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Opponents of health law subsidies designed to help lower income people buy health insurance are working to persuade the Supreme Court to review the legality of the federal program for distributing the financial assistance. Using blog posts, conferences and subpoenas, the Cato Institute and other health law foes are trying to buttress legal cases challenging the subsidies and shorten the timetable for possible Supreme Court review. They also hope to embolden Senate Republicans opposed to the law, who could take control of the chamber in the mid-term elections.The main target of the campaign are the Supreme Court justices, who are scheduled to meet Oct. 31 to confer over whether to grant a petition filed by subsidy opponents in the case King v. Burwell. The justices could decide as soon as Nov. 3 or hold the case over and respond at some future time. (Reichard, 10/22)

For decades, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) have played a crucial role in providing care to low-income New Jerseyans. Now, two trends are combining to make the centers even more essential – the rising number of people covered by Medicaid and other health insurance as a result of the Affordable Care Act and expanded services ranging from pharmacies to dental clinics. But state regulations represents a major roadblock to effort to integrate healthcare services for patients who may have chronic physical conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension, and behavioral or mental health conditions like depression. New Jersey has long-standing rules that require facilities like FQHCs to have separate entrances and service areas for patients in need of behavioral health and addiction services. (Kitchenman, 10/22)

The cost of Medicare has been slowing dramatically in recent years, leading to much head-scratching by health economists and much credit-mongering by politicians. President Obama, for instance, claimed earlier this month that his Affordable Care Act is driving down both Medicare costs and the overall cost of healthcare. Now comes evidence that an entirely different program may deserve more of the credit, at least as far as Medicare is concerned -- the Medicare prescription drug program, enacted under president George W. Bush. (Montgomery, 10/22)