HCR Update from Mark Sanna: After several major delays Sunday, senators and the White House keep talking about a deal on tax rates that would also include a fix to stop cuts in Medicare payments to doctors. But they face tight deadline.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: It remains uncertain whether a bipartisan agreement can be reached to avoid the fiscal cliff. If there is a Reid-McConnell deal, officials said, it would probably include these elements: an extension of current income-tax rates for most Americans; a measure to block a scheduled expansion of the alternative minimum tax; an extension of unemployment benefits and possibly a measure to prevent a scheduled cut in Medicare payments to doctors.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Although negotiations broke down last week, Obama still hopes to broker a larger debt-reduction deal that includes tax increases on high earners and Republican-favored cuts to entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security. If a compromise continues to prove elusive, lawmakers could pass a temporary extension that delays the cliff's most onerous provisions and gives Congress more time to work out a longer-term solution.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: With hospitals buying up medical practices around the country and seeking to make the most of their investment, the AMA reached out to doctors this week to remind them that patient welfare must always come first and not be overridden by the economic interests of hospitals that now employ doctors in ever-growing numbers.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Obama administration notified more than 1 million physicians Wednesday that their Medicare payment rate would be cut by 27% next month if Congress doesn't act to stop it. But proposals for a one-year patch and even a repeal of the flawed payment formula are now caught up in the "fiscal cliff" talks.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The debate over gun rights in the wake of the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., has yielded one point of agreement among Republican and Democratic political leaders in Washington: laws on access to firearms among the mentally ill must be reviewed.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Affordable Care Act contains many provisions that should help relieve the shortage of primary care providers. It provides money to increase the number of medical residents, nurse practitioners and physician assistants trained in primary care, yielding more than 1,700 new primary care providers by 2015. It offers big bonuses for up to 5 hospitals to train advanced practice nurses and has demonstration projects to promote primary care coordination of complex illnesses, incorporating pharmacists and social workers in some cases.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin told reporters this week that the White House is no longer considering raising the Medicare eligibility age as part of fiscal cliff talks. Democrats and liberal groups have put heavy pressure on the White House in recent days not to support an increase in the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Hopes dimming for a wide-ranging bargain to avoid the fiscal cliff, the White House and many congressional Republicans are setting their sights on a more modest deal that would extend current tax rates for most Americans, raise rates for top earners and leave other, vexing issues for the new year.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Doctors will be lobbying in full force on Capitol Hill today in hopes of convincing lawmakers to block the nearly 27% Medicare cut set to take effect in a couple of weeks. They will not only ask lawmakers to stop the cut scheduled for Jan. 1 but also will ask them to repeal the current payment structure known as the sustainable growth rate formula.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The total cost of family health insurance, for both employers and employees, hit $15,000 last year, up 62 percent since 2003 -- and worker wages rose only 11 percent in that time, a new Commonwealth Fund report says.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Health information provider WebMD Health Corp. is expected to cut nearly a third of its workforce, Atlanta Business Chronicle has learned. The company is seeing a decline in Big Pharma advertising as several brand-name drugs lost patent protection in 2012. The FDA has also tightened regulations on how big pharma can advertise.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: A 56-year-old ex-convict says he purposely got arrested for shoplifting to get prison health care for his leukemia. Frank Morrocco of Amherst tells The Buffalo News that he stole shoelaces and other items from Wegman's as "an act of desperation" because he can't afford health care. He was released from federal prison a year ago after serving 20 years on drug charges.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Americans will soon be hit with new taxes adopted as part of the 2010 health care law. The new levies, which take effect in January, include an increase in the payroll tax on wages and a tax on investment income, including interest, dividends and capital gains. The Obama administration proposed rules to enforce both last week.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Supreme Court said on Friday that it would decide whether a pharmaceutical company should be allowed to pay a competitor millions of dollars to keep a generic copy of a best-selling drug off the market.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The IRS on Wednesday released final rules for a new tax on medical devices, products ranging from surgical sutures to knee replacement implants, that starts next year as part of President Barack Obama's 2010 health care law. The 2.3% tax must be paid, effective after Dec. 31, by device-makers on their gross sales. The tax is expected to raise $29 billion in government revenues through 2022.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: While aspirin may prevent heart attacks and strokes, a commonly used coating to protect the stomach may obscure the benefits, leading doctors to prescribe more expensive prescription drugs, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Circulation.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: In a case that could have broad ramifications for the pharmaceutical industry, a federal appeals court on Monday threw out the conviction of a sales representative who sold a drug for uses not approved by theFood and Drug Administration. The judges said that the ban on so-called off-label marketing violated the representative’s freedom of speech.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Unless Congress acts soon, the New Year will bring plenty of misery for doctors. On Dec. 31, a temporary measure known as the "doc fix" will expire, resulting in a 30% decrease in fees to all doctors who treat patients through Medicare and retired members of the military who are covered under the government's TRICARE program.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Obama administration said Friday that it would charge insurance companies for the privilege of selling health insurance to millions of Americans in new online markets run by the federal government. The cost of these “user fees” can be passed on to consumers. The proposed fees could add 3.5% to premiums for private health plans sold in insurance exchanges operated by the federal government.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: 11 million adults may drop their dental insurance as a result of a requirement in the affordable care act that they buy dental benefits for their children, the National Association of Dental Plans is warning. The changes could come about as a result of rules published online November 26 by HHS to define what "essential benefits" health insurance plans must include when sold to individuals or small groups, such as companies with fewer than 50 employees.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Starting next year, taxpayers will only be able to deduct medical expenses that exceed 10% percent of their adjusted gross income. For years that threshold has stood at an already formidable 7.5 percent of income. The change affects taxpayers who itemize deductions on Schedule A of the 1040 form instead of taking the standard deduction.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Papa John's CEO John Schnatter says he had no plans to "close stores and cut jobs because of Obamacare." Schnatter insisted his company actually plans to expand, regardless of any Affordable Care Act costs, and that he's "cool" with all full-time workers getting health care coverage.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The New York Times reports that Democrats are asking Republicans to define what "structural changes" they want in Medicare and Medicaid. Meanwhile, the House speaker wrote on op-ed saying the health law should be part of the upcoming debate on debt.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Obama administration released new health care regulations Tuesday that preclude insurers from adjusting premiums based on pre-existing or chronic health conditions, tell states what benefits must be included in health exchange plans, and allow employers to reward employees who work to remain healthy.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: In a study to be published on today in the journal Pediatrics, more than 40% of boys in middle school and high school said they regularly exercised with the goal of increasing muscle mass. 38% said they used protein supplements, and nearly 6% said they had experimented with steroids.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: During his weekly address today, President Obama warned Republicans that there are only two possible outcomes for negotiations over the looming "fiscal cliff." He said that either they agree to allow tax breaks to expire for the top two percent of American earners, or taxes will go up for everyone.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: There's nothing quite like a deadline to focus the mind. Even a deadline that's not quite real. Friday was originally the day that states were supposed to not only tell the federal government whether they planned to run their own health exchanges but also how they planned to do it.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: President Obama reassured leaders of labor and progressive groups on Tuesday that he will not yield to Congressional Republicans and extend Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans as he negotiates for a deficit-reduction plan to avoid looming tax increases and spending cuts.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: A coalition of groups is launching a campaign to emphasize federal funding for medical research ahead of negotiations on the "fiscal cliff." Research!America and several dozen patient, industry and other health organizations have planned a week of advocacy starting Monday to convince lawmakers to "champion medical innovation."

