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Republican Rep. Scott DesJarlais (Tenn.), a physician, was disciplined by his state medical board for conducting affairs with patients in 2000.

The sophomore congressman received a reprimand and a $500 fine from the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners after an ethics watchdog complained last fall. He may also be tagged with investigation costs.

That watchdog, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), characterized DesJarlais's penalty Thursday as a slap on the wrist. 

A new Republican Senate bill seeks to facilitate the use of tax-advantaged health savings accounts (HSA) and flexible spending arrangements by loosening the rules that govern them.

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced legislation Thursday to remove "onerous" restrictions on HSAs, like the ban on using HSA dollars to buy over-the-counter drugs tax-free.

"Streamlining these popular healthcare products, as our legislation does, will provide millions of families, workers, and retirees the opportunity to put away tax-free savings to pay for their personal medical costs," Hatch said in a statement.

Family medical costs still rising

Eleven insurers want to play ball in Colo.'s marketplace

Two states seek help with health exchanges

House GOP panel OKs budget cuts far deeper than those approved in March

Market, insurers will keep premiums low, analysts say

Cancer Society hits 100 as U.S. cancer rate falls

Hospitals treat more than 120 after Oklahoma tornado

Red Cross provides website for those looking for tornado victims

Tornado tears through Okla. hospital [free registration required]

Emergency departments (EDs) play an increasingly important role in U.S. healthcare by sorting through possible hospital admissions and supplementing the work of primary care doctors, according to a new study.

The RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, found that emergency rooms (ERs) accounted for almost all growth in hospital admissions between 2003 and 2009. Emergency departments now pass on about half of all admissions to U.S. hospitals.

The study challenged a powerful narrative about ERs, an expensive medical venue that has been blamed for rising healthcare costs. Researchers with RAND argued that ERs in fact prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, engage in preventive care and provide complex diagnostic work-ups that many primary care doctors do not. 

House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa baited the White House into a Twitter fight Thursday afternoon ahead of a scheduled vote to repeal the president's signature healthcare law.

The California Republican urged supporters to use the hashtag "#ObamaCareInThreeWords" to describe how they felt about the Affordable Care Act.

Hey folks, #ObamaCareInThreeWords -- go!

— Darrell Issa (@DarrellIssa) May 16, 2013

The Obama administration wants higher standards for federally funded child care.

A proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services issued on Thursday would strengthen standards for the 1.6 million children who are served by providers that get money from the Child Care and Development Fund, a federal program to aid low-income children under the age of 13.

The administration claims that current regulations resemble a patchwork of regulations for child care centers, with state laws varying on whether providers need background checks or first aid and CPR training. One in 10 children who are served by the program are cared for in totally unregulated facilities, the department asserts in the proposal, which "can leave children in unsafe conditions, even as their care is being funded with public dollars."

The Obama administration is taking steps to codify looser regulations on "smart pills" that transmit messages from inside a patient's stomach.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is formally classifying the miniature medical device in a way that relaxes the government's control over the technology. The device can be attached to pills and send time-stamped messages about how drugs are being ingested.

Veteran's new battle is getting disability compensation

Agent Orange tied to aggressive prostate cancer risk

Feds approve Utah for dual-model insurance marketplace