Politico: Experts See Big Price Hikes For Obamacare
The cost of Obamacare could rise for millions of Americans next year, with one insurer proposing a 50 percent hike in premiums, fueling the controversy about just how “affordable” the Affordable Care Act really is. The eye-popping 50 percent hike by New Mexico insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield is an outlier, and state officials may not allow it to go through. But health insurance experts are predicting that premiums will rise more significantly in 2016 than in the first two years of Obamacare exchange coverage. In 2015, for example, premiums increased by an average of 5.4 percent, according to PwC’s Health Research Institute. (Demko, 5/30)

Los Angeles Times: 44% Of Covered California Customers Report Difficulty Paying Premiums
A new survey shows that 44% of Covered California policyholders find it difficult paying their monthly premiums for Obamacare coverage. And a similar percentage of uninsured Californians say the high cost of coverage is the main reason they go without health insurance. The issue of just how much people can afford will loom large as the state exchange prepares to negotiate with health insurers over next year's rates. (Terhune, 5/29)

The Columbus Dispatch: Obamacare Premiums To Rise 13%, Ohio Agency Says
Premiums would increase 13 percent next year for Ohioans who buy health coverage through the federally run insurance exchange, the Ohio Department of Insurance said yesterday. (Sutherly, 5/30)

And in Vermont, attention is turning to whether the state's exchange will be effective -

Politico Pro: Vermont’s Troubled Obamacare Exchange Faces Key Test
After the high-profile collapse of plans to create the country’s first single-payer system, Vermont’s health care ambitions these days are much smaller — now it’s just hoping to keep its Obamacare exchange. Vermont, the state that once represented the liberal dream for health care, is about to face a major test this weekend on whether it can overcome the significant technology woes still plaguing its enrollment website. (Pradhan, 5/29)

The Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times: Discord Remains As Florida Legislature's Special Session Set To Open
For the first time in 23 years, Florida ended its regular session without a state budget, prompting legislators to reconvene - starting Monday -- to finish work. But the opening day of the three-week special session is also the official opening of the hurricane season -- and the health care debate that sidetracked the state's $80B budget debate continues to spawn political storms. (Klas, 5/30)

Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald: Feds Raise Questions About Governor's Plan For LIP Funds
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Friday said that it has not signed off on the proposal by Gov. Rick Scott to rely on local governments and safety net hospitals to drawn down money for the uninsured and raised concerns about the impact of the change on communities -- like Miami -- that provide the bulk of the funding for the low-income pool. (Klas, 5/29)

The Associated Press: 2 Opponents Named To Montana Medicaid Expansion Panel
Two of the biggest opponents of Medicaid expansion in Montana are going to be members of the panel that oversees it. Gov. Steve Bullock and legislative leaders released Friday their picks for a nine-member Medicaid expansion committee. GOP leaders picked two vociferous opponents of the measure, Bozeman Rep. Art Wittich and Bigfork Sen. Bob Keenan, to represent the conservative caucus. "We won't be sitting in the committee meetings with pom-poms," Keenan said. (Noon, 5/29)

In Minnesota, officials note a milestone -

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune: In Wake Of Federal Reform, Minnesota's Medicaid Enrollment Surges To 1 Million
Minnesota’s Medicaid rolls have soared past the 1 million mark for the first time, driven by two years of explosive growth in government insurance programs in the wake of federal health reform. (Howatt, 5/31)

Politico: GOP Hits Another Roadblock On Obamacare Repeal
Repealing the law “root and branch” is probably out of the question, the chamber’s parliamentarian is hinting, because some parts of Obamacare don’t affect the federal budget. That’s a must in order to use the obscure procedure known in Senate parlance as reconciliation, which allows lawmakers to avoid the 60-vote filibuster hurdle and pass bills on a simple majority vote. That’s not the GOP’s only problem. Under those rules any Obamacare repeal has to reduce — not increase — the deficit. So Republicans will have to pick and choose which parts of the Affordable Care Act they most want to ditch. (Bade and Haberkorn, 6/1)

The Fiscal Times: New Study Pours Cold Water On GOP Obamacare Plan
Republicans have spent months cobbling together a handful of plans to quell the fallout of a potential Supreme Court ruling that would strike down federal subsidies to millions of Obamacare enrollees living in the 34 states that rely on HealthCare.gov. However, a new report says by eliminating the very foundation upon which Obamacare was built -- the individual and employer mandates -- two of the GOP contingency plans will wreak havoc with the insurance industry that undergirds all health plans, private and public. (Ehley, 5/29)

And consumer advocates raise concerns about another bill on Capitol Hill -

The Wall Street Journal's Pharmalot: Will The 21st Century Cures Bill Lower Standards For Some Drug Approvals?
Would a new Congressional bill designed to jumpstart medical innovation lower standards for approving new uses of existing medicines? Consumer advocates are raising this concern about the 21st Century Cures legislation, which passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously last week and, in part, is designed to reform the approval process for drugs. Supporters say the bill is a long overdue move that, among other things, will give the FDA the tools to ensure treatments reach patients faster. (Silverman, 5/29)