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: With many states lagging far behind schedule, the Obama administration said Friday that it would extend the deadline for them to submit plans for health insurance exchanges, the online markets where millions of Americans are expected to obtain private coverage subsidized by the federal government.The original Nov. 16 deadline will be extended to Dec. 14 — and in some cases to Feb. 15.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Not all hurdles have been cleared for the new health care law. Republican governors who opposed the law have to decide whether it's better for their states to now help carry it out. The administration could stumble carrying out the complex legislation, or get tripped up if budget talks with Congress lead to scaling back the plan.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: President Barack Obama's re-election ensures the survival of his landmark health care law, but predominantly Republican state officials will get a big say in how it is carried out. State lawmakers will control whether millions of uninsured people get coverage through Medicaid beginning in 2014, as the law envisions. They'll also decide whether to set up online markets where individuals can shop for coverage and seek federal subsidies to lower their costs.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The turnout for today's presidential election is expected to be strong, thanks to the perceived tightness of the race and the intense public concern about the economy. But reliable estimates are hard to come by.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Democrats hoped President Barack Obama would make inroads with seniors this year. ... for the most part, they just don't seem willing to give Obama a chance — despite their distrust of Ryan's budget and Medicare reforms. ... the president's health care reforms have made things even more difficult, pollsters say. There's an inherent distrust of any changes to the existing system, and continuing resistance to the underlying idea of universal health care, which many seniors fear will cut into their benefits.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: It's estimated that providers who self-referred patients for advanced imaging made about 400,000 more referrals than they would have had they not had a financial interest in the imaging equipment and that these referrals cost the Medicare system an additional $109 million, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: As the race for the White House has tightened, President Barack Obama has seen his advantage on several key health issues narrow significantly among likely voters, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll released Wednesday. Most troublesome for Obama is that, among likely voters, GOP candidate Mitt Romney has pulled nearly even with him on which candidate would do a better job with Medicare.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: A new Pew Research Center poll finds the race between President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney "dead even," although a Battleground tracking poll gives a slight edge to Obama in swing states. Meanwhile, as Obama focused on Mega-Storm Sandy, former President Bill Clinton carried the campaign message to Florida, highlighting key parts of the health law.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: It's hard to find an issue on which President Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney disagree more than health care. The 2010 Affordable Care Act is considered President Obama's signature legislative achievement, as well as something Romney has vowed to repeal.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: In a proposed settlement of a nationwide class-action lawsuit, the administration has agreed to scrap a decades-old practice that required many Medicare beneficiaries to show a likelihood of medical or functional improvement before Medicare would pay for skilled nursing and therapy services. Under the agreement, Medicare will pay for such services if they are needed to “maintain the patient’s current condition or prevent or slow further deterioration,” regardless of whether the patient’s condition is expected to improve.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Women have emerged as the pivotal voting bloc in the aftermath of the second presidential debate, where Obama and Romney sparred over contraceptives and pay inequality and Romney spoke about reviewing "binders full of women" as governor when he sought to diversify his Massachusetts administration.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Only 162 compounding pharmacies, or about 2% of the 7,500 total, have been accredited. New England Compounding Center, which made the tainted steroid injections linked to the recent fungal meningitis outbreak was not accredited. The death toll from that outbreak rose this week to 20.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: After a series of conflicting reports about whether vitamin pills can stave off chronic disease, researchers published in JAMA online Wednesday that a large clinical trial of nearly 15,000 older male doctors followed for more than a decade found that those taking a daily multivitamin experienced 8% fewer cancers than the subjects taking dummy pills.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Tonight’s debate will be President Barack Obama’s chance to give Mitt Romney the grilling on health care that his own campaign wishes he had given two weeks ago. But it's also Romney's chance to get in some more hits against "Obamacare"… It's safe to assume Obama is already planning to hammer Romney on his claim that his health care plan would cover pre-existing conditions.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Expect to hear lots about the House Republican budget plan written by Ryan in the VP debate tonight. Biden's sure to criticize Ryan's spending cuts and Medicare proposal as too extreme. Even GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney has distanced himself from some of Ryan's more controversial ideas.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Overall, the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press poll found that GOP presidential pick Mitt Romney wiped out President Barack Obama's advantage in the area of health care and took the lead by four percentage points.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Nearly 60% of Medicare beneficiary visits to emergency rooms and 25% of their hospital admissions were “potentially preventable”–  had patients received better care at home or in outpatient settings —  according to results of a study released Friday by a congressional advisory board.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Ninety-one people including doctors, nurses and other medical professionals were charged criminally after an investigation of Medicare fraud that involved $430 million in false billing in seven cities this week.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: As new polls show a narrow margin separating them, President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney will face questions on their plans for Medicare, Medicaid and overhauling the health system during tonight's debate. The focus will be on domestic policy, and at least 15 minutes will be dedicated to health care.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: A study published in the most recent issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine found that 60-78% of patients who read their office visit notes reported that they were more likely to take their medications as prescribed.  And their doctors reported that sharing their notes actually strengthened relationships with patients.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: America's health care system is unsustainable. It's not one problem, but three: cost, quality and coverage. The U.S. has world-class hospitals and doctors. But it spends far more than other advanced countries and people aren't much healthier. And in an aging society, there's no reliable system for long-term care.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Eager for revenues, states are settling more cases than ever with drug makers accused of defrauding Medicaid programs, according to a new analysis from the consumer group Public Citizen. In just the first half of 2012, the federal government and states have recovered $6.6 billion.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Employers will soon be offering workers their yearly opportunity to make changes to their health care benefits. All too often this open-enrollment period has required combing through pages and pages of confusing insurance terms. But this year workers will receive help translating that jargon thanks to a new requirement that insurers provide a user-friendly coverage summary of all health plans.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: They may not like it, but they don't see it going away. About 7 in 10 Americans think President Barack Obama's health care law will go fully into effect with some changes, ranging from minor to major alterations, according to an new Associated Press poll.