Wary Centrists Pose Challenge to HCR Bill - NYT

Wary Centrists Pose Challenge to HCR Bill - NYT - "The future of President Obama’s health care overhaul now rests largely with two blocs of swing Democrats in the House of Representatives — abortion opponents and fiscal conservatives — whose indecision signals the difficulties Speaker Nancy Pelosi faces in securing the votes necessary to pass the bill."

POLITICO: Obama presses case for HCR

POLITICO: Obama presses case for HCR - "President Barack Obama pressed his case Saturday for health care reform, pledging to consider Republican ideas for overhauling the system but suggesting he would still press forward even if no GOP members support the legislation."

Lobbying Rally on HCR

Lobbying Rally on HCR - "Washington interest groups have burst back into action in hopes of bolstering or defeating a new Democratic push on health-care reform legislation, sparking another wave of rallies, lobbying efforts and costly advertising campaigns."

What to watch for at the health care summit- politico.com

What to watch for at the health care summit- politico.com :
Thursday’s made-for-TV health reform summit is shaping up to be more like a presidential debate (without the podiums) than a backroom negotiation in which horses are traded and deals get done

Democrats looking beyond health-care summit to final talks within party- washingtonpost.com

Democrats looking beyond health-care summit to final talks within party-washingtonpost.com:
Congressional Democrats are already looking beyond the White House health-care summit, reckoning that Thursday's session will amount to little more than political theater and focusing instead on a final round of intraparty negotiations that are likely to determine the fate of President Obama's top domestic priority.

Obama Stays on Offense with Health Care Proposal-washingtonpost.com

Obama Stays on Offense with Health Care Proposal-washingtonpost.com

With health-care reform stalled, debate heats up regarding state approaches - washingtonpost.com

With health-care reform stalled, debate heats up regarding state approaches - washingtonpost.com: "Proponents of leaving health-care reform to the states have gained momentum as national legislation stalls in Congress, setting off a new debate over who is best able to tackle one of the nation's thorniest social issues."

Democrats suggest ways to curb companies' campaign spending-washingtonpost.com

Democrats suggest ways to curb companies' campaign spending-washingtonpost.com: Democratic leaders in Congress unveiled proposals Thursday that would limit the impact of a Supreme Court decision allowing unfettered corporate spending on political campaigns.

Can GOP shine at health summit-politico.com

Can GOP shine at health summit?-politico.com: All week, Republicans have been grousing about the president’s health care summit like it’s a trip to the dentist.

FDA budget draws cries of 'not enough' - latimes.com

FDA budget draws cries of 'not enough' - latimes.com "A coalition of interests will push for more money, saying chronic underfunding has led to failures at the agency and that society, not just companies, are affected."

Why Health Policies Can Fail to Keep Up With Key Medical Findings - WSJ.com

Why Health Policies Can Fail to Keep Up With Key Medical Findings - WSJ.com ". . . studies like Courage—that find an already-popular and a lucrative treatment can merely be unnecessary, but not harmful—have rarely altered medical practice . . ."

Medical-Devices Sector Could Face Tougher Regulatory Pathway - WSJ.com

Medical-Devices Sector Could Face Tougher Regulatory Pathway - WSJ.com: "The FDA, under its new leadership, has toughened its image. Amid this atmosphere, device makers are particularly focused on a review of a fast-track approval pathway known as 510(k) that has drawn criticism for leniency."

Retracting a Medical Journal’s Autism Study - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

Retracting a Medical Journal’s Autism Study - Well Blog - NYTimes.com: Tying to publicly-sponsored comparative effectiveness research, we might be able to learn from the mistakes of the past. "We don’t seem able to have a rational conversation in the public space about difficult controversial issues without people drawing a conclusion which could be very averse," says Dr. Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet.

Hospitals Suffer as Health Care Legislation Stalls - NYTimes.com

Hospitals Suffer as Health Care Legislation Stalls - NYTimes.com: "For the nation’s hospitals, at least, the cost of doing nothing in Washington translates into tens of billions of dollars each year in medical bills that go unpaid by patients with little or no insurance."

In poll, Republicans gaining political ground on Obama

In poll, Republicans gaining political ground on Obama: "Republicans have significantly narrowed the gap with Democrats on who is trusted to deal with the country's problems and have sharply reduced several of President Obama's main political advantages, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll."

Democrats Protect Backroom Deals-Politico.com

Democrats Protect Backroom Deals-Politico.com: "The health care bill is in trouble, but a series of narrow deals — each designed to win over a wavering senator or key interest group — is alive and well, despite voter anger over the parochial horse-trading that marked the rush toward passage before Christmas."

Hospitals Dispute Medtronic Data on Wires-WSJ.com

Hospitals Dispute Medtronic Data on Wires-WSJ.com: "Some leading hospitals are reporting failure rates for Medtronic Inc.'s fracture-prone defibrillator wires—including among young people—that are significantly higher than what the company has publicly disclosed."

Nancy Pelosi's new health care plan-politico.com

Nancy Pelosi's new health care plan-politico.com: "With the broader health care bill still perilously close to collapse, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to take a shot at the health insurance industry next week by scheduling a vote on a smaller bill to revoke its half-century-old exemption from antitrust laws"

States Restart Health-Care Push -wsj.com

States Restart Health-Care Push -wsj.com: "With the fate of a national health care overhaul unclear, state legislators are pushing their own bills aimed at expanding coverage, though tight budgets are likely to hinder many of these efforts."

Axelrod: Americans want health reform - POLITICO.com

Axelrod: Americans want health reform - POLITICO.com: "The American people do not want the president to walk away from health care reform, White House senior adviser David Axelrod said Sunday."