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White House says magnitude of Zika challenge means new funding needed

The White House said on Monday that it will ask the U.S. Congress for permission to redirect some money set aside for Ebola-related projects for its response to the Zika virus, but said it would primarily need new funding to address the outbreak. President Barack Obama has asked Congress for more than $1.8 billion to fight Zika, but several top Republican lawmakers have said the administration should instead draw from funds not yet used for public health projects aimed at the Ebola virus. “The magnitude of the Zika outbreak primarily requires new resources to ensure it is adequately addressed,” White House budget director Shaun Donovan said in a letter to Representative Hal Rogers, the top Republican appropriator in the House of Representatives.

Boehner urges U.S. Senate to pass House’s Medicare doctor pay bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate should pass, without any amendments, legislation overwhelmingly approved by the House of Representatives to avert drastic cuts of payments to doctors treating Medicare patients, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner warned on Tuesday. “Unless the Senate passes the House-passed ‘doc fix’ bill, significant cuts to physicians’ payments will begin tomorrow. …

U.S. House approves bipartisan fix to Medicare doctors pay

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bipartisan bill to permanently repair the formula for reimbursing Medicare physicians, solving a longstanding problem and making adjustments to the way Medicare costs are paid. Drafted by House Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, the bill replaces a 1990s formula that linked doctor pay to the economy with a new one more focused on quality of care. The bill also requires means-testing of Medicare beneficiaries so that people with higher income pay higher premiums. …

New Jersey Governor Christie ducks media after vaccination comments

By Sam Wilkin LONDON (Reuters) – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a possible 2016 presidential contender, cancelled three scheduled media appearances in the UK on Tuesday, amid a controversy over his comments on measles vaccinations. His comments came a few hours after President Barack Obama said parents should have their children vaccinated, saying the science was “pretty indisputable.” Christie cancelled two question-and-answer sessions and a press statement he was due to make after meeting UK finance minister George Osborne. “We just decided we're not going to have availability today,” said Maria Comella, Christie's head of communications, after the last scheduled appearance was cancelled.