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Saying there are “troubling indications” of abuse in the way hospitals use electronic records to bill for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, the Obama administration warned on Monday that it would not tolerate what it called attempts to “game the system” and vowed to vigorously prosecute doctors and hospitals implicated in fraud.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: No matter what the outcome of the U.S. election, healthcare looks to be a focal point in the economy for years to come. The United States spent 17.9% of its gross domestic product on healthcare in 2010 - more than double what other wealthy nations spend on a per-person basis.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Seeking to reduce runaway obesity rates, the New York City Board of Health this week approved a ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, street carts and movie theaters, the first restriction of its kind in the country.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: McDonald’s said on Wednesday that it would begin posting calorie counts on all its menus next week — a move that could put pressure on other fast-food restaurants to do the same. The company also unveiled several menu additions aimed at making its offerings more healthful.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Congressional Republican leaders are downplaying GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's comments that he would preserve some parts of Democrats' health care reforms, but the remarks are causing some conservatives to question whether the former Massachusetts governor is committed to fully repealing the law.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Based on data from 237 previously conducted studies, Stanford University’s Center for Health Policy concluded that when it comes to certain nutrients, there is not much difference between organic and conventionally grown food. But it also found that organic foods have 31% lower levels of pesticides, fewer food-borne pathogens and more phenols, a substance believed to help fight cancer.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The health care system squanders $750 billion a year, 30 cents of every medical dollar, through unneeded care, byzantine paperwork, fraud and other waste, the Institute of Medicine said Thursday. Controlling health care costs is one of the keys to reducing the deficit. The report came from an 18-member panel of experts, including doctors, business people and public officials.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: According to his campaign advisor, the Democrats' convention next week will bring the choice between President Barack Obama and his Republican opponent into "sharp focus," with a particular emphasis on the president's plan to rebuild the economy from the middle class out.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: According to a statement made this week by his top health policy advisor this week, Mitt Romney will completely repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and start a bit-by-bit approach at his own reforms if he's elected president.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Rep. Paul Ryan took the national political stage Wednesday as the Republican Party's vice presidential candidate, giving a televised speech that laid out one of the GOP's sharpest cases yet against a second term for President Barack Obama, and for Republicans as the party of small government.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Under pressure from investors unhappy with the health insurer's performance and direction, WellPoint Inc. Chief Executive Angela Braly resigned Tuesday, and the company's board said it would begin a search for a permanent replacement. The abrupt shift came as the board's leadership had been meeting with major investors in the wake of a disappointing second-quarter earnings.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The overwhelming majority of employers say they will continue to offer health care plans after core provisions of the health care reform law take effect in 2014, but most say they will need to make plan changes later to avoid a new excise tax on the most costly plans, according to a new survey.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The American Academy of Pediatrics has shifted its official position on the contentious issue of infant circumcision, stating Monday that the medical benefits of the procedure for baby boys outweigh the small risks.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: HHS has awarded eight states more than $765 million in additional grant funding to establish the health insurance exchanges. HHS awarded level-one establishment grants—which provide a year of funding to states that have already started the process to build an exchange—to California, Hawaii, Iowa and New York. Meanwhile, Connecticut, Maryland, Nevada and Vermont received level-two grants, which are awarded to states that have made more progress in their planning efforts.

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HCR Update from Mark Sanna: CMS will spend $300 million over 3 1/2 years to pay primary care practices an extra fee for managing Medicare patients, an effort to lower costs and improve care for more than 300,000 beneficiaries nationwide.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Aetna announced that it will buy Coventry Health Care for about $5.7 billion in cash and stock in a move by the insurer to push further into government-backed programs like Medicaid.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Obama administration scored a victory when the U.S. Court of Appeals in Houston dismissed an appeal from the Physician Hospitals of America and the Tyler, Texas-based Texas Spine & Joint Hospital challenging a health care reform law restriction on expansion by physician-owned hospitals.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: After several days in which he mentioned only generalities on the campaign trail, Representative Paul D. Ryan sought on Saturday to play offense on Medicare, attacking in detail President Obama’s health care plan, seizing an issue that has the potential to be one of Mr. Ryan’s biggest liabilities in joining the Republican presidential ticket.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney agree there has to be a limit to how much seniors pay for Medicare, but they're worlds apart on how to make that happen. You wouldn't know it from the accusations they hurl on the campaign trail, but that is the real heart of the argument between the two leaders and their political parties.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Mitt Romney accused President Barack Obama in person and in TV advertising Tuesday of cutting Medicare "to pay for Obamacare," launching a strong counterattack to Democratic charges that he and running mate Paul Ryan would radically remake the popular health care program that serves tens of millions of seniors.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: With Mitt Romney's selection of Representative Paul D. Ryan as his running mate, Florida quickly emerged on Monday as a critical test of the nationwide Republican gamble that concerns over the mounting federal debt can blunt potent Democratic attacks on conservative proposals to revamp Medicare.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Republican Mitt Romney reset the race for the presidency as a battle over the size and scope of the federal government Saturday, choosing as his running mate Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the architect of the GOP’s plans to slash spending and overhaul Medicare.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Pizza chain Papa John's told shareholders that President Obama's health care law will cost consumers more on their pizza. On a conference call last week, CEO and founder John Schnatter (a Mitt Romney supporter and fundraiser) said the health care law's changes will result in higher costs for the company which they vowed to pass onto consumers.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: HCA Holdings Inc., the biggest for-profit U.S. hospital operator, told investors that federal prosecutors in Miami are probing the "medical necessity" of cardiology procedures performed at several of its hospitals in Florida. The company made an unusual statement defending its operations in anticipation of a New York Times article that appeared online late Monday.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Aetna Inc reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings this week and raised its profit forecast for the full year, outperforming some health insurer rivals who have cut their expectations due to rising U.S. medical claims costs. Aetna's second-quarter net earnings were $457.6 million.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Generic drug makers released a study Thursday that found generic pharmaceuticals have saved the U.S. -- through private prescriptions as well as Medicare and Medicaid -- more than $1 trillion over 10 years.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Aug. 1 marks the deadline for insurers to refund consumers and employers if they didn't spend at least 80 percent of premiums on health care. Another provision takes effect requiring most employers to include contraceptive and other women's health services without copays in the insurance plans they offer workers.