OVERNIGHT HEALTH: What to watch for in tonight's debate

President Obama and Mitt Romney are set to trade barbs — perhaps even zingers — over healthcare policy during tonight's debate. So what are the areas of conflict to look out for?

1. ObamaCare/RomneyCare: Tonight will be the first time Romney has to contend with Obama, rather than a fellow Republican, on the similarities between these two versions of healthcare reform. Romney neutralized the issue during the primary by vowing persistently to repeal "ObamaCare," but the laws are in fact highly similar, and both contain the unpopular individual mandate.

2. Medicare: Romney's Medicare plan is decidedly unpopular; polls give Obama a large and growing edge when voters are asked who they think would better handle the program. And Romney's job is made harder by the fact that he has criticized Obama for Medicare cuts that Paul Ryan wanted to preserve, the reversal of which would shorten Medicare's financial solvency. But Romney is also correct that the program presents an enormous fiscal challenge to the United States.

3. Medicaid: The Obama campaign has a new ad running that criticizes Romney's proposed Medicaid cuts, following up on the attack former President Clinton introduced at the Democratic convention last month. But many Republicans see Medicaid reform as the new welfare reform, and the program's stigma as an entitlement for the poor can limit its political value.

The debate starts at 9 p.m.

Meh: Efforts to sell health insurance across state lines haven't made much of an impact or galvanized much popular support, according to a new paper from researchers at Georgetown University. Only six states have passed laws to allow the sale of insurance policies from other states, and not a single insurance company has taken advantage of the expanded market, according to the research. Healthwatch has more.

Teen births at historic low: New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that teen births have hit their lowest point since the 1940s. About 330,000 children were born to teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 last year, the CDC reported — a figure that has dropped 38 percent since 1991. The birth rate for women in their early 20s hit a record low, meanwhile, at 85.3 births per 1,000. The numbers are in line with previous reports finding that teen pregnancy has become much less frequent in the past two decades. Most experts have attributed the trend to a rise in the use of effective contraception. In a statement Wednesday, Planned Parenthood Vice President Leslie Kantor backed "expanding access to high-quality sex education and making long-acting types of birth control ... more accessible to teens." Read more about the new numbers at Healthwatch. 

Thursday's agenda

AHIP will begin its 2012 state issues conference in Washington, D.C.


State by state

Jerry Brown veto seeks stronger ties between Calif. health law and federal act

Christians-only health ministry is shut down in Kentucky


Lobbying registrations

FrogueClark / Health Management Associates


Reading list

ObamaCare will extend health insurance to 32 million Americans. This is who they are.

Medicaid stars in new Obama campaign ad

Poll finds seniors happy with Part D [reg. req'd]

Nurses seek expanded role


What you might have missed on Healthwatch

GOP lawmaker wants USDA to take "nutrition nanny state challenge"


Comments / complaints / suggestions?

Please let us know:

Sam Baker: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / 202-628-8351

Elise Viebeck: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / 202-628-8523

Follow us on Twitter @hillhealthwatch

---