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Morning Health
Healthcare reform showdown in Minnesota:
Gov.
and potential 2012 presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty makes headlines with his
executive order barring state agencies from participation in the healthcare
reform law. http://bit.ly/bJdcli
The
executive order directs state agencies to decline all discretionary
participation in the new law. As a result, none of Minnesota's executive branch
departments and agencies can submit applications for grants or demonstration
projects unless required by the new law or approved by the governor's office. http://bit.ly/9XXAHV
"Obamacare
is an intrusion by the federal government into personal healthcare matters and
it's an explosion of federal spending that does nothing to make healthcare more
affordable," Pawlenty said in a statement. "To the fullest extent
possible, we need to keep Obamacare out of Minnesota. This executive order will
stop Minnesota's participation in projects that are laying the groundwork for a
federally-controlled healthcare system."
Democrats are unimpressed: The
order is immediately dismissed as a political stunt by Democrats. Health and
Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says she's "afraid the
citizens of Minnesota may be the victims of whatever it is that’s coming their
way." http://bit.ly/bgi1FN
Are small businesses better off with healthcare reform? The Commonwealth Fund seeks to answer the question with the release of a new report this week. The organization will hold a teleconference/briefing at 11 a.m.
The news comes as Democrats have been touting the new law's business grants in the face of continued criticism by employers. HHS on Tuesday announced that almost 2,000 employers and unions have been accepted into the $5 billion Early Retiree Reinsurance Program. http://bit.ly/bmX1NP
Stem cell decision challenged: The
Department of Justice filed an emergency motion asking a U.S. district judge to
suspend a recent ruling prohibiting federal funding of human embryonic stem
cell research. http://bit.ly/cNN1Qj
The
agency is asking the judge to stay — or suspend — his ruling while the DOJ
appeals it "to avoid terminating research projects midstream, invalidating
results in process, and impeding or negating years of scientific progress
toward finding new treatments for devastating illnesses." Anti-abortion
groups, who cheered the judge's ruling, are now slamming the White House for
appealing it. http://bit.ly/8Z5A9J
Democrats against healthcare reform: Rep.
Frank Kratovil (D-Md.) joins Reps. Bobby Bright (D-Ala.) and Jason Altmire
(D-Pa.) with his new ad highlighting his "no" vote on healthcare
reform. http://bit.ly/alyEz2
A new
Kaiser Family Foundation poll suggests that's not a bad idea. The poll found
that support for the law fell to 43 percent in August — down from 50 percent
just a month before. http://bit.ly/9X3vL6