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that in 2015 the country will have 62,900 fewer doctors than needed. And that number will more than double by 2025, as the expansion of insurance coverage and the aging of baby boomers drive up demand for care.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: A U.S. district judge in Colorado issued a temporary injunction Friday, blocking the Obama administration from enforcing the birth control coverage requirement on one employer based on the owner's religious beliefs. The judge issued a three-month temporary injunction, allowing for further legal review of the case brought by a Catholic small business owner.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Obama administration is enlisting new allies to fight health care fraud: insurers. Today the Departments of Health and Human Services and Justice announced a partnership with more than a dozen health insurers and industry groups to nip fraudulent schemes in the bud, instead of tracking down bad guys after the fact.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: While most uninsured children will qualify for coverage under the federal health law, a small percentage — 6.6 percent of the total, or at least 460,000 — may be shut out because of how the government proposes to define 'affordable' coverage, says a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: States must notify the Department of Health and Human Services by Nov. 16 of whether they plan to create their own exchanges, but even so some Republican governors are waiting until the Nov. 6 election to make a decision — a risky strategy if they want to keep the federal government from running the show.

HCR Update feom Mark Sanna: Last week the Obama administration disclosed the contents of a final rule dealing with information that insurers must provide as part of the health law's standard health benefit package, less than two weeks after the comment period for the proposed regulation ended. The speed with which the rule was rolled out is an indication of how quickly federal officials are moving now that the Supreme Court upheld the health overhaul law and deadlines loom for implementation of health benefits exchanges and the formation of the plans they will offer.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: House Republicans Tuesday unveiled legislation to get rid of AmeriCorps, the national service program, and cut off federal funding for National Public Radio, public television and Planned Parenthood. The moves would come in a controversial spending bill that pays for labor, health and education programs for the budget year beginning Oct. 1.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Women spend $1 billion more annually on their health insurance premiums than they would if they were men because of gender rating, according to a recent report. Under the health care overhaul, the practice is banned starting in 2014. But according to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s April health tracking poll, only 35% of people are aware of this fact.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Under the health law, insurers must spend at least 80% of the premiums they collect on medical care and on measures related to health-care quality. Otherwise, they must pay rebates to consumers and employers for the portion of the premiums collected that were over the limit.

HCR Update feom Mark Sanna: A 50-state survey by USA TODAY shows only Republican governors are refusing to expand Medicaid and only Democrats are vowing to expand it following the court's ruling that states cannot be penalized for failing to enlarge the program. More than half the governors are undecided.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Affordable Care Act is a tax hike, a majority of American voters say, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. 55% of voters say the health care law is a tax hike, compared with 36% who say it isn't.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Americans with mental illness had good reason to celebrate when the Supreme Court upheld President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. The law promises to give them something they have never had before: near-universal health insurance, not just for their medical problems but for psychiatric disorders as well.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: With lawmakers returning to Washington this week after the July 4 break, Republican leaders in the House have scheduled a vote -- the 31st such attempt -- to repeal the health law. The effort is not expected to get any traction in the Democrat-led Senate.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Texas ranked dead last in the federal government's latest report card on the delivery of health services, falling short in areas ranging from acute hospital care to home treatment of the chronically ill. Texas scored 31.61 -- less than half of top-ranked Minnesota's 67.31 -- out of a possible 100 points in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality annual rankings.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Fewer Americans are getting health insurance from their employer, a continuation of a trend that started in 2008, according to a new Gallup poll. Only 55.9% of adults aged 26 to 64 received employer-provided health insurance in 2012, down from 61.6% in 2008.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $2.3 million since the Supreme Court's landmark decision Thursday ruling the Affordable Care Act constitutional. The Romney Victory campaign raised $4.6 million nationwide from more than 47,000 donations after the ruling.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: In the largest settlement involving a pharmaceutical company, the British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay $3 billion in fines for promoting its best-selling antidepressants for unapproved uses and failing to report safety data about a top diabetes drug, federal prosecutors announced Monday. The agreement also includes civil penalties for improper marketing of a half-dozen other drugs.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: President Obama's healthcare law emerged from its bruising two-year legal ordeal largely intact, with its primary goal of guaranteeing all Americans health security still standing. The Supreme Court, however, is only the first of several daunting obstacles the law must clear.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Supreme Court has given states a way out of expanding the Medicaid program under the health law, but governors will be under strong pressure to take the federal money that would pay for coverage for millions of low-income people.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Supreme Court ruling yesterday clears the way for the biggest revamp of America's health-care system since the 1960s—and sets the stage for a renewed political fight over its merits. By a 5-4 vote, the court held the law's mandate requiring Americans to carry health insurance or pay a penalty valid under Congress's constitutional authority to levy taxes.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Supreme Court 5-4 decision affirms individual mandate. Chief Justice John Roberts writes the majority opinion upholding the law's central provision requiring that all people have health insurance.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Expecting the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of the health law today, tension is thick. President Obama will react to the Supreme Court ruling shortly after the opinion is issued. I think we can expect a flurry of activity this morning.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: With the court's decision on the law set for Thursday, nearly four in 10 Americans told a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll that they would have "mixed feelings" if the justices struck down the whole law. Just over a quarter said they would be very pleased, while 17% said they would be very disappointed by that outcome.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it would issue the rest of its decisions for its current term on Thursday, making it very likely that a decision on the comprehensive law overhauling health care will come that day.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Anticipation regarding the Supreme Court's health law decision -- expected this week and possibly even today -- has created a guessing-game situation in Washington. News outlets report on both the preparations being made and the reasons why this decision, and the challenge behind it, are historic and important.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Indications are the Supreme Court's much-anticipated ruling on the health law may come on Wednesday or Thursday. However, the court is also scheduled to hand down decisions on Monday.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: If the Supreme Court strikes down President Barack Obama's signature health care reform law, 77% of Americans want the president and Congress to work on new legislation overhauling the system, according to a new AP-GfK poll on Wednesday.