
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — In a Supreme Court briefing on Friday, the Obama administration defended its health care reform law, arguing that the Supreme Court would need to break with clear precedent in order to justify cutting down the insurance mandate.
The health care law requires most all Americans to purchase health insurance or pay a penalty, which the Justice Department defines as an unconstitutional tax. GOP lawmakers are urging the Supreme Court to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act if the individual mandate is deemed unconstitutional.
The Justice Department’s tax argument has failed in every lower court, but according to TheHill.com, senior administration officials said they still believe in it.
Sign up to get our free newsletters delivered straight to your inbox
Only 1 lower court threw out Obamacare, and that decision was reversed on appeal, according to the news organization.
The White House argues that the individual insurance mandate is not a tax but falls within the bounds of the Commerce Clause and that any limits within the wording of the Constitution and within previous Supreme Court cases don’t need to change.
“All the limits are satisfied here, and the fact [they are] satisfied here has no bearing on whether someone could dream up some way they could be satisfied in some hypothetical situation,” an administration official told the news site.
The Supreme Court lawsuit was filed by 26 state attorney generals and the National Federation of Independent Business.
Robotic prostate surgery worse than traditional surgery, study says
A new survey found that robotic prostatectomy’s done on older patients led to more complications and higher costs than traditional surgical procedures, according to Reuters. Robotic prostatectomy, which adds costs of more than $2,000 per procedure, can cause sexual problems and urinary leakage in older patients. Read more
Cochlear implants best for deaf children
Early cochlear implants in deaf children have a significant impact on hearing and language outcomes, according to Medpagetoday.com. Patients with shorter lengths of deafness at earlier ages outperform their peers, two studies reported. Read more
iSonea starts trading on the OTCQX
Asthma management system maker iSonea Ltd. (ASX: ISN; OTCQX: ISOAY) began trading on the OTCQX last week, according to a press release. Previously, the company’s stock traded only on the Australian Securities Exchange. Read more
Tengion relocates corporate headquarters
Regenerative medicine company Tengion Inc. decided to relocate its corporate headquarters from East Norriton, Penn. to an existing facility in Winston-Salem, N.C. The company plans to maintain its Pennsylvania facility while it searches for ways to lower costs, according to a press release. Read more