Today鈥檚 early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including the latest on how Medicare and other entitlement programs fit into the looming battle over raising the federal debt limit.
: Obama Escalates Debt Fight
Mr. Obama said he was willing to work with the GOP on an agreement to cut spending鈥攊ncluding 鈥渕odest adjustments to programs like Medicare鈥濃�攂ut not in the context of the debt ceiling. He said agreeing to link the two would be like a 鈥渘egotiation with a gun at the head of the American people鈥� in which Republicans would threaten to cut safety-net programs under a threat 鈥渢o wreck the entire economy.鈥� House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) has acknowledged that delaying an increase in the debt limit could cause economic harm, but he said not reining in government spending also carried consequences (Lee and Hook, 1/14).
: Americans Like Spending Cuts In Theory, Not In Detail, Complicating Deficit Talks In Capital
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking toward the March 1 start of major, across-the-board spending cuts that both parties call unwise. These are the postponed cuts 鈥� or 鈥渟equester,鈥� in Congress-speak 鈥� lingering from the partial resolution of the 鈥渇iscal cliff鈥� on Jan. 1. These cuts would hit military and domestic programs hard. But they would spare 鈥渆ntitlements,鈥� the popular but costly programs that include Medicare and Social Security. Leaders in both parties say lawmakers soon must confront entitlements if they are to stem the nation鈥檚 long-term deficit-spending problem (1/15).
For more headlines 鈥�
: States Will Be Given Extra Time To Set Up Exchanges
The White House says it will give states more time to comply with the new health care law after finding that many states lag in setting up markets where millions of Americans are expected to buy subsidized private health insurance (Pear, 1/14).
: Arizona: Governor Relents On Medicaid
Gov. Jan Brewer says she will expand the state鈥檚 Medicaid program to cover citizens who earn up to 138 percent of the poverty line. Ms. Brewer, a Republican, said Monday in her annual State of the State speech that she has fought against the federal health care law known as the Affordable Care Act. But she cited President Obama鈥檚 re-election and last summer鈥檚 Supreme Court ruling in saying that the law is here to stay (1/14).
: Ariz. Governor Opts To Expand Medicaid
The Republican governor鈥檚 decision, long awaited by lawmakers and health-care professionals and opposed by many in the GOP, would bring the state an additional $7.9 billion in federal funds over four years to restore and expand the state鈥檚 health-care insurance program to an estimated 300,000 low-income residents, according to the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (Sanders and Sanchez/1/14).
: Focus On Obamacare Delays Mental Health Law
Mental health advocates say a landmark 2008 law meant to expand access to millions of Americans has gotten back-burner treatment by the Obama administration because of its relentless focus on the Affordable Care Act. As a result, key details are missing from the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, awaiting a final rule from the administration that supporters say is 鈥渋mminent鈥� (Cheney, 1/15).
: Researchers Mine Data From Clinic, Big Insurer
The new effort, dubbed Optum Labs, will be part of UnitedHealth鈥檚 Optum health-services arm. UnitedHealth Group Chief Executive Stephen J. Hemsley said the company viewed it as a 鈥渄edicated research unit鈥ot a profit-driven undertaking,鈥� and the goal was to create 鈥渁 neutral place to conduct research鈥� with partners from around the health industry, with the findings to be made public. He compared it to the historic Bell Labs, where a number of important technology discoveries were made over decades (Mathews, 1/15).
: Ilyse Hogue Announced As New NARAL President
NARAL Pro-Choice America announced Monday that its new president will be Ilyse Hogue, a longtime advocate for liberal causes who the organization hopes will help pass the torch to a younger generation of abortion-rights leaders (Smith, 1/14).