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Supreme Court ruled Monday that drug companies don't have to pay their sales representatives for working overtime hours, a significant win for the pharmaceutical industry. The court, in a 5-4 opinion by Justice Samuel Alito, ruled that drug sales reps fall under a provision of federal labor law that removes overtime-pay requirements for those employed as outside salespeople.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: For the last 27 months, the health-care industry has been operating under the assumption that everyone has to get insurance, and insurers have to accept everyone who wants it. That all could be undone as early as Monday, when Supreme Court is expected to issue its rulings on the 2010 health-care overhaul measure.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The USDA released its annual report Thursday on how much it costs to raise a child. The grand total for a child born in 2011 is $234,900 — $295, 560 if inflation is factored in — for all child-related expenses, from birth to age 17. That’s a 3.5% increase over last year.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Despite a recent easing of medical costs, the nation's health care spending will keep outpacing economic growth for the foreseeable future, government experts said Tuesday in a forecast that signals more upheaval for Medicare and Medicaid, as well as private insurance.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Three of the biggest U.S. health insurers said they plan to keep offering some benefits now required under the federal health overhaul legislation, even if the Supreme Court strikes down the entire law. Humana Inc., Aetna Inc. and UnitedHealth Group Inc. all said they would continue to allow young people to stay on their parents' plans until the age of 26, offer a third-party appeals process for coverage denials, and provide preventive benefits such as immunizations without any out-of-pocket expense for consumers.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Attorney General Holder and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius today released a new report showing that the government’s health care fraud prevention and enforcement efforts recovered nearly $4.1 billion in taxpayer dollars in Fiscal Year 2011. This is the highest annual amount ever recovered from individuals and companies who attempted to defraud seniors and taxpayers or who sought payments to which they were not entitled.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: While 6.6 million young people signed onto their parents' plans since the provision of the health law took effect, many still lacked coverage, according to a new Commonwealth Fund study. Cost, not a "young invincible" belief that they didn't need coverage, appears to be a key obstacle.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Walt Disney Company made two big announcements this morning. It's banning junk food ads on cartoons and other kid shows. That starts in 2015. And in just a few months, it will launch the Mickey Check.The mouse symbol will be slapped on foods in the grocery aisle that Disney approves as nutritious.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Supreme Court is expected to announce its ruling on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) this month, and with the countdown started speculation about the impact of that decision is heating up on both sides of the "Obamacare" debate.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Mitt Romney's choice of Michael O. Leavitt as his transition chief has spurred loud opposition from some conservatives over Mr. Leavitt's support of a crucial part of President Obama's health care plan. Mr. Leavitt, a former governor of Utah who was secretary of health and human services in George W. Bush's cabinet, is now a health care consultant who advises states on how to implement Mr. Obama's health law.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: If the Supreme Court strikes down any part of the Affordable Care Act, it's likely that health insurers and hospitals will see their stock prices tumble. And expect just the opposite if the high court leaves the 2010 reform measure alone.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: New York City plans to enact a far-reaching ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters and street carts, in the most ambitious effort yet by the Bloomberg administration to combat rising obesity. The sale of any cup or bottle of sweetened drink larger than 16 fluid ounces — about the size of a medium coffee, and smaller than a common soda bottle — would be prohibited under the first-in-the-nation plan, which could take effect as soon as next March.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The proposed revisions to the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5, would add 'gambling disorder' to alcohol and drug problems as a 'substance use and addictive disorder' that insurers and others would use to make decisions about treatment and coverage.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: America's newest veterans are filing for disability benefits at a historic rate, claiming to be the most medically and mentally troubled generation of former troops the nation has ever seen. A staggering 45% of the 1.6 million veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now seeking compensation for injuries they say are service-related.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: A new study released this week said about 630,000 uninsured veterans would likely qualify for Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance program for the poor, which would be expanded under the new health care law. In addition, 520,000 uninsured vets could qualify for subsidized health coverage in new marketplaces, or insurance exchanges.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Senate passed a major bipartisan bill on Thursday to prevent drug shortages and to speed federal approval of lifesaving medicines, including lower-cost generic versions of biotechnology products. A similar bill is on a fast track to approval in the House, perhaps as early as next week. President Obama, consumer groups and pharmaceutical companies strongly support the legislation.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: A key government health panel has decided that healthy men should no longer receive a P.S.A. blood test to screen for prostate cancer because the test does not save lives over all and often leads to more tests and treatments that needlessly cause pain, impotence and incontinence in many.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Obama administration forged ahead with healthcare reforms last week, announcing a November 16 deadline for state governments to submit proposals showing how they intend to operate health insurance exchanges in 2014.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Ob-gyns are among the most frequently sued medical specialists. According to a survey, 90% of board-certified members of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have been sued. Rather than reflecting rampant negligence and maltreatment of patients, these numbers reflect that even the best care cannot guarantee a perfect birth outcome.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Republican governors and GOP-dominated state legislatures were united in opposing President Obama's health care law, but now that it's in place, they are far more divided over how far to go in complying with it, especially with the U.S. Supreme Court poised to rule on the law's constitutionality.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Healthcare or a Hyundai? The average cost of healthcare for a family of four this year has increased nearly 7% to $20,728 annually, according to a new study by benefits consultant Milliman, or similar to the cost of a mid-size sedan.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: This week, In a swipe at President Obama's signature health care legislation, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey vetoed an online marketplace that the Legislature created to help residents and small businesses buy health insurance.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The House Approved $310 Billion in cuts, but passage in the Senate is very unlikely. Of the savings, $23.5 billion came from Medicaid and children's health care; $4.2 billion from hospitals that serve the poor and uninsured; and $33.7 billion from supplemental nutrition assistance. In all, about a quarter of the cuts would come directly from programs that benefit the poor.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Senate is embroiled in a partisan struggle over how to pay for an extension of the current interest rate for student loans. Democrats propose increasing the Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes on high-earning stockholders of some privately owned corporations. Republicans would like to take funds from the health law's prevention fund.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: According to a new study, cut the growth in rates of obesity by just 15 a year over the next two decades, and you’ll slice health care costs by $85 billion. Keep obesity rates at their current levels – which is well below a 335 increase being projected — and you'll save nearly $550 billion during the same time frame.