Health Reform's Individual Mandate Unconstitutional, Says Federal Appeals Court

Breaking: The individual mandate, a key part of national health reform legislation, is unconstitutional, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled today, but the court but did not set aside the entire reform package, David G. Savage reports for the Los Angeles Times. The ruling conflicts with another appellate court decision upholding the individual mandate, setting the stage for a Supreme Court showdown.

Stroke: A large new study suggests that women suffering from depression face higher stroke risks than women who aren't depressed, and taking anti-depressants can increase that risk even more, Angela Manning reports for USA Today.

Food Safety: It's been a tough week for food safety with U.S. salmonella and E. coli outbreaks worsening by the day, and health officials are scrambling to respond, April Fulton reports for NPR's Shots health blog.

Cancer: Andrew Pollack of the New York Times profiles a controversial and aggressive new cancer therapy that some hospitals are marketing as a "hot chemo bath."

Medicare: Maggie Mahar of the Century Foundation's HealthBeat blog analyzes what's behind a recent and surprising slowdown in Medicare spending, suggesting that the mere anticipation of health reform is causing health providers to trim costs.  

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