Morning CheckUp: February 3, 2012

Hospitals overpay for devises: “Some hospitals pay thousands of dollars more than others for big-ticket medical devices such as defibrillators and hip replacements, and a portion of the higher costs could be passed on to the federal Medicare program, a new government report says.” [WSJ]

Cuccinelli to square off against Coakley: “Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will square off against Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley on the constitutionality of the federal health care overhaul. The Feb. 9 event at the National Press Club in Washington will serve as a prelude to the U.S. Supreme Court’s consideration of challenges to the law in March.” [AP]

Obama informed Catholic leaders of conscience rules: “Obama — in recognition of the issue’s sensitivity to the church — picked up the phone to personally break the news to two influential Catholic leaders: New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan and Sister Carol Keehan, head of the largest Catholic health association in the country and a pivotal supporter of Obama’s Affordable Care Act ” [Politico]

Virginia advances another anti-abortion measure: “A bill to defund state-paid abortions for low-income women expecting a child with “gross and totally incapacitating physical deformity or mental deficiency” is likely to pass the House of Delegates Friday after advancing today.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch]

Health reform was tea party’s first loss: “With Mitt Romney’s hold on the Republican nomination looking secure, the Tea Party will soon have to face the reality that despite pushing the Republican Party and its nominee to the right, they’ll wind up losing the fight in the end.” [Richard Kirsch]

Addicts’ brains show less self-control: “Many addicts inherit a brain that has trouble just saying no to drugs. A study in Science finds that cocaine addicts have abnormalities in areas of the brain involved in self-control. And these abnormalities appear to predate any drug abuse.” [NPR]