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: As Congress returns after a week long recess, the real issue continues to be how to pay for the Medicare doc fix: whether to use the health law's prevention trust fund or increase Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes for high earners.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, more doctors are being trained, but some say the move could backfire since too many young doctors are going into high-paid specialties instead of primary care, which could exacerbate rising health care costs.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Obesity and the form of diabetes linked to it are taking an even worse toll on America’s youths than medical experts had realized. As obesity rates in children have climbed, so has the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, and a new study in the NEJM adds another worry: the disease progresses more rapidly in children than in adults and is harder to treat.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: President Barack Obama said Friday that Republican positions on women's health issues were "appalling" and "offensive" and equated an effort to block his regulation to mandate free contraception to like "being in a time machine" during a blistering speech at the Women's Leadership Forum in Washington on Friday.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Republican-led House, defying a veto threat from the White House, voted 215-195 yesterday to extend the current 3.4 percent interest rate on government student loans that is set to double on July 1.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: A House panel on Wednesday approved a budget reconciliation measure that would cap certain damages in medical malpractice lawsuits, limit attorneys’ fees and establish a statute of limitations for filing health care cases. The Judiciary Committee approved 16-14 the draft bill, which would cut federal spending by $39.7 billion over 10 years.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Hospital patients waiting in an emergency room or convalescing after surgery are being confronted by an unexpected visitor: a debt collector at bedside. This and other aggressive tactics by one of the nation's largest collectors of medical debts, Accretive Health, were revealed on Tuesday by the Minnesota attorney general, raising concerns that such practices have become common at hospitals across the country.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Medicare, which is expected to provide health insurance to more than 50 million elderly and disabled Americans this year, is expected to start operating in the red in its largest fund in 2024, according to the annual assessment by the trustees charged with overseeing the programs.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The American College of Physicians is urging patients with newly diagnosed diabetes and back pain not to opt for the latest-and-supposedly-greatest. It's part of a new campaign to steer patients (and their doctors) to what the College of Physicians calls "high value care," and away from expensive tests and treatments that aren't any better — and often are worse.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: About 2.5 million young adults from age 19 to 25 attained health coverage as a result of the Affordable Care Act . The Supreme Court could decide to scrap the entire law -- instead of just the mandate -- leaving millions of young adults in the lurch.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: This week, Medicare agreed to settle a dispute with about 2,200 hospitals nationwide over a decade-long error in reimbursement rates, offering what could amount to a $3-billion infusion to hospitals already bracing for funding cuts under the federal healthcare law.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Texas Medical Board on Friday approved controversial new rules on the use of adult stem cells, raising concerns that Texans could receive therapies that have not yet been proven to work and that could be unsafe.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Spurred by patients and patient advocates, lawmakers in at least 20 states, from Maine to Hawaii, have introduced bills that would limit out-of-pocket payments by consumers for expensive drugs used to treat diseases like cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and inherited disorders.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: President Obama's landmark health-care initiative, long touted as a means to control costs, will actually add more than $340 billion to the nation's budget woes over the next decade, according to a new study by a Republican member of the board that oversees Medicare financing.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: High-strength painkillers known as opioids represent the most widely prescribed class of medications in the US. Federal data shows that over the last decade, the number of prescriptions for the strongest opioids has increased nearly fourfold, with only limited evidence of their long-term effectiveness or risks.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: In response to a demand from a federal appeals court judge, Attorney General Eric Holder says the Supreme Court has the power to review whether the health law is constitutional, but he also urged the court to show "deference."

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Patients cut back on prescription drugs and doctor visits last year, a sign that many Americans are still struggling to pay for health care, according to a study released Wednesday by a health industry research group, the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: In a move likely to alter treatment standards in hospitals and doctors’ offices nationwide, a group of 9 medical specialty boards plans to recommend on Wednesday that doctors perform 45 common tests and procedures less often, and to urge patients to question these services if they are offered.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Supreme Court left little doubt during last week's marathon arguments over President Barack Obama's health care overhaul that it has scant faith in Congress' ability to get anything done.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: While the rest of us have to wait until June, the justices of the Supreme Court will know the likely outcome of the historic health care case by the time they go home this weekend. After months of anticipation, thousands of pages of briefs and more than six hours of arguments, the justices will vote on the fate of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul in under an hour Friday morning.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: On day 3, the justices seemed divided on both questions before them: What should happen to the rest of the law if the court strikes down its core provision? And was the law’s expansion of the Medicaid program constitutional? The justices considered what sort of tasks it makes sense to assign to Congress, what kinds of interaction between federal and state officials are permissible and even the political character of the lawsuits challenging the law.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: With the fate of President Obama’s health care law hanging in the balance, a lawyer for the administration faced a barrage of skeptical questions on Tuesday from four of the Supreme Court’s more conservative justices, suggesting that a 5-to-4 decision to strike down the law was a live possibility.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Supreme Court begins its constitutional review of the health-care overhaul law Monday with a fundamental question: Is the court barred from making such a decision at this time? The justices will hear 90 minutes of argument about whether an obscure 19th-century law — the Anti-Injunction Act — means that the court cannot pass judgment on the law until its key provisions go into effect in 2014.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act turns two on Friday. The law is headed to the Supreme Court on Monday.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives, largely along party lines, passed  H.R. 5, a bill designed to abolish an independent board responsible for curbing Medicare spending growth and restricting medical-malpractice lawsuits. An amendment was added on the House floor that would end the current exemption from antitrust laws that health insurance companies currently enjoy.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna:The fight over President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul has featured nearly three years of name-calling and shouting matches. But don't expect to hear supporters accused of creating "death panels," or opponents of preferring the uninsured to "die quickly," when the issue lands at the Supreme Court next week.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Across the country, dozens of lawsuits against generic pharmaceutical companies are being dismissed because of a Supreme Court decision last year that said the companies did not have control over what their labels said and therefore could not be sued for failing to alert patients about the risks of taking their drugs.