Court orders Maine’s Republican governor to expand Medicaid already

On Monday, a state judge ordered the Maine Department of Health and Gov. Paul LePage (R) to follow through on a voter-approved ballot measure and expand health care to thousands of residents, ending seven months of stonewalling.

Last November, nearly 60 percent of Maine voters approved Medicaid expansion, making it the first state to expand the public insurance program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by ballot box. Just days after, LePage and state Republicans vowed to delay the...

The Sherrod Brown strategy for winning in the Trump era

CLEVELAND, OHIO — Sherrod Brown didn’t want to talk about strategy.

Asked by reporters Monday morning about his tactics as he faces reelection this fall, the two-term Democratic senator interrupted to say he wasn’t going to discuss it. But watching the scene as Brown interacted with constituents in a Cleveland community center after speaking at an event billed as “African Americans for Sherrod,” his strategy was clear. 

Brown spoke for about 20 minutes and was immediat...

CMS Requirements for Mandatory Shared Decision Making for Cardiac Procedures and Other Tests

This Viewpoint discusses Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) policies requiring physicians to engage patients in shared decision making prior to implantation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, lung cancer screening, and left atrial appendage closure for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, and argues that better guidance is needed if the requirements are to promote meaningful shared decisions.

As Puerto Ricans’ numbers grow in Florida, Hurricane Maria becomes pivotal campaign issue

Puerto Ricans hit by Hurricane Maria often complained that they were not treated by the Trump administration like full-fledged US citizens. Now thousands have relocated to Florida after fleeing the devastating storm and are preparing to flex their political clout at the ballot box this November.

Puerto Ricans who leave the island are eligible to vote as soon as they establish residency on the US mainland, making them an immediate potential political force in the midterms.

The...