre-diabetes risk factors, reduces treatment costs

A simpler form of testing individuals with risk factors for diabetes could improve diabetes prevention efforts by substantially increasing the number of individuals who complete testing and learn whether or not they are likely to develop diabetes.

7 Jan 2011

Today's Opinions: Views of the health law from Rove, Bachmann, Kondracke

A primary task for the new Republican House majority is to undo as many of the pernicious effects of ObamaCare that it can. One of these effects is the spectacle of employers going hat-in-hand to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for waivers from some of the law's more onerous provisions (Karl Rove, 1/6).

7 Jan 2011

Administration reverses federal rule on End-of-life planning

News outlets are reporting that some observers view the step an "embarrassing episode" for the administration and note that some of the rule's supporters consider it a "flip flop." All in all, the rule change and the reaction to it appear to highlight the continued politics that surround the issue.

7 Jan 2011

U.S. health expenditures increased 4% in 2009

This increase represents the smallest one in at least a half a century. At the same time, though, medical costs ate up a record share of the overall economy. Experts pointed to the recession as a key explanation.

7 Jan 2011

Obama health team undergoes reorganization

As work to implement and defend the health law kicks into high gear, the Obama administration is making major changes among the key players.

7 Jan 2011

Skilled Healthcare Group updates 2010 full year non-GAAP earnings estimates

Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc. today announced it has updated its 2010 full year non-GAAP earnings estimates and expects consolidated revenue to be approximately $816 million to $819 million, Adjusted EBITDAR to be approximately $138.9 million to $140.7 million and Adjusted EBITDA to be approximately $119.7 million to $121.5 million. The Company expects adjusted earnings per diluted share for 2010 to be between $1.01 and $1.04.

6 Jan 2011

NY Times: U.S. alters rule on paying for end-of-life planning

The Obama administration, reversing course, will revise a Medicare regulation to delete references to end-of-life planning as part of the annual physical examinations covered under the new health care law, administration officials said Tuesday (Robert Pear, 1/4).

6 Jan 2011

State roundup: Minn. Medicaid expansion, Mass. health costs, Calif. free clinic

[Gov.] Dayton is scheduled to sign an executive order that would expand Medicaid coverage in Minnesota -- a move Republicans in the Legislature oppose. Dayton's decision won't put an end to the debate (Scheck, 1/5).

6 Jan 2011

OpEds: Sebelius, Fla. Attorney General, USA Today, Wash Post opine about repeal strategies

Over the past nine months, I've traveled around the country and seen the benefits of this law firsthand. Unless we want to take coverage away from cancer patients, reduce oversight for insurance companies, raise prescription drug costs for seniors, weaken Medicare, add $1 trillion to the deficit and undo dozens of other reforms that are improving health around the country, we can't afford repeal (Kathleen Sebelius, 1/5).

6 Jan 2011