Bush Administration Now Willing to Increase SCHIP Spending by $19 Billion Only Weeks After Vetoing a Bipartisan Compromise

At a February 7th Senate Finance Committee hearing, HHS Secretary Leavitt testified about the 2009 Bush budget request.This time, the Bush Administration is asking for $19.3 billion more for SCHIP over the next five years.Just a few weeks ago, President Bush vetoed the $35 billion bipartisan SCHIP extension yet again. Bush and Leavitt maintained all of last year that the program should be

Lifetime Health Care Costs For the Obese and Smokers Lower Because They're Dead Sooner

This was the impressive conclusion of a study published by the Public Library of Science Medicine. The study was sponsored by the Dutch Ministry of Health Welfare and Sport.Obese people had the highest health care costs between the ages of 20 and 56. Obese folks and smokers were found to have a higher rate of heart disease than others.However, the authors found that the obese and those who smoke

Mom, Dad, the Kids and Medicare––Would an Obama Presidency Energize Young Adults to Demand Entitlement Reform?

Barack Obama has made this election-year different. Not since the 1960s have young voters been so energized. One college town after another has voted big for him.On entitlement issues like Social Security and Medicare, the political debate has always been dominated by what senior voters want. They have been the big and effective voter block that have managed to insulate these programs from any