Daily Rounds: Reform Foes Spurred; Family Health Costs Top $20K; Ban BPA?

Ruling may spur foes to Mass. health law (The Boston Globe) - "The tenor and aggressiveness of the justices’ questions during three days of oral arguments on the federal law have caused some legal analysts to predict the court could strike down the individual mandate - if not the entire law. If that happens, observers say, the ruling would probably encourage a lawsuit in Massachusetts or embolden organizers to repeal the state’s mandate at the ballot box."

Also: In health case, appeals to a justice's idea of liberty (The New York Times) - "The way to frame a Supreme Court argument meant to persuade Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is to talk about liberty. It is his touchstone and guiding principle, and his conception of liberty is likely to determine the future of President Obama’s health care law."

Family health care costs will top $20,000 a year for first time ever: Study (The Huffington Post) - "$20,000: That's what a typical family covered by job-based health insurance will spend on health care this year, according to research by the consulting firm Milliman. This year is the first time family health care spending is projected to surpass $20,000, said Jeremy Engdahl-Johnson, a spokesman for Milliman. A typical family spent less than half that on health care just 10 years ago, data from Milliman show."

How much BPA exposure is dangerous? (NPR) - "The FDA has until Saturday to decide whether to ban the plastic additive BPA from food packaging. Some scientists think BPA poses a risk to consumers because it can act like estrogen in the body. But recent studies by government scientists suggest the risk, if any, is minimal."

The bald economy: Big pharma (Bloomberg) "Bloomberg's Matt Miller reports on scientific and medical solutions as he explores the cost of fighting hair loss. He spoke yesterday on Bloomberg Television's "Bloomberg Rewind."