Health insurers lobbying against softening of requirement for Americans to obtain coverage

Insurers say coverage penalty has to have bite

Obama packs Rose Garden with doctors in white medical coats to pitch his health care plan

WASHINGTON — On the cusp of a key legislative push, President Barack Obama on Monday filled the Rose Garden with doctors supportive of his health care overhaul, saying “nobody has more credibility with the American people on this issue than you do.”

AP Enterprise: United States has no reliable system to track defective medical implants

NEW YORK — Three years ago, the maker of a surgical clip called the Hem-o-lok issued an urgent recall notice warning doctors to stop using the fasteners on living kidney donors. It said the clips could dislodge in their bodies, with “serious, even life-threatening consequences.”

Obama to speak to gay fundraising dinner on eve of activist march in Washington

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama plans to address the nation’s largest gay rights group this weekend in an effort to mollify an uneasy Democratic constituency frustrated with the White House’s slow pace.

Named by unpopular governor, NY’s junior senator must tread election bid carefully

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. David Paterson keeps sinking in the public’s opinion, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is stuck in the vortex: She has to avoid getting sucked down by the governor’s historic low ratings without appearing ungrateful to the man who picked her to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Black, Latino groups target moderate Democratic senators on health care overhaul

WASHINGTON — African-American, Latino and civil rights groups have launched an ad campaign aimed at pressuring moderate Democratic senators to support health care legislation that allows the government to sell insurance in competition with private industry.

AP Source: Obama to speak to gay fundraising dinner on eve of activist march in Washington

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama plans to address the nation’s largest gay rights group this weekend, a person familiar with his schedule said Monday, trying to mollify an uneasy Democratic constituency.

Pitching health care overhaul, Obama packs Rose Garden with doctors in white medical coats

WASHINGTON — On the cusp of a key legislative push, President Barack Obama on Monday filled the Rose Garden with doctors supportive of his health care overhaul, saying “nobody has more credibility with the American people on this issue than you do.”

Health care issues: Are insurance market changes enough to fix the health care system?

A look at key issues in the health care debate:

Poland’s sports minister resigns over allegations of illegal lobbying for new gambling law

WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s sports minister resigned Monday over allegations he illegally tried to influence a new gambling law.

Obama to meet Monday with doctors, speak about need for reforming health care

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama meets with doctors from across the country for a morning Rose Garden event on health care.

Senate Democratic leader has tough task ahead in finalizing health care legislation

WASHINGTON — Forget mission accomplished. Try mission seemingly impossible.

Greek Socialists trounce governing conservatives on wave of anger over scandals, economy

ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s Socialist leader George Papandreou trounced the governing conservatives in a landslide election victory after a campaign focused on dramatically different visions of how to dig the country out of its worst economic crisis in years.

Greek Socialists claim election victory after voters angered by scandals oust conservatives

ATHENS, Greece — Greek voters angered by repeated scandals and a faltering economy ousted Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis in an early election Sunday, returning the Socialists to power after five years of conservative governance, initial results indicated.

US nursing homes pushed to brink: fund cuts, recession force layoffs, cutbacks, closings

HARTFORD, Conn. — The nation’s nursing homes are perilously close to laying off workers, cutting services — possibly even closing — because of a perfect storm wallop from the recession and deep federal and state government spending cuts, industry experts say.

Senate’s No. 2 Republican offers no support of Ensign as ethics committee investigates affair

WASHINGTON — The No. 2 Senate Republican is keeping his distance from the scandal surrounding his embattled GOP colleague from Nevada, John Ensign.

Possible extensions of jobless, health benefits eyed by administration for laid-off workers

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is considering steps to ease the burdens of laid-off workers, including possible extensions of unemployment and health benefits, officials said Saturday.

U of Ill. trustees OK president’s resignation after scandal, appoint temporary replacement

URBANA, Ill. — Trustees at the University of Illinois have accepted the resignation of the school’s president in the wake of an admissions scandal.

Major cases coming up for the Supreme Court in the new term

Highlights of some high-profile cases that the Supreme Court will take up in its term that begins Monday:

Even with health overhaul, insurance premiums could be a stretch for middle-class Americans

WASHINGTON — Many middle-class Americans would still struggle to pay for health insurance despite efforts by President Barack Obama and Democrats to make coverage more affordable.

Justice Sotomayor dances, sings, throws _ and now sits _ as Supreme Court begins its new term

WASHINGTON — Justice David Souter never danced the salsa in public. Justice John Paul Stevens doesn’t sing in karaoke bars. And Chief Justice John Roberts hasn’t thrown out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium.

Obama says businesses will hire more workers if Congress passes health care package

WASHINGTON — As the unemployment rate climbs, President Barack Obama is trying to make the case that his health care overhaul would create jobs by making small business startups more affordable.

Myanmar junta official holds surprise talks with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi

YANGON, Myanmar — Detained Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was escorted into surprise talks with a junta official Saturday, a week after writing a letter to the military leader proposing a new era of cooperation.

Analysis: Just a game? Olympics defeat could feed doubts about Obama on weightier subjects

WASHINGTON — OK, so it wasn’t health care, climate change or war. Still, President Barack Obama’s high-profile failure to win the Olympics for Chicago could feed negative narratives already nipping at his heels — that he’s a better talker than closer, more celebrity than statesman.

Senate health care bill could lead to higher Medicare prescription drug costs for seniors

WASHINGTON — Medicare recipients could see higher premiums for prescription drug coverage as a result of changes to complex provisions in a Senate health care bill, a senior Republican said Friday.

Senate GOP leader offers no support for Ensign amid new allegations about cover-up affair

WASHINGTON — Sen. John Ensign of Nevada was only beginning to emerge from a self-imposed political exile over fallout from his extramarital affair with a campaign aide. Now, tawdry new details about the case are raising fresh questions whether Ensign can be re-elected in 2012 — or even face criminal charges over his behavior.

Obama reaches historic milestone on health care but with no guarantee he’ll prevail in the end

WASHINGTON — Eight months in office, Barack Obama has now pushed closer than any other president in generations to creating a basic health care safety net for working Americans. Yet the fate of legislation delivering on his goal is far from certain: Republicans are nearly unified in opposition, Democrats hardly united in support.

Seniors want to know: What would health care overhaul do to Medicare?

CHICAGO — Businessman Stewart Grill, 75, believes there’s waste in Medicare. He’s just skeptical Congress can find and eliminate it without touching what he likes about his government health care plan.

Health bill’s progress is historic _ but opposition shows it’s still a long way from passage

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama has pushed closer than any president in generations to creating a basic health care safety net for most Americans, yet the fate of legislation delivering on his promise is far from certain.

Conn. officials demand to know if insurers discussed proposed health reform with policyholders

HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut officials demanded to know Friday if the state’s five largest insurance companies have sent policyholders information about a possible impact on Medicare of health care changes debated in Washington.