Officials release insurance guidelines

Officials release insurance guidelines

WASHINGTON

The federal government is taking on a crucial new role in the nation’s health care, designing a basic benefits package for millions of privately insured Americans. A framework for the Obama administration was released Thursday. The report by independent experts from the Institute of Medicine lays out guidelines for deciding what to include in the new “essential-benefits package,” how to keep it affordable for small businesses and taxpayers, and also scientifically up to date.

Perry, Romney eye Christie, Palin fans

WASHINGTON

Rivals Rick Perry and Mitt Romney are furiously scurrying to recruit heartbroken holdouts who had hoped GOP celebrities Chris Christie or Sarah Palin would join the Republican presidential contest. With a slew of donors and activists now up for grabs, the leading two Republican candidates redoubled their efforts — and made personal appeals — this week to win over unaligned high-dollar and high-power GOP players in what’s become largely a two-man nomination fight.

McChrystal: US lacked info for war

WASHINGTON

The U.S. began the war in Afghanistan with a “frighteningly simplistic” view of the country, and even 10 years later lacks knowledge that could help bring the conflict to a successful end, a former top commander said Thursday. Retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal said in remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations that the U.S. and its NATO allies are only “a little better than” 50 percent of the way to reaching their war goals.

Police: Parents of baby uncooperative

KANSAS CITY, Mo.

The parents of a missing 10-month-old Missouri girl no longer are cooperating with authorities, and their claims that whoever took their daughter stole their cellphones hasn’t produce any leads, police said Thursday night. Jeremy Irwin and Deborah Bradley, who said their daughter, Lisa, was snatched from her crib sometime Monday night or early Tuesday, had been cooperative since reporting her missing. But they changed course Thursday, Kansas City police spokesman Steve Young said.

Judge lets murder defendant travel

SEATTLE

A Washington state judge is letting a murder defendant take a two-week, five-state road trip so she can attend her half sister’s memorial service, go to the dentist and pick up some winter clothes.

Former hairdresser Peggy Sue Thomas was arrested this summer at her houseboat in New Mexico and charged with first-degree murder. Prosecutors say that in 2003 she lured a man named Russ Douglas to the spot on Whidbey Island north of Seattle where he was killed.

Panel to recommend against PSA tests

WASHINGTON

Those PSA blood tests that check for prostate cancer do more harm than good, and healthy men should no longer receive them as part of routine cancer screening, a government panel is recommending.

The recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, being made public today, will not be a surprise to cancer specialists.

No major medical group recommends routine PSAs, and the government panel’s guidelines had long advised men over 75 to forgo them. The new recommendation extends that do-not-screen advice to healthy men of all ages.

Yet, the vast majority of men over 50 have had at least one PSA blood test.

Associated Press