Tuesday Tidbits

Well, we have keys. Every day, another step towards our move. Exciting and scary, both. Anyway, first, the news:

President Obama is on his bus tour, slamming the GOP for not budging on tax reform and revenue enhancement. Warren Buffet -- one of the wealthiest Americans -- says please tax me! Still, 39 GOP House members published an editorial in Politico today blaming the Senate for not passing their extreme budgets that would end Medicare as we know it and make health care that much further out of reach for millions of Americans. Meanwhile, the lobbyists are gearing up for the super-committee.

The great Jonathan Cohn explains what's at stake for Medicare in the super-committee. Brilliant analysis.

Politico also says the fate of the health reform law will be decided just before the 2012 elections. I'm not sure -- it depends whether the Obama Administration gets the whole 11th Circuit to hear the case before it goes to the Supreme Court. That would slow it down some.

Medicaid pays less for prescription drugs than does Medicare. According to the NY Times, that's because Medicaid discounts are set by law, and Medicare prices are negotiated by private insurers and drug companies. Did you need any more proof that Congress should allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices?

The last time you were in the hospital, did you see your doctor or a hospitalist you've never met before? I hate the trend towards hospitalists, but it appears to be unstoppable.

Do you know how to store your medication? Read this and make sure you're taking precautions.

I love this -- nurse navigators helping patients to make the health care system work right.

Doctors have to report child abuse, but is it always the right thing to do? I read this story and it didn't make me stop and think. Of course, you report. But what gets me are the schools that report a parent for neglect when child misses school because he's out sick -- with a doctor's note. That's really not okay.

A California legislator held a health care town hall. Unlike the screaming fests of two summers ago, it was a place for people to air concerns and for officials to educate them about how health reform implementation will help them.

Big hospital chains hire lobbyists to fight curbing Medicare spending on hospice services.

Do you lie to your doctors? Apparently, many do. How can they help us if we don't tell them the truth?

Home health aides are in demand as people stay out of hospitals and nursing homes as long as they can.

A debate over whether to use CT scans to screen for lung cancer. As best I can tell, the down-side is money and perhaps a few false positives.

Recent advances in cancer research have been really meaningful. Exciting.

For women in menopause, all of the self-help tricks don't work very well. Hormones may be the only solution?

And there you go, off to start your day fully informed. Have a great day! Jennifer