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Here's a thought that can't comfort President Barack Obama: The fate of his health care overhaul rests with four Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices. His most sweeping domestic achievement could be struck down if they stand together with Justice Clarence Thomas, another GOP appointee who is the likeliest vote against.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: HHS issued a final rule on Friday regulating student health plans offered by universities. They spell out that religious universities will largely have to follow the same rules for providing contraceptive coverage for their students that they will have to for their employees. But self-funded student plans will be exempt, because HHS does not have the authority to regulate them under current law.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: If President Obama's health care law is to withstand legal challenge, government lawyers must convince a majority of justices that the health care marketplace is unique. By not buying insurance, their argument goes, millions of Americans transfer $43 billion in health care costs to others in the form of higher premiums.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The much-anticipated final regulations for health insurance exchanges -- released Monday in a 644-page document -- emphasized the broad latitude states will have in developing and implementing their own health insurance marketplaces by 2014. The virtual shopping centers will aim to make the process of buying health insurance as easy as navigating a site like Amazon.com.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Spending on genetic tests has reached $5 billion annually and could top $25 billion within a decade, according to an insurance industry study published Monday. The rise in spending is likely to intensify the debate over genetic testing as policymakers and employers struggle to contain spiraling healthcare costs.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The White House has begun an aggressive campaign to use approaching Supreme Court arguments on the new health care law as a moment to build support for the measure seen as President Obama's signature legislative achievement, hoping to shape public opinion on an issue at the center of the battle for the White House and Congress.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: A study published in the journal Health Affairs this week found that doctors who use electronic health records may order more diagnostic testing, and therefore drive up the cost of health care, despite claims to the contrary by the federal government and health IT industry.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The prices of drugs used most widely by older Americans rose by nearly 26% from 2005 to 2009 — nearly twice the rate of inflation — according to a report issued Tuesday by AARP.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Cigna Corp. CEO David M. Cordani's total compensation climbed 25 percent last year, as the nation's fourth-largest health insurer launched a $3.8 billion acquisition, and its stock outperformed the broader market. Cordani, 46, received compensation valued at $18.9 million last year from the Bloomfield, Conn., company, according to an Associated Press analysis of a regulatory filing Monday.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Cost estimates for a key portion of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law have ballooned by $111 billion from last year's budget. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., wants to know by Monday why the estimated cost of helping millions of middle-class Americans buy health insurance has jumped by about 30%.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: When originally asked whether Medicare should continue as it is today — with the government guaranteeing a certain set of health benefits for seniors — or be changed “to a system in which the government would guarantee each senior a fixed amount of money to put toward health insurance,” 70% of respondents to a recent WSJ survey wanted to keep it as is, with 25% preferring a change.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: This week the Senate upheld President Obama's birth control policy, voting to kill a Republican effort to let employers and health insurance companies deny coverage for contraceptives and other items they object to on religious or moral grounds.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Federal officials busted a health care fraud plot this week involving 10 doctors, nine clinics in New York City and 105 corporations, all in service of a health care fraud ring that federal authorities say conspired to steal more than a quarter of a billion dollars from insurance companies.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Democratic-led U.S. Senate is expected on Thursday to defeat a largely symbolic measure that would exempt employers such as Roman Catholic hospitals, universities and charities from a controversial White House rule requiring free birth control coverage.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Federal agents on Tuesday arrested a Dallas-area doctor accused of bilking Medicare of $350 million over a five-year period, in what the government called the largest Medicare fraud scheme by dollar value linked to a single physician. According to documents filed by the Justice Department in Dallas federal court, 54-year-old Dr. Jacques Roy carried out the fraud with the help of his office manager and home health-care agencies.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Politico reports on new polling that shows the federal health law draws more negative public opinions than does the Massachusetts law signed by Mitt Romney when he was the state's governor. Also, the LA Times reports that a majority of registered voters believe the health law's individual mandate is unconstitutional.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas joined with Catholic organizations and two Catholics to fight the new rules issued earlier this month requiring healthcare coverage for free birth control.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Next month's challenge to the Obama-sponsored health care law could affect the care available to most Americans, alter the balance of power between Washington and the states and remain a flash point through this presidential campaign.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Congress quickly passed a deal to extend the payroll-tax-cut through year-end, continue unemployment benefits and avoid a steep cut in Medicare doctors' fees, moving on from a fight that tied up legislators for months. By 293-132, the House voted to pass the measure. The Senate quickly followed with a 60-36 vote.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The good news for the nation's doctors — and the millions of Medicare patients they care for — is that assuming everything goes as planned, the 27.4 percent cut in reimbursements that would have taken effect March 1 won't. The bad news? The fix included in the deal to extend the payroll tax holiday isn't permanent. It only extends to the end of the year.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna:After wrangling for weeks over how to finance a Medicare 'doc fix,' House and Senate conferees have a plan. The proposal would cut  Medicare payments to hospitals and other providers for 'bad debt,' Medicare payments to clinical laboratories and Medicaid 'disproportionate share' payments to hospitals that serve many poor patients,  and divert $5 billion  from the health law’s $15 billion prevention fund.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The deal that would protect doctors from a huge cut in Medicare reimbursement fees proposed by Congress would do so through cuts in the new prevention and public health fund established in the health care law, combined with reducing help for hospitals with bad debt and other health-care-related spending trims.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The president's new budget projects that Medicare spending will double over the coming decade from $478 billion this year to almost $1 trillion in 2022. Medicaid, the government health care program for the poor and disabled, would more than double from $255 billion this year to $589 billion by 2022.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Starting this fall, insurers and employers that offer health coverage will have to provide a six-page form that summarizes basic plan information, such as deductibles and co-pays, as well as costs for using in-network and out-of-network medical services in clear, standardized language.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Researchers from Harvard Medical School and the Mongan Institute for Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston surveyed 1,891 physicians nationwide and one-tenth said they had told a patient something untruthful in the last year. Nearly 20 percent of physicians surveyed said they had not fully disclosed an error to a patient in the previous year because they feared a malpractice case.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Congressional Republicans, seizing on the type of social issue that motivates and unifies their base, stepped forcefully Wednesday into the battle over an Obama administration rule requiring health insurance plans provided by Catholic universities and charities to offer free birth control to women, vowing to fight back with legislation to unravel the new policy.