Weekly News (December 13 - December 17)

Law Will Proceed, Administration Says (New York Times, Dec. 13)
A court decision striking down a central provision of the new health care law will not disrupt efforts to carry it out, even though the ruling could increase confusion and embolden critics, Obama administration officials and employers said Monday.

Fate of law probably up to high court (Washington Post, Dec. 14)
Perhaps the only issue on which opponents and supporters of the health-care law can agree is that its fate will probably be decided by the Supreme Court.

Americans’ Opinions Of Health Law Shifts - Just A Little (Kaiser Health News, Dec. 13)
Nine months after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, Americans remain just as divided over the federal health care overhaul as they were in the weeks immediately following its passage, a tracking poll released Monday by the Kaiser Family Foundation suggests.

Few Seniors Have Long-Term Care Insurance (Kaiser Health News, Dec. 14)
People don’t like to think about what will happen if they become too ill or infirm to manage on their own.

Analysis: Soda tax may reduce weight, raise revenue (USA Today, Dec. 13)
Millions of people would lose about a pound or more a year if large taxes were tacked onto regular soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages such as sport drinks and fruit drinks, a new analysis shows.

Presidential Proclamation—International Day of Persons with Disabilities
(White House Press Release, Dec. 3)
The White House issued a press release honoring the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to making sure people with disabilities are treated equally.

Home Care Might Be Cheaper, But States Still Fear It (NPR, Dec. 2)
Many states resist programs that allow seniors and people with disabilities to get their long-term care at home instead of nursing homes, fearing it will cost more.  Yet studies show home care is actually more cost effective.

Care At Home: A New Civil Right (NPR, Dec. 2)
By law, seniors and people with disabilities can choose to receive in-home care rather than live in nursing homes.  Yet NPR found some people aren’t getting the choice to stay at home.