TheHill.com - In the spotlight, Clinton withstands heat

TheHill.com - In the spotlight, Clinton withstands heat: "From the onset of Wednesday night’s Democratic presidential debate, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) faced the tough questions, allotted answer time and jabs - some direct, some indirect - that come with being considered the frontrunner for the nomination."

House Passes Children’s Insurance Measure - New York Times

House Passes Children’s Insurance Measure - New York Times: "The House on Tuesday passed a bill providing health insurance to more than 10 million children, but supporters of the measure fell short of the two-thirds majority they would need to override a veto repeatedly threatened by President Bush."

TheHill.com - Reid warns of December adjournment

TheHill.com - Reid warns of December adjournment: "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) suggested Thursday that lawmakers may need to stay until Christmas to finish their must-pass bills."

Senate OKs FDA drug safety bill - washingtonpost.com

Senate OKs FDA drug safety bill - washingtonpost.com: "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will gain new power to police serious side effects from prescription drugs already on the market under legislation approved on Thursday by the Senate and sent to the White House. The measure, prompted in part by a string of drug safety controversies, also extends industry fees that help fund FDA product reviews and authorizes more money for post-approval monitoring of medicines. President George W. Bush is expected to sign it into law."

Agriculture Secretary to Run for Senate - New York Times

Agriculture Secretary to Run for Senate - New York Times: "Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns will resign his cabinet post on Thursday to begin preparing to run for a Senate seat from Nebraska, a senior administration official said Wednesday. Mr. Johanns, a former governor of Nebraska, is seeking to replace Senator Chuck Hagel, who is not seeking re-election in 2008. Mr. Johanns told party officials that he would make his Senate announcement shortly after he left the administration."

Bush Threatens Veto of Child Health Bill - New York Times

Bush Threatens Veto of Child Health Bill - New York Times: "President Bush, bracing for a series of battles with Congress over spending, threatened on Thursday to veto a bill expanding a popular children’s health insurance program, calling it “a step toward federalization of health care.”"

Poll shows strong support for Schwarzenegger's health care plan

Poll shows strong support for Schwarzenegger's health care plan: "California's political leaders are engaged in a special legislative session on health care overhaul and state voters have indicated overwhelming support for proposals advocated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that would require all residents to obtain health care coverage."

CA Governor talks of health care tax - sacbee.com

CA Governor talks of health care tax - sacbee.com: "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday said he's open to a general tax increase to pay for health care for the uninsured, but will leave it to voters to decide."

Clinton Unveils Health Care Plan - New York Times

Clinton Unveils Health Care Plan - New York Times: "Thirteen years after the collapse of her landmark attempt to overhaul national health care, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York announced her second attempt today at achieving universal coverage, unveiling a $110 billion-a-year plan that would require all Americans to have insurance and give them a range of plan options."

4 Winners of Lasker Medical Prize - New York Times

4 Winners of Lasker Medical Prize - New York Times: "Two surgeons who developed prosthetic heart valves that have prolonged the lives of millions of people are among the winners of this year’s Lasker awards, widely considered the nation’s most prestigious medical prizes."

Clinton to unveil massive health care plan for $110 billion - Los Angeles Times

Clinton to unveil massive health care plan for $110 billion - Los Angeles Times: "Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton is unveiling a sweeping health care reform proposal Monday that would require every American to carry health insurance and offer federal subsidies to help reduce the cost of coverage."

Veto Risk Seen in Compromise on Child Health - New York Times

Veto Risk Seen in Compromise on Child Health - New York Times: "Senate and House negotiators said Sunday that they had agreed on a framework for a compromise bill that would provide health insurance to four million uninsured children while relaxing some of the limits on eligibility imposed by the Bush administration."

Health care working to become more green -- chicagotribune.com

Health care working to become more green -- chicagotribune.com - The health care industry is making an effort to become more environmentally friendly, and companies, advocates and trade groups are meeting in Chicago to discuss educational initiatives and best practices. Participants will examine reducing hospital waste and using different materials to manufacture medical devices and supplies.

Boston Scientific: FDA warning till '08 - Boston.com

Boston Scientific: FDA warning till '08 - Boston.com: "Boston Scientific Corp. is making progress on efforts to resolve a corporate warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but doesn't see the warning letter being lifted by year's end, a company official said Monday."

