Super PAC to air pro-Mitch McConnell ad

Super PAC to air pro-Mitch McConnell ad-politico: The super PAC supporting Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell’s reelection is going up with its first commercial Friday, touting the Kentucky Republican’s opposition to the Affordable Care Act. “On health care, Mitch McConnell’s stood with Kentuckians from Day One,” says an announcer in the spot, aired by the Kentucky Opportunity Coalition. “Tell him keep fighting to stop Obamacare in its tracks.”

Republicans Refuse to Name Members to Healthcare Panel

Republicans Refuse to Name Members to Healthcare Panel-medscape: WASHINGTON, May 9 (Reuters) - In a largely symbolic move, Republican leaders in Congress told President Barack Obama on Thursday that they will not participate in picking members of a controversial healthcare panel intended to restrain cost growth in the Medicare health insurance program for the elderly and disabled.

FDA Considers Reducing UDI Direct Marking Requirements For Implants

FDA Considers Reducing UDI Direct Marking Requirements For Implants-thegraysheet: Jay Crowley, FDA’s senior advisor for patient safety and the lead official on the developing UDI program, provided an overview of some of FDA plans for the upcoming final UDI rule during a May 1 session at the Medical Device Conference, co-sponsored by FDA and Xavier University in Cincinnati. The proposed rule was released last July, and FDA received more than 250 comments, some of which made convincing arguments for changes, Crowley said.

Opinion: Republicans to sick people: Tough luck

Opinion: Republicans to sick people: Tough luck-wasingtonpost: There was a striking Republican stumble on health care the other day that deserves to be parsed because it reveals so much about the party’s current dilemma. I’m talking about the tea party revolt that embarrassed House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and forced him to withdraw a modest bill to bolster the high-risk insurance pool meant to help sick Americans until Obamacare’s insurance exchanges are up and running next year.

Opinion:Obama’s claim that 90 percent of Americans ‘don’t have to worry’ about ‘Obamacare’

Opinion: Obama’s claim that 90 percent of Americans ‘don’t have to worry’ about ‘Obamacare’-washingtonpost: During the president’s news conference on the 100th day of his second term, he rebutted suggestions that the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. “Obamacare,” in the coming year might face problems. He made the argument that most Americans — “the 85 to 90 percent of Americans who already have health insurance” — will not notice anything but better health care, such as coverage for children under the age of 26 and no restrictions because of preexisting conditions.

Opinion:Morning Bits

Opinion: Morning Bits- washingtonpost: Yowser. About the president’s insistence that Obamacare implementation is not a train wreck, as Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) claimed: “By saying that the health care law was already delivering so many great benefits to 85 percent of the country and they don’t even know it, Obama was just reinforcing Baucus’s point. Beyond that, it’s false for Obama to suggest that implementation of the law next year won’t affect anybody other than those who are currently uninsured. In reality, new taxes kick in next year along with the individual mandate, changes to Medicare, fines on businesses that do not offer health insurance, new insurance regulations that will drive up the cost of premiums, along with a myriad of other provisions with wide-ranging impact.” But great answer, otherwise.

Health Care Law Is ‘Working Fine,’ Obama Says in Addressing Criticism

Health Care Law Is ‘Working Fine,’ Obama Says in Addressing Criticism-newyorktimes: The law represents one of the biggest changes in domestic policy in decades, as significant in some ways as the creation of Social Security or Medicare. But at a news conference on Tuesday, Mr. Obama suggested that most Americans would not be affected by changes taking effect next year. And some of his comments may lower public expectations.