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Pres. Obama's $3.8 trillion budget for 2011, which was submitted to Congress this morning, includes $25 billion to states for funding Medicaid, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has published a proposed rule that would allow hospitals to refinance mortgage debt for purposes other than construction, according to HUD.

UnitedHealthcare and WellPoint, the nation's first- and second-largest health insurers, are getting tough in rate negotiations with hospitals and physicians, and WellPoint says employers are backing it up.

Mayo Clinic on has raised $1.35 billion in a five-year fundraising campaign, surpassing its goal of $1.25 billion, according to a report from Business Week.

Lobbying disclosure reports show that that the health insurance lobby increased spending by 24 percent in 2009, as Congress debated health reform legislation, according to The Hill.

As the advance of healthcare reform efforts has slowed, Congressional Democrats are considering using budget reconciliation to push healthcare legislation through to Pres. Obama's desk without a 60-vote approval in the Senate, according to a report by the New York…

Facing a $608 million shortfall in Medicaid funds for the next fiscal year, Georgia Gov. Sonny Purdue is urging state legislators to adopt a new tax on hospitals and health plans, according to a report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

A new analysis of both the U.S. House's passed healthcare bill and the bill currently under debate in the U.S. Senate suggests that language in the bills intended to limit physician-owned hospitals could affect nearly 70,000 jobs and reduce state…

Suwanee, Ga.-based EthosPartners Healthcare Management Group has signed an agreement to purchase Albany, N.Y.-based Lutz Healthcare Consultants, according to a report in The Business Review (Albany).

Healthcare Trust of America has acquired three facilities that house hospitals leased to and operated by Community Health Systems, according to a report by the Phoenix Business Journal.