Tom Howell Jr.

Cost of vaccines is soaring: report

The price of medical vaccines has soared in recent years, from single to triple digits in some cases, a worrying sign for doctors and public health budgets, according to the New York Times.

July 3, 2014

Jefferson’s punctuation could tweak Declaration of Independence

As the nation celebrates Independence Day, there is a debate brewing over a few squiggles on parchment that could change the meaning of the Declaration of Independence.

July 3, 2014

House GOP: Time to crack down on Social Security judges who ‘rubber stamp’ disability benefits

House Republicans signaled this week they will pressure the Social Security Administration to crack down on administrative law judges who appear to "rubber stamp" disability benefits for applicants who had been denied at a lower tier.

July 3, 2014

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie vetoes gun control bill, says it wouldn’t reduce violence

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has vetoed a bill that would have limited the size of ammunition magazines in his state.

July 3, 2014

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoes abortion waiting-period bill

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have tripled the waiting period for women who sought an abortion, saying it would lengthen the suffering of rape or invent victims and put women's health at risk, according to news reports.

July 2, 2014

GOP governors will size up Medicaid expansion in fellow red states: Health expert

A top health policy expert says states with Republican governors will be watching how Obamacare's Medicaid expansion goes over in fellow red states that took the plunge.

July 2, 2014

CDC: Painkiller abuse varies widely around U.S. for no reason

The frequency of opioid painkiller prescriptions varies from region to region around the U.S., a puzzling pattern that could be contributing to more overdose deaths in areas with an unusually high rate of scripts, according to government researchers.

July 2, 2014

Shirtless jogger jeers Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, becomes overnight sensation

A shirtless jogger caused a sensation on Canada Day by interrupting festivities to ream out Toronto Mayor Rob Ford.

July 2, 2014

Rep. Michael Burgess to White House: Be honest and fix Obamacare’s problems

Rep. Michael Burgess lambasted the Obama administration Wednesday for failing to build out Obamacare's tech platform in a way that could avoid or rectify a slew of inconsistencies on consumers' applications.

July 2, 2014

U.S. men’s soccer team leaves Brazil for … ‘Tim Howard Airport?’

The U.S. is out of the World Cup in Brazil, but a record-setting performance by American goalkeeper Tim Howard has a coalition of proud Americans rethinking the name of a Washington-area airport.

July 2, 2014

Woman dies after struggling with Obamacare exchange and putting off surgery: report

A Las Vegas woman died Monday after putting off brain surgery for two months while attempting to gain coverage on Nevada's balky health exchange, the Las Vegas Sun said.

July 2, 2014

Obamacare to impact November elections, but may not decide them: poll

Obamacare will play a role in how Americans vote in November's midterm elections but it is hardly a sure-fire winner for either party, according to a new survey.

July 2, 2014

More than half of U.S. veterans have trouble accessing VA care, poll shows

More than half of U.S. military veterans say it is either "very" or "somewhat" difficult to access care at Veterans Affairs medical centers.

July 2, 2014

Tap the keg! Census says beer industry is thriving

The number of U.S. breweries more than doubled between 2007 and 2012, according to Census data released Tuesday that shows the beer business is booming.

July 1, 2014

Democrats eye Hobby Lobby defeat as a weapon on the campaign trail

Democrats are hoping to turn a high-profile Obamacare loss before the Supreme Court into a political win ahead of November midterms, urging donors and women voters to help them reverse the decision to let closely held corporations duck a White House mandate to cover birth control as part of company health plans.

July 1, 2014

IG: Obamacare markets foul up eligibility and verification parts of applications

Republican lawmakers on Tuesday seized on audits that suggest Obamacare's new health exchanges are ill-equipped to verify applicants' identities and eligibility for government subsidies — findings that breathe new life into fears the Web-based program is not secure and cannot function properly.

July 1, 2014

Conservatives to Obama White House: Pay for contraceptives yourself

Conservatives took a victory lap Tuesday, celebrating a Supreme Court decision one day prior that called on the Obama administration to find ways to insure birth control without forcing closely held corporations to do it in their health plans.

July 1, 2014

Medical review: Yes, childhood vaccines are safe

A published review of 20,000 scientific studies on childhood vaccines concludes they are safe — period — and should be obtained to prevent deadly diseases.

July 1, 2014

Party and religion are key to how women feel about Hobby Lobby decision: report

Women do not want companies to shirk coverage of contraceptives by a margin of 59 percent to 35 percent, yet their views on the issue differ by party, ideology and religion, a top health policy expert said.

July 1, 2014

Rep. Luis Gutierrez: Republicans risk national irrelevance unless they move on immigration

A small contingent of Republicans are letting intraparty threats and parochial viewpoints hold up immigration reform and damage their national brand, Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez said Tuesday.

July 1, 2014