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: House and Senate negotiators are deadlocked over how to prevent a deep cut in Medicare payments to doctors who treat millions of Medicare beneficiaries, an impasse that could threaten broader legislation on a payroll tax cut. In the absence of agreement, doctors’ fees will be cut 27% next month, and many doctors say they could not continue treating Medicare patients under the lower payments.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: This week, House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp said that using war savings to pay for an overhaul of the Medicare physician payment formula is likely out of the scope of the conference committee's deliberations. In addition, the proposal faces political obstacles.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: On Friday, the nation’s pre-eminent breast cancer advocacy group, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, reversed course and restored it’s relationship with Planned Parenthood, which has used the Komen money to provide breast cancer screening and education to thousands of low-income women.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Republican-led House on Wednesday voted to repeal a financially troubled part of the 2010 health care law that was designed to provide affordable long-term care insurance. The House vote comes months after the Obama administration suspended the Community Living Assistance Services and Support program, known as the CLASS Act.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: In a decision that is inflaming passions on both sides of the abortion debate, the world’s largest breast cancer organization, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is cutting off its financing of breast cancer screening and education programs run by Planned Parenthood affiliates.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Obama administration on Friday told the Supreme Court that if the justices rule that the health reform law's mandate is unconstitutional, they don't need to get rid of the entire law. Only two provisions — those requiring insurers to accept everyone regardless of health status and to apply "community rates" — must go if the mandate is knocked down.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: It’s been 3 years since Congress approved a nearly $30 billion plan to digitize health care records, yet much of the health care industry is still drowning in paper. The Bipartisan Policy Center released a 43-page report detailing the gaps in health IT implementation–the biggest concern being a delay in getting the various systems to be able to talk to one another.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: House Republicans have tried to repeal various pieces of President Barack Obama's health reform law, but they haven't touched the least popular piece: the individual mandate. One reason for that: They don't want to give the Supreme Court a reason not to strike it down.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: When it came to health, what was most surprising was how little President Obama had to say in his State of the Union address. His landmark 2010 health overhaul — whose fate is currently before the Supreme Court and whose repeal is the top priority for every GOP presidential candidate — got barely a passing mention.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) — created by the health law to help determine the most effective medical treatments — released its draft priorities and research agenda on Monday, but it did not single out any specific diseases, treatments or procedures to study.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) — created by the health law to help determine the most effective medical treatments — released its draft priorities and research agenda on Monday, but it did not single out any specific diseases, treatments or procedures to study.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Medical groups are keeping up the pressure on Congress to find a long-term solution to Medicare's payment formula for doctors. The latest temporary patch is set to expire March 1, at which point doctors would see a nearly 30% cut in the Medicare payments.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Press reports indicate that the Obama administration will not significantly change the requirement that most employers cover FDA-approved contraceptives as part of a health plan. The health law includes a requirement that most workplaces cover preventive services for free.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Today is the last day to submit applications for the April 1 start date of the CMS' Medicare Shared Savings Program, the government's payment and delivery program for accountable care organizations. The CMS began accepting applications Dec. 1, and applicants will receive notice of their approval or denial by March 16.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: A report Wednesday by the Obama administration said that many states, including some with GOP governors, are proceeding with state-based exchanges. Still, a federal exchange is in the works for those that can't or won't meet the health law's requirements and timeline.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Associated Press reports that in order to prevent a 27% in Medicare payments to doctors under the 1997 formula, negotiators are trying to find $39 billion in cuts elsewhere in health care spending. That would fix the problem for two years. A deal could be reached faster than initially expected.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: To head off medical conflicts of interest, the Obama administration is poised to require drug companies to disclose the payments they make to doctors for research, consulting, speaking, travel and entertainment. Many researchers have found evidence that such payments can influence doctors’ treatment decisions and contribute to higher costs by encouraging the use of more expensive drugs and medical devices.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Insurance premiums will rise by as much as 25% if the new healthcare law is implemented without an individual mandate, according to a new analysis from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Without the mandate, according to the Robert Wood Johnson analysis, costs would rise and fewer people would be insured .

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The Obama administration said Thursday that rate increases sought by a health insurance company were unreasonable, and it ordered the insurer to rescind them or justify its refusal to do so. Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of HHS, issued the finding against the carrier, Trustmark Life Insurance Company, a unit of Trustmark Mutual Holding Company.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Twenty-six states on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to overturn the health care reform law's mandatory state expansion of the Medicaid program, a sleeper issue in the health care reform lawsuit that could determine how much leverage the federal government has with the states on any issue.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: National health spending rose a slight 3.9 percent in 2010, as Americans delayed hospital care, doctor’s visits and prescription drug purchases for the second year in a row, the Obama administration reported Monday.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Hospital employees recognize and report only one out of seven errors, accidents and other events that harm Medicare patients while they are hospitalized, federal investigators say in a new report.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The small-business group challenging the health care reform law in the Supreme Court this spring is adding new individuals to its case to avoid last-minute problems over its earlier plaintiff's bankruptcy filing. The National Federation of Independent Business asked the court in a brief Wednesday morning for permission to add two small-business owners as plaintiffs.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: The small-business group challenging the health care reform law in the Supreme Court this spring is adding new individuals to its case to avoid last-minute problems over its earlier plaintiff's bankruptcy filing. The National Federation of Independent Business asked the court in a brief Wednesday morning for permission to add two small-business owners as plaintiffs.

HCR Update by Mark Sanna: 55.6% of voters favored televising the Supreme Court arguments in the health-care overhaul case and 44.4% were against it. In a recent USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, by comparison, 72% of the people surveyed said they think the Supreme Court should allow cameras in the court for arguments in the health-care case.

HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Baby boomers take note: Medicare as your parents have known it is headed for big changes no matter who wins the White House in 2012. You may not like it, but you might have to accept it.