Health-Care Premiums Climbing Faster Than Inflation, Studies Say - WSJ.com

Health-Care Premiums Climbing Faster Than Inflation, Studies Say - WSJ.com: "Health-care premiums of employers and their workers have climbed more than twice as fast as inflation in 2007 -- to about double their cost in 2000 -- and look to rise at a similar or slightly faster clip next year, a pair of nationwide surveys show."

In Poll, Voters See Strengths and Flaws in Giuliani - New York Times

In Poll, Voters See Strengths and Flaws in Giuliani - New York Times: "Republican voters say Rudolph W. Giuliani has strong leadership qualities, and they associate him closely with his handling of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but those impressions have not translated into a substantial advantage over his party’s other presidential candidates when it comes to who can best fight terrorism, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll."

Unionized nurses flex their muscle - Los Angeles Times

Unionized nurses flex their muscle - Los Angeles Times: "'We are a very, very strong and, some say, militant organization,' said DeMoro, an AFL-CIO vice president. 'And, honestly, in this environment it takes a militant organization. It's very hard for a registered nurse to go home at the end of a shift and feel good about the care she's able to give.'"

Slew of CA bills face deadline - sacbee.com

Slew of CA bills face deadline - sacbee.com: "Facing hundreds of bills in the waning days of this year's legislative session, lawmakers sent to the governor Monday measures targeting issues from firearm microstamping to child booster seats."

Health care bill passes CA Legislature, but governor says he'll veto it

Health care bill passes CA Legislature, but governor says he'll veto it: "The state Legislature approved an overhaul of California's health care system Monday, but even before the votes were tallied Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed to veto the bill and call lawmakers into a special session after the current session ends this week."

FDA warns Boston Sci over stent-graft system problems

FDA warns Boston Sci over stent-graft system problems: "Boston Scientific Corp. received a warning letter from U.S. regulators concerning safety violations, including failing to promptly report the deaths of five patients enrolled in clinical trials of a device used to treat ruptured blood vessels in the abdomen."

US moves to reform patent laws - Financial Times

US moves to reform patent laws - Financial Times: "Big US technology companies won an important patent reform victory on Friday when the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill that would bring sweeping changes to the way America rewards innovation."

White House opposes portion of patent bill - washingtonpost.com

White House opposes portion of patent bill - washingtonpost.com: "The Bush administration said on Thursday it supported elements of patent legislation expected to be voted on by the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday but criticized a provision changing how damages are calculated in infringement suits."

Senators Seek Public Listing of Payments to Doctors - New York Times

Senators Seek Public Listing of Payments to Doctors - New York Times: "Makers of drugs and medical devices would be required to report publicly nearly all payments and gifts to doctors under legislation introduced Thursday in the Senate. “Right now, the public has no way to know whether a doctor’s been given money that might affect prescribing habits,” said Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee and one of the bill’s authors."

Weems may hold CMS top post through 2008 without confirmation - TheHill.com

Weems may hold CMS top post through 2008 without confirmation - TheHill.com: "Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator-nominee Kerry Weems could hold the job without Senate confirmation for the rest of President Bush’s term following a move made by the White House this week. Although Weems’s nomination is still pending in the Senate, the president’s designation of him as acting administrator gives him the job indefinitely with the same legal authority as if he had been confirmed, according to the White House. "

House Dems see political win on SCHIP - TheHill.com

House Dems see political win on SCHIP - TheHill.com: "Based on new data from Stanley Greenberg, a Democratic pollster, House Democrats think a Bush veto of a bill to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) would force GOP lawmakers in politically divided districts to choose between protecting the administration and supporting uninsured children."

Hospital tax wins support from unusual source: hospitals

Hospital tax wins support from unusual source: hospitals: "The California Hospital Association plans to take the very rare step of endorsing a tax on its own members to help finance Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's bold plan to overhaul health care and cover 6.5 million uninsured residents, sources said Thursday afternoon."

CA State legislators begin final run | senate, assembly, bill, passed, report - OCRegister.com

CA State legislators begin final run senate, assembly, bill, passed, report - OCRegister.com: "The Legislature heard 183 bills on Tuesday, with 650 more to go before the end of this year's legislative calendar."

Term limit change cleared for ballot - SJMN

Term limit change cleared for ballot - SJMN: "The Secretary of State announced Tuesday that the initiative to loosen term limits has qualified for the Feb. 5 ballot, but only after four counties took the unusual step of revising their counts."