fine-tune workplace health plans. Employees and family members could be steered
to hospitals and doctors who follow the most effective treatment methods. Patients
going elsewhere could face higher copayments, similar to added charges they now
pay for "non-preferred" drugs on their insurance plans.Major insurers already are carrying
out their own effectiveness research, but it lacks the credibility of government-sponsored
studies.Not long ago, so-called "comparative effectiveness" research enjoyed support from lawmakers in
both parties. After all, much of the medical research that doctors and
consumers rely on now is financed by drug companies and medical device
manufacturers, who have a built-in interest in the findings. And a drug
maker only has to show that a new medicine is more effective
than a sugar pill -- not a competing medication -- to win
government approval for marketing.The 2009 economic stimulus bill included $1.1 billion for
medical effectiveness
U.S. troops," he said.While the Kurds have sought control over the oil
within their northern territory, Baghdad insists the resource should overseen by the
central government. About 30 percent of Iraq's 143.1 billion barrels of proven
reserves of conventional crude sit in the Kurdish region.The dispute has festered
unresolved since the U.S.-led coalition ousted Saddam Hussein in 2003. Parliament has
failed to signed off on a draft national oil law on sharing
the resources since 2007, angering the Kurds and making foreign majors leery
of investing. Baghdad's last two international oil licensing auctions drew limited interest
by deep-pocketed firms like Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell and BP PLC.Under
the Kurdish deal, Exxon Mobil, would explore for crude in six patches
in northern Iraq, including land claimed by both the Kurds and Arabs
in northern Ninevah province.More broadly, the issue of the disputed territory, which
stretches from across the country from the
subscriptions to the pay cable channel, Yahoo! Sports reports.Tebow has made
it quite clear he believes in God, and some (including Tebow's own
pastor) have said God is due some credit for the Broncos' surprise
winning season with Tebow running the offense. Many were surprised when Tebow
was given the starting quarterback job as he is an unorthodox quarterback
with a below average arm, causing his team to run a college
type offense.The Broncos are 6-3 with Tebow as their quarterback. The prayer
he says in the end zone after scoring a touchdown has been
dubbed "Tebowing," helping to turn the Heisman trophy winner into a national
sensation.Maher is an avowed atheist. His "Real Time with Bill Maher," returns
with new episodes on January 13, 2012.
Photos from Space* Auroras Dazzle Northern ObserversCopyright 2011 Space, a TechMediaNetwork
company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten
or redistributed.
d shortly after Arizona's heavily scrutinized immigration enforcement law was passed in
April 2010.The program's supporters have call challenges to the courses an attack
on the state's Hispanic population, while critics say the program demonizes white
people as oppressors of Hispanics.Huppenthal ordered a review of the program when
he took office in January after his predecessor, Tom Horne, said the
Mexican-American Studies program violated state law and that Huppenthal would have to
decide whether to withhold funding.Huppenthal, a Republican, had voted in favor of
the ethnic studies law as a state senator before becoming the state's
schools chief.
these recess appointments, Republicans are having the Senate gavel in gavel out
every few days, meaning they are not officially adjourning for the year.If
this prevents the Senate from taking a recess, lawmakers believe Obama will
be stopped from making any recess appointments.However, this may all depend on
how one defines a recess.Obama could argue that two or three days
can be defined as a recess, although recent history dictates that is
not the case.Political expert Stephen Hess of Brookings says the president would
have to stretch to justify qualifying two or three days as a
recess."He's got the option," Hess said, "but he's got to go back
a long way in history to find an example that's going to
suit his convenience if he wants to go ahead with a recess
appointment."Democratic strategist Doug Schoen believes an effort by the president to challenge
the recess would be too risky.I think he's going to try to
do what he can to avoid controversy and not try to
