Election 2012

The national debate around healthcare has intensified in the 2012 elections. The issue is front and center in national, state and local political conversations. But amid the rhetoric, the soundbites, and the spin, many of the realities of healthcare and truths about reform are lost along the campaign trail. In response to these concerns, MedTech Media's leading healthcare publications, Healthcare IT News, Healthcare Finance News and Government Health IT, are deciphering the political doublespeak and asking the questions our readers find most pertinent – about politicians, healthcare policies and delivery system reform at the federal, state, and local levels.

 
Vocal against health reform, Missourians quiet on health IT
February 8, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
What with the presidential non-binding primary over, Missouri is more than just one of three states where Rick Santorum surprised the nation. The Show-Me State is staunch in its opposition to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) -- the individual mandate specifically.
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Colorado shows bipartisan HIX support even amid dispute
February 8, 2012 | Mary Mosquera
Colorado presents a mixed snapshot on how it is moving forward with health reform and other healthcare issues. On the one hand, it is a state leader in developing widely represented organizations to adopt EHRs and health information exchange. On the other, it is digging in its heels when it comes to health insurance exchange.
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'Obamacare' a lightning rod, but what about health IT?
February 6, 2012 | Mike Miliard
Healthcare reform is arguably the hot-button political issue of our time. And with the Supreme Court locked and loaded to decide the fate of the Affordable Care Act this summer, it's a safe bet the controversial two-year-old legislation will have a huge impact on the 2012 election and beyond.
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HIT figures prominently in GOP primary battle for Nevada
February 3, 2012 | Diana Manos
The GOP primary candidates head to Nevada on Saturday, a state with poor healthcare and few healthcare resources -- also one that has plunged in and begun implementing what it can of the Affordable Care Act, even though many in the state don't agree with the politics of it.
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Minnesota: A healthy appreciation for HIT
February 2, 2012 | Mike Miliard
With Minnesota's GOP caucus set for Feb. 7, we spoke to the North Star State's health IT honcho about public-private partnerships, electronic health records, health information exchange, telehealth and more. Often billed as the healthiest state in the U.S., Minnesota has long been a healthcare IT leader.
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Florida docs worry about IT, Medicare cuts
February 1, 2012 | Mary Mosquera
The uncertainty of how physicians will practice medicine in the next few years weighs heavily on doctors in Florida. And, the Republican primary candidates campaigning in the state recently said nothing that allayed their fears, according to the head of the Palm Beach County Medical Society.
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Chopra resigns from White House
January 27, 2012 | Mary Mosquera
Federal Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra, known for his energetic techno-evangelism, will resign his post, the White House announced Jan. 27. Expected to leave in early February, he's reported to be eying the Virginia lieutenant governorship.
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Bipartisan Policy Center calls for more, better health IT
January 27, 2012 | Bernie Monegain
A think tank with a healthcare task force chaired by former Senators Tom Daschle, a Democrat, and Bill Frist, MD, a Republican, is advocating for improved and better-used health information technology. Among the group's recommendations is "robust" data exchange.
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Gingrich's health center was power player in a host of Washington policy debates
January 27, 2012 | Fred Shulte and Joe Eaton
Newt Gingrich's Washington-based advocacy on behalf of a broad array of healthcare interests has been far more extensive than the Republican presidential candidate has acknowledged, a review by the Center for Public Integrity has found.
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Healthcare gets short shrift in State of the Union, GOP response
January 25, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
Healthcare was mentioned only in passing in President Obama's State of the Union address and Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels' Republican rebuttal Wednesday night.
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Tea Party keeps its eye on healthcare prize
January 19, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
Whether the Tea Party will influence the presidential campaign remains to be seen -- but the movement's participants this week are creating an undeniable impact in South Carolina leading up to Saturday's primaries.
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Gingrich: Early backer of healthcare IT
January 17, 2012 | Bernie Monegain
Newt Gingrich, the self-proclaimed "big ideas candidate," still in the running for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, has a history with Healthcare IT News.
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'Obamacare' a lightning rod, but what about health IT?
February 6, 2012 | Mike Miliard
Healthcare reform is arguably the hot-button political issue of our time. And with the Supreme Court locked and loaded to decide the fate of the Affordable Care Act this summer, it's a safe bet the controversial two-year-old legislation will have a huge impact on the 2012 election and beyond.
More
Santorum: Romneycare is 'uniquely unqualified'
February 10, 2012 | Kelly Mehler
Last week, Rick Santorum gave a speech billed as his "major speech on healthcare." One young child asked the Pennsylvania senator about the costs of medical care in America. He asked what Santorum would do in order to lower the costs of healthcare in the country.
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SOTU barely covers healthcare reform law: Social media reactions
January 27, 2012 | Kelly Mehler
After this week's State of the Union address, the Politico website dug into why President Obama barely mentioned healthcare reform law. Obama's law has garnered only 42 percent support by Americans, but has been among the most significant policy accomplishments for Obama since he took office.
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Healthcare 'flubs in Florida'
January 24, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
Last night, the remaining four GOP candidates debated in Tampa, Florida and, as usual, there were a number of topics misrepresented as facts – Mitt Romney’s attacks on the federal health law among those.
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Now there are five
January 17, 2012 | Tom Sullivan
Jon Huntsman, one of the Republican candidates with a background of instituting new healthcare measures, dropped out of the presidential race Jan. 16.
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Romney on being able to fire health insurers: Social media reactions
January 13, 2012 | Kelly Mehler
Last week, we looked at Rick Santorum's controversial statement that no one has ever died because they didn't have health insurance. This week, it seems another GOP presidential candidate has gotten himself into a bit of trouble regarding health insurance.
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New Hampshire GOP debate, round two (Twitter recap)
January 9, 2012 | Kelly Mehler
In their second debate in 12 hours, the Republican presidential candidates hashed it out Sunday morning during the television program Meet the Press. We live-tweeted the debate (@HITNewsTweet) and present here a full recap of the event and the reactions it prompted.
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Santorum: No one has ever died because they didn't have health insurance
January 6, 2012 | Kelly Mehler
Back in December, GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum stirred up trouble when he declared that nobody has ever died because they did not have health insurance. How did our healthcare-based social media following respond to Santorum's statement?
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The Iowa Caucuses and healthcare: What Twitter users are saying
January 3, 2012 | Kelly Mehler
The 2012 Iowa caucuses take off tonight, as candidates compete for the Republican presidential nomination. But where do the hopefuls stand on healthcare legislation, and how will that sway voters in the Hawkeye state? Here is a Twitter recap of what users have been saying on the subject matter.
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