First Edition: April 22, 2010

Apr 22 2010

Today's headlines highlight stories about the continuing politics behind the recent health reform vote.

Despite Federal Help, States Struggle to Move People Out Of Nursing Homes Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz, working in collaboration with USA Today, writes about the Money Follows The Person program: "Richard Hasselbach and Deborah Kadlec met in a nursing home and dreamed of a life together outside its walls. Their health conditions made living on their own a challenge: Hasselbach, 63, is disabled from a stroke and lost a leg to a blocked artery. Kadlec, 52, has multiple sclerosis. They both use wheelchairs and need help with chores such as bathing, cooking and remembering to take their medicines. Most of their relatives live in other states" (Kaiser Health News). See related video.

Black Americans Look To Health Plan For New Hope Death rates for cancer, stroke and diabetes are solemn warning notices for African-Americans, who suffer from those and other diseases at a higher rate than do whites. So when some members of Congress called the new health care overhaul the Civil Rights Act of the 21st century, many African-Americans agreed (NPR).

House OKs Benefits For Veterans' Caregivers The House voted 419 to 0 on Wednesday to approve new benefits and financial support for the primary live-in caregivers of seriously wounded veterans who served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (Los Angeles Times).

Democrats Dare Republicans To Repeal Health Fixes While most of Washington has already moved on from the health care debate, Democrats jumped at the first chance Wednesday to force Republicans to defend their calls to repeal the bill (Politico).

GOP Candidates Court Seniors Inside Desert Sports & Fitness are some of the most hotly contested voters in Arizona's Eighth Congressional District—scores of seniors whose free Silver Sneakers gym memberships might get cut under the new health-care law (The Wall Street Journal).

Some Dems Do Well After Health Vote House Democrats who switched their votes to help pass the new health care law saw their political contributions rise this year, a USA TODAY analysis of new campaign-finance reports show (USA Today).

Abortion Foes Target Old Allies Anti-abortion groups are poised to launch a multimillion-dollar offensive against a collection of former allies — House Democrats who also oppose abortion — in an effort to discredit their credibility with anti-abortion voters and oust them from office (Politico).

Doctor Groups Set New Policy To Curb Industry Sway No more letting industry help pay for developing medical guidelines. Restrictions on consulting deals. And no more pens with drug company names or other swag at conferences (The Associated Press).

Brookings Institution-Based Hamilton Project Relaunches
In the late years of the George W. Bush administration, a group of veterans of the Clinton White House's economics shop launched the Hamilton Project, a research effort aimed at developing policies to strengthen the nation's long-term economic prospects (The Washington Post).

Lead Poisoning, A Stubborn Nemesis But federal health officials now say eradication may still be years away because hazards remain in often poor urban pockets — mostly from old, badly maintained housing with lead-based paint. If the remaining cases are to be tackled effectively, local laws must be strengthened and enforcement increased, experts say (The New York Times).