On First Day as Democrat, Specter (Again) Bucks His Party - washingtonpost.com

On First Day as Democrat, Specter (Again) Bucks His Party - washingtonpost.com: "Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.) began his first full day as a Democrat since the early 1960s at a party-switching celebration hosted by President Obama and Vice President Biden. He ended it by casting another vote against Obama, opposing his budget as too authoritarian in the rules it establishes for the health-care debate later this year."

Medicare System Overhaul Proposed by Two Senators - NYTimes.com

Medicare System Overhaul Proposed by Two Senators - NYTimes.com: "Leading senators from both parties said Wednesday that they would make sweeping changes in Medicare to reward or penalize doctors, hospitals and nursing homes according to the quality of care they provided."

Senate Confirms Sebelius as Health Secretary - NYTimes.com

Senate Confirms Sebelius as Health Secretary - NYTimes.com: "The Senate confirmed the nomination of Kathleen Sebelius as secretary of health and human services on Tuesday, allowing President Obama to fill the last vacancy in his cabinet with a seasoned politician who will take charge of the fight against swine flu."

Institute Urges Strict Curbs on Medical Industry Perks - WSJ.com

Institute Urges Strict Curbs on Medical Industry Perks - WSJ.com: "The Institute of Medicine recommended Tuesday that doctors, medical schools, professional groups and drug makers make far-reaching changes to prevent industry gifts and payments from influencing patient care and research."

Headless Health Agencies Face Swine Flu - WSJ Health Blog

Headless Health Agencies Face Swine Flu - WSJ Health Blog: "The proposed commissioner of the FDA may be MIA, but she’s IBD (in big demand) among Democrats, Republicans, and even industry.
Never mind that nominee"

Specter To Switch Parties- WashingtonPost

Specter To Switch Parties-Washingtonpost.com: "Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning."

Obama Urges Major Investment in Scientific Research - WSJ.com

Obama Urges Major Investment in Scientific Research - WSJ.com: "President Barack Obama on Monday promised a major investment in research and development, with the goal of spending 3% of the nation's gross domestic product on scientific innovation."

A conservative health care champion - POLITICO.com

A conservative health care champion - POLITICO.com: "Conservatives for Patients’ Rights will release a documentary illustrating what Rick Scott describes as the perils of public health care in Great Britain and Canada. He’s trying to discredit the public insurance option, an idea supported by many Democrats that would force private insurers to compete with a government plan."

Health-Care Dialogue Alarms Obama's Allies - washingtonpost.com

Health-Care Dialogue Alarms Obama's Allies - washingtonpost.com: "As Congress returns to begin an intense debate over reshaping the nation's $2.2 trillion health-care system, prominent left-leaning organizations and liberal House members are issuing a warning to their Democratic allies: Don't cave on us."

Two faces of the public plan coin - POLITICO.com

Two faces of the public plan coin - POLITICO.com: "Newt Gingrich and Jacob Hacker stand on different sides of the most contentious question on health care reform: Should Americans be able to choose between a public insurance option and private coverage?"

Health Care Cautions, From One Who Knows - NYTimes.com

Health Care Cautions, From One Who Knows - NYTimes.com: "The caution comes from Richard A. Gephardt, a former Missouri congressman and a major figure in Democratic politics in his 28 years in the House and service as party leader. He put health coverage for all Americans at the center of his 2004 presidential bid, calling it “the moral issue of our time.”"

Coast, a Medical Trial Company, Agrees to Suspension - NYTimes.com

Coast, a Medical Trial Company, Agrees to Suspension - NYTimes.com: "A Colorado company that approved a make-believe clinical trial run by doctors who did not exist got a dose of reality on Tuesday"

Study Author in JAMA Disclosure Flap Has His Say - WSJ Health Blog

Study Author in JAMA Disclosure Flap Has His Say -WSJ Health Blog: "Another punch has been thrown in the spat over how the Journal of the American Medical Association handled a case in which the author of a study it published on antidepressant use in stroke patients failed to note he had a financial relationship with the drug company whose product was studied."

Heart Guidelines Show Promise - WSJ.com

Heart Guidelines Show Promise - WSJ.com: "push to get hospitals to follow prescribed treatment guidelines is showing promising results in improving care for stroke and heart-attack patients and preventing repeat hospitalizations for those with heart failure."

In Minnesota, a Battle Without End for a Senate Seat - NYTimes.com

In Minnesota, a Battle Without End for a Senate Seat - NYTimes.com: "Norm Coleman spends his days in the quiet living room of his small house here, thumbing through stacks of legal papers. His United States Senate staff and offices vanished at the start of the year, as did his salary, so Mr. Coleman works part-time as a consultant to the Republican Jewish Coalition."

Cuts Expected to Subsidies for Private Medicare Plans - WSJ.com

Cuts Expected for Private Medicare Plans - WSJ.com: "The government late Monday is expected to set in stone the 2010 rates it will pay health insurers to run private Medicare plans. Most signs suggest that cuts are coming in the subsidies that the industry got during the Bush administration."

Congress Approves Budget - washingtonpost.com

Congress Approves Budget - washingtonpost.com: "Congressional Democrats overwhelmingly embraced President Obama's ambitious and expensive agenda for the nation yesterday, endorsing a $3.5 trillion spending plan that sets the stage for the president to pursue his most far-reaching priorities. Voting along party lines, the House and Senate approved budget blueprints that would trim Obama's spending proposals for the fiscal year that begins in October and curtail his plans to cut taxes."

U.S. Senate panel approves patent reform - Reuters

U.S. Senate panel approves patent reform - Reuters: "The Senate Judiciary Committee voted on Thursday to approve a patent reform bill that has had drug, high-tech and other industries at loggerheads for several years."

Sebelius Nomination Slows- WSJ Health Blog

Sebelius Nomination Slows- WSJ Health Blog: "After two rounds questioning on Capitol Hill this week, it looks likely that the Senate will approve Kathleen Sebelius as secretary of Health and Human Services. But the approval may have to wait a few more weeks."

Stanford to Disclose Industry Comp - WSJ

Stanford Medical School to Disclose More About Industry Comp - Health Blog - WSJ: "Stanford University’s medical school will begin to publicly identify doctors and other faculty members who receive more than $5,000 annually from drug and medical-device companies — but it won’t put an exact figure on how much they were paid."

Sebelius: 'No relief in sight' - POLITICO.com

Sebelius: 'No relief in sight' - POLITICO.com: "Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, President Obama's nominee to be secretary of Health and Human Services, says in testimony for her confirmation hearing that present and future jobs depend on the extensive changes he has proposed to the economy's biggest sector."

Judiciary Panel Resumes Patent-Reform Markup- Congress Daily

Judiciary Panel Resumes Patent-Reform Markup-Congress Daily: "Even though Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, ranking member Arlen Specter and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., reached a deal on language that would dictate how damages are awarded in patent infringement lawsuits, the committee still may face hurdles when it continues marking up the bill today."

Questioning Industry Funding of Medical Specialty Societies - WSJ Health Blog

Questioning Industry Funding of Medical Specialty Societies - WSJ Health Blog: "The push to untangle physicians from industry funding came to medical specialty societies today. Some big-name docs (Steve Nissen, anyone?) published an article in JAMA arguing that the groups should put tight limits on the funding they accept from drug and device makers."

HHS Nominee Sebelius Amends Tax Returns - WSJ.com

HHS Nominee Sebelius Amends Tax Returns - WSJ.com: "Health and Human Services nominee Kathleen Sebelius amended three years' worth of tax returns to correct 'unintentional errors,' paying back taxes and interest totaling just under $8,000."