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Cultural mythologies strongly influence women’s expectations during pregnancy

Morning sickness, shiny hair and bizarre and intense cravings for pickles and ice cream -- what expectations do pregnant women impose on their bodies, and how are those expectations influenced by cultural perspectives on pregnancy? University of Cincinnati researcher Danielle Bessett, an assistant professor of sociology, presented her research at the 108th annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in New York, N.Y.

14 Aug 2013

Evangelical community people have conflicting views about homosexuality

Tolerance toward gays and lesbians is growing within the evangelical community - long a stronghold against homosexuality - with many expressing ambivalent views about the issue, according to a Baylor University study.

13 Aug 2013

Viewpoints: Obama overlooking legal constraints on employer mandate delay; Bush's 'unnecessary' heart procedure; discrimination against people with mental illnesses

In his Friday remarks, Mr. Obama also claimed that he had the "executive authority" for the mandate delay. But if he really believes that, then why did he say he would normally ask for a legislative "tweak." Either the fix requires legislation or it doesn't. His comments are certainly revealing about his attitudes on Presidential power and the constraints of the U.S. Constitution. Article II, Section 3 instructs him to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, not merely what he thinks is "the essence" of laws (8/10).

13 Aug 2013

Abortion fights in the states turn to digital world

Eleven states now ban abortion by telemedicine, the Guttmacher Institute says in a new study. In the meantime, the Government Accountability Office is investigating how Planned Parenthood and other related organizations spend public money.

13 Aug 2013

First Edition: Aug. 12, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about state action on the health law's implementation and other news from the health insurance marketplace.

12 Aug 2013

State highlights: Battle over Brooklyn hospital's fate widens in court

Justice Johnny L. Baynes in Brooklyn, who has issued three temporary restraining orders in the case since March, all forbidding SUNY to take steps to close [Long Island College Hospital], asked a lawyer representing Bill de Blasio, the public advocate and a Democratic candidate for mayor, whether he had reported allegations of criminal interference with emergency room services to the Brooklyn district attorney. Murmurs of approval rose from the room, packed with longtime patients, doctors, nurses and residents of northern Brooklyn where the fate of the 150-year-old hospital has become a rallying cry (Bernstein, 8/7).

9 Aug 2013

State highlights: Wis. AG says hospitals can't deny admitting privileges to abortion docs

Plans by three Catholic hospital systems in Wisconsin to deny admitting privileges to doctors who perform abortions would "be in active violation of federal law," state Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen's Department of Justice said in a court filing last week. Federal law "provides that hospitals accepting federal funds may not discriminate against a physician because that physician has participated in or refused to participate in abortions," the state Justice Department said in its filing in federal court (Ahmed, 8/7).

8 Aug 2013

Romney warns against linking efforts to undo health law to govt. shutdown threat

The former GOP presidential hopeful warned fellow Republicans that the party will "suffer" if some lawmakers continue to pursue this strategy.

8 Aug 2013

First Edition: August 7, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about how deadlines have been missed regarding tests for the health cxchange privacy system.

7 Aug 2013

Federal judge blocks Wisconsin abortion law

A federal judge blocked a Wisconsin abortion law from taking effect until a decision is made about its constitutionality. The law would require that women have an ultrasound before having the procedure, and that doctors who perform abortions have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.

6 Aug 2013

First Edition: August 5, 2013

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jordan Rau reports: "Medicare will levy $227 million in fines against hospitals in every state but one for the second round of the government's campaign to reduce the number of patients readmitted within a month, according to federal records released Friday" (Rau, 8/2).

5 Aug 2013

Viewpoints: Shutting down the government over health law is 'nutty' idea; GOP's Obamacare playbook for summer recess

Led by Sens. Mike Lee and Ted Cruz, the GOP insurgents are threatening to shut down the government on Oct. 1 if the stopgap funding bill contains money for Obamacare. This is nuts. The president will never sign a bill defunding the singular achievement of his presidency. Especially when he has control of the Senate. Especially when, though a narrow 51 percent majority of Americans disapproves of Obamacare, only 36 percent favors repeal. President Obama so knows he'll win any shutdown showdown that he's practically goading the Republicans into trying. ... Every fiscal showdown has redounded against the Republicans (Charles Krauthammer, 8/1).

3 Aug 2013

State highlights: Brooklyn hospital files for bankruptcy plans to close; N.D. abortion law blocked; Texas women's health program serving thousands less

A selection of health policy stories from New York, North Dakota, Texas, Minnesota and California.

2 Aug 2013

First Edition: August 1, 2013

Kaiser Health News consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers a question from a reader about if the health law requires employer-sponsored insurance to cover maternity benefits for an employee's dependents (8/1).

1 Aug 2013

U.S. divide on abortion widens along regional lines

Opposition to abortion has grown in parts of the South, while those in the Northeast and West Coast continue to be strong supporters of abortion rights, a study says.

1 Aug 2013

N.C. Governor signs law tightening abortion clinic regulations

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory on Monday signed into law a measure directing state officials to regulate abortion clinics based on the same standards as those for outpatient surgical centers, a change that critics say will force most to close (7/29).

31 Jul 2013

First Edition: July 30, 2013

Today's headlines include a USA Today story reporting that personal health care costs rose in the 12 months ending in May at the slowest rate in the last 50 years -- a finding that makes the White House happy.

30 Jul 2013

Proposed abortion ban breeds new generation of GOP leaders

It reads like a who's who of the next generation of Republican Party leaders: Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Rob Portman. But what is bringing all these marquee political names together is not the Iowa State Fair or a Tea Party rally on the National Mall. Rather, they are all talking discreetly about how to advance a bill in the Senate to ban abortion at 20 weeks after fertilization (Peters, 7/27).

30 Jul 2013