Obama budget to include Medicare/Medicaid cuts: “The president will propose cutting spending on Medicare, the federal health program for the elderly, and Medicaid, the joint federal-state program for the poor and disabled. However, he isn’t proposing the structural changes that experts say are needed to control spending in these programs over the long term.” [WSJ]
Conservative commentator likens birth control to Nazi Germany: “On MSNBC’s “Jansing & Co.” this morning, conservative commentator Eric Metaxas debated Donna Crane, policy director at NARAL Pro-Choice America, about President Obama’s decision to ensure millions of American women have insurance coverage of contraception. Metaxas called contraception and women’s health “side issues”–and then likened the no-cost birth-control rule to the rise of Nazi Germany in the 1930s.” [Blogs For Choice]
Planned Parenthood still in cross hairs: “Even as Handel was on her way out the door, two anti-abortion groups were releasing a report intended to push Republicans in Congress to continue their investigation of Planned Parenthood. A 23-page memo from the Susan B. Anthony List and the Alliance Defense Fund outlines what those groups’ leaders say are a series of funding irregularities uncovered in various state and federal audits of Planned Parenthood affiliates.” [Julie Rovner]
Arizona introduces restrictive anti-abortion: “A sweeping anti-abortion bill would generally ban abortions starting at 20 weeks of pregnancy and impose an array of new disclosure requirements, including having the state post online depictions of fetuses at two-week intervals.” [The Republic]
Baucus says permanent SGR deal unlikely: “Although Democrats have pushed to permanently replace the Medicare physician payment formula as part of extending a package of expiring tax cuts, a senior Democrat indicated Tuesday that a permanent fix was unlikely. Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), the senior Democrat on the panel negotiating the tax package, downplayed the likelihood of permanently replacing the Medicare sustainable growth-rate formula when asked about it after the group’s fourth meeting.” [Modern Healthcare]
Minnesota pushes for exchanges: “Minnesota lawmakers are grappling with a new question: How close can they get to setting up a health insurance exchange without passing a new state law?” [Kaiser Health News]
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