The Wall Street Journal: Health Insurer Humana Explores Sale
Health insurer Humana Inc. is exploring a possible sale of the company, a move that could trigger a round of mergers in an industry grappling with challenges and opportunities the federal health-care overhaul has created. Faced with pressure to cut costs and find ways to profit from the potential new customers the Affordable Care Act is generating, the big health insurers have long been expected by analysts to turn to mergers that will give them the heft to better compete as the industry evolves. (Hoffman, Mattioli, Cimilluca and Wilde Mathews, 5/29)

The New York Times: Humana Is Said To Consider Sale Of Company
The wave of deal-making that has swept across the health care industry now appears poised to pull in health insurers, a development driven by the Obama administration’s insurance overhaul. Humana, one of the country’s largest health insurers, is weighing a potential sale of itself after having been approached by several competitors, people briefed on the matter said on Friday. These people, who were not authorized to speak publicly, cautioned that the company had made no decisions and might choose not to sell. (de la Merced and Creswell, 5/29)

Bloomberg: Humana's Baby-Boomer Focus Makes Insurer A Prize For Cigna
Humana Inc. has become an acquisition target thanks to its big presence in Medicare Advantage, the private-sector version of the U.S. program that’s one of the fastest-growing pieces of the health insurance market. Enrollment in Medicare is climbing as more Americans turn 65 and become eligible for the health program for the elderly and disabled. Membership is expected to rise to 68.4 million in 2023, up 26 percent from this year, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (Tracer, 5/29)

USA Today: Humana Shares Close Up 20% On Report Of Possible Sale
Humana shares closed up 20% Friday after a day of media reports that the company could be for sale. Shares of Louisville-based Humana, one of the largest U.S. insurers were up $36.24 to close at $214.65. Analysts have been discussing the possibility that large health insurers flush with cash might be looking for a big acquisition. Deal-friendly low interest rates and expectations for another wave of consolidation also are fueling the speculation. (O'Donnell, 5/29)

The Associated Press: Report: Health Insurer Humana Considering A Sale
Humana shares soared well beyond all-time high prices Friday afternoon on speculation that the company, one of the nation's biggest health insurers, might be up for sale. Analysts have been discussing for a few weeks the possibility that large health insurers flush with cash may be hunting for a big acquisition. Deal-friendly low interest rates and expectations for another wave of consolidation also are fueling the speculation. (Murphy, 5/30)

The Wall Street Journal: High Prices For Drugs Attacked At Meeting
In a sign of growing frustration with rising drug prices, a prominent cancer specialist on Sunday sharply criticized the costs of new cancer treatments in a high-profile speech at one of the largest annual medical meetings in the U.S. “These drugs cost too much,” Leonard Saltz, chief of gastrointestinal oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, said in a speech heard by thousands of doctors here for the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. (Walker, 6/1)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Drug Shortages Frustrate Doctors, Patients
Robin Miller, a 62-year-old oncologist in Atlanta with bladder cancer, was scheduled to receive a potentially lifesaving drug in December. But her doctor’s office called shortly before the appointment to say: “Sorry, we don’t have any. We can’t give it to you,” according to Dr. Miller. The disruption was due to a global shortage of the drug, BCG, which arose after manufacturing problems at two of the few global suppliers. Without the drug, Dr. Miller feared her cancer would come back and she would have to have her bladder removed, a step she called “barbaric.” (Loftus, 5/31)

Studies show that "promising" new immune-therapy drugs can extend the lives of patients with common forms of cancer, like lung and skin. The medications are costly with strong side effects, and only work on a minority of patients. So researchers say it's critical to develop screenings to determine who will benefit from the treatment -

The New York Times: New Class Of Drugs Shows More Promise In Treating Cancer
A new drug that unleashes the body’s immune system to attack tumors can prolong the lives of people with the most common form of lung cancer, doctors reported on Friday, the latest example of the significant results being achieved by this new class of medicines. In a separate study, researchers said they had found that a particular genetic signature in the tumor can help predict which patients could benefit from the immune-boosting drugs. The finding could potentially extend use of these drugs to some patients with colorectal cancer, prostate cancer and other tumors that have seemed almost impervious to the new drugs. (Pollack, 5/29)

The Associated Press: More Cancer Success With Drugs That Enlist Immune System
For the first time, a major study shows that a drug targeting the body’s disease-fighting immune system may improve survival for the most common form of lung cancer. These newer kinds of drugs have transformed treatment of melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer. Studies presented at a conference Friday suggest these “immune therapies” can play a broader role in more common cancers, including lung, liver, colon and head and neck. (Tanner, 5/29)

The New York Times: Doctors Seek Test For Deploying New Life-Extending Cancer Drugs
New drugs that boost the immune system’s ability to fight tumors may be one of the greatest medical advances in years, cancer doctors say, pulling some patients from death’s door and keeping them in remission for years. But the truth is that this happens for only a minority of patients. Now, doctors say, there is a new imperative to develop a test that will identify in advance which patients will benefit, sparing others the cost and possible side effects.n (Pollack, 5/31)

The New York Times: Federal Investigators Fault Medicare’s Reliance On Doctors For Pay Standards
The government relies too heavily on advice from the American Medical Association in deciding how much to pay doctors under Medicare, and the decisions may be biased because the doctors have potential conflicts of interest, federal investigators say in a new report. This reliance on the association, combined with flaws in data collected by the influential doctors’ group, “could result in inaccurate Medicare payment rates,” the investigators said. (Pear, 5/31)

The Associated Press: US Appeals Court: Alzheimer's Drug Swap Is Anti-Competitive
A federal appeals court has ruled that drug manufacturer Actavis PLC's attempted switch of patented Alzheimer's medication, which halted distribution of the old drug before its patent expires this summer, violates U.S. antitrust law. The decision unsealed this week explains the ruling last week by a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that requires the Irish company to keep distributing Namenda until 30 days after its patent expires on July 11. (Virtanen, 5/29)

Politico: Health Care Spending Billions To Protect The Records It Spent Billions To Install
The hacking of the health records of as many as 1 in 3 Americans has awakened the health care industry to an unpleasant reality: After spending billions to install computerized documents in hospitals and networks, it now must spend billions more to make them secure. (Allen, 6/1)

Kaiser Health News: EHealth Sees Once-Thriving Business Decline After Health Law’s Exchanges Open
The Affordable Care Act was expected to be a boon for eHealth Inc., the nation’s largest online health insurance broker. After all, the law required most Americans to have coverage, provided government assistance to afford it and allowed Internet brokers to sell Obamacare policies. (Galewitz, 6/1)

The Washington Post: Clinton’s Campaign Will Make Substance Abuse, Mental Health Key Issues
Clinton senior policy advisers Ann O'Leary and Maya Harris participated in Google hangouts Friday with treatment providers, law enforcement officers, local politicians and others in Iowa and New Hampshire, a Clinton aide said. The groups discussed the scourge of opiate addiction, which is decimating New Hampshire and is a growing problem in Iowa, and the use of methamphetamines in Iowa. (Zezima, 5/31)

The Associated Press: Clinton Advisers Begin Developing Substance Abuse Policies
Top advisers from Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign are speaking with substance abuse prevention advocates in Iowa and New Hampshire as they develop campaign policies around drug addiction and treatment. Ann O'Leary and Maya Harris, two top policy advisers to the campaign, held video conferences last week with leading advocates in both early voting states, campaign officials said. Clinton said in April she would make mental health and substance abuse treatment a "big part" of her campaign after hearing about it on the trail in both states. (5/31)

Los Angeles Times: U.S. Appeals Court Strikes Down Idaho Law Banning Abortions After 20 Weeks
Three federal judges have unanimously struck down an Idaho law that banned abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Jennie McCormack, the plaintiff in the case, was arrested in 2011 for taking a pack of five pills to end a pregnancy. Surgical abortions were not available in southeast Idaho, where she lived, according to court documents. Instead of undergoing an inpatient procedure, which would have required McCormack to travel more than 150 miles, crossing the Utah state line, to Salt Lake City, she used a combination of medicine to induce an abortion in her home. (Shepherd, 5/30)

The Hill: Court Nixes Idaho's 20-Week Abortion Plan
A federal appeals court on Friday struck down an Idaho law banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, ruling the law unconstitutional. The ruling comes a few weeks after the U.S. House passed legislation that would ban abortions after the same timespan, sending it to the Senate. (Sullivan, 5/29)

Politico Pro: Appeals Court Declares Idaho Abortion Ban Unconstitutional
An Idaho law that bans abortions after 20 weeks was ruled unconstitutional Friday by a federal appeals court. The ruling comes just two weeks after the House of Representatives passed a similar federal ban and a day after South Carolina’s state Senate advanced its own measure. Fourteen states have enacted 20-week abortion bans, through courts have blocked them in three. (Mershon, 5/29)

Meanwhile, in related news from the polling front -

Politico: Pro-Choice Outpolls Pro-Life For First Time In 7 Years
For the first time in seven years, Americans who are “pro-choice” hold a statistically significant lead over Americans who are “pro-life.” According to a new Gallup poll, 50 percent of Americans now call themselves pro-choice, including 54 percent of women and 46 percent of men. Only 44 percent of respondents labeled themselves pro-life, the lowest response in more than five years. (Lerner, 5/29)

The Connecticut Mirror: Revised Health Care Bill Passes House, Despite Hospital Opposition
The House of Representatives passed a wide-ranging, controversial health care bill Saturday night after scaling back certain provisions deemed particularly onerous by hospitals. Many individual provisions of the 87-page proposal could have been controversial bills on their own; together, they represent a set of changes that could have significant ripples through major industries undergoing rapid change. Hospital officials have said they impose onerous new regulations and could make it harder for distressed hospitals to find purchasers to help them survive, while unions and advocacy groups say they could help rein in costs and protect patients (Levin Becker, 5/31)

The Boston Globe: Partners Takes Patient Data Digital With $1.2B System
After two years as an intensive care nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Aqua Bang will no longer need to carry a pen and binder to record the vital signs of her patients. Instead, that information will instantly flow from bedside monitors to each patient’s computerized health record, part of a massive information technology system launched over the weekend by Partners HealthCare. (Dayal McCluskey, 6/1)

The Washington Post: Matt Bevin Prevails As James Comer Concedes Kentucky Governor Primary
After a recanvass of vote totals left him still narrowly trailing, James R. Comer, the Kentucky agriculture commissioner, on Friday conceded the Republican primary race for governor to Matt Bevin, a wealthy Louisville businessman and Tea Party favorite. ... This year, Mr. Bevin again portrayed himself as the most conservative choice, vowing to repeal the state’s health insurance exchange and Medicaid expansion, both created under the Affordable Care Act. Political analysts and some state Republicans said Mr. Bevin would be a weaker candidate in the general election than Mr. Comer would have been. (Blinder and Perez-Pena, 5/29)

The Associated Press: Teen Births Down But Remain Stubborn Problem In New Mexico
New Mexico has a stubborn problem: its persistent ranking at or near the top in the nation when it comes to teen pregnancies. A new legislative analysis suggests that the state Health Department in collaboration with other agencies develop a comprehensive plan to reduce teen births. It also recommends the Legislature continue to invest in programs such as early childhood education that support the futures of teen parents and their children. (Jolly, 5/29)

Austin Stateman: Texas Nursing Homes Use Loophole To Get Additional Funding
A special state program in Texas aimed at attracting additional federal money for government-owned nursing homes will bring an extra $69 million to Texas facilities this year, with more to come next year. (5/31)

The Charlotte Observer: In NC, Prostate Cancer Attacks Black Men At Startling Rate
The likelihood of black men getting prostate cancer and dying from it represent two of the biggest gaps between the health of black and white men in the United States. The gulf is particularly wide in North Carolina, where the odds of dying from prostate cancer are among the worst in the nation, with African-Americans nearly two times as likely as whites to be diagnosed with it and nearly three times as likely to die from its complications. For every 100,000 African-American men in North Carolina, 216 per year will develop prostate cancer, and 48 will die of the disease, according to the N.C. Central Cancer Registry. (Price and Garloch, 5/30)

South Bend Tribune: Medicaid Aid Scarce For Michiana Herion Users
Imagine the worst of flu symptoms — complete with vomiting, diarrhea and severe body aches — then multiply that misery by 100, and that’s how recovering heroin users describe the feeling of withdrawal. Yet, as the South Bend area battles an epidemic of heroin and opiate painkiller abuse, experts say the region lacks the type of medical care that could help users overcome the physical anguish and intense cravings that keep most of them from quitting and staying clean. (Sheckler, 5/31)

Chicago Tribune's Clout Street: Sweeping Anti-Heroin Use Bill Sent To Rauner
The Illinois Senate on Saturday sent Gov. Bruce Rauner a sweeping measure aimed at curbing heroin use and preventing overdose deaths even as critics questioned how the state would pay for the $15 million program with a major budget shortfall. Illinois House approves heroin treatment measure Illinois House approves heroin treatment measure The measure was approved 46-5 after passing the House earlier in the week. The bill would expand specialized drug courts that focus on treatment and require police departments and firehouses to stock opioid antidotes that could be used to counteract heroin overdoses. In addition, the state's Medicaid health care program for the poor would have to cover the cost of drug treatment programs, as would private insurance companies. (Hellmann, 5/30)

The Des Moines Register: UIHC Launches Virtual Clinic Service For Iowans
University of Iowa Health Care launched a new virtual clinic service this week that allows Iowans to check in with health care providers through their computer, tablet or smartphone. The service, UIeCare.com, is designed for seeking medical advice about minor illnesses and injuries — conditions from allergies to yeast infection that can be characterized as urgent but not life-threatening. It charges a $50 flat fee, per use, and can be used anywhere in the state, as long as would-be patients have an Internet connection and a Web camera on their computer or mobile device. (Charis-Carlson, 5/29)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Grants Aim To Bring Ohio Youth Out Of The Shadows
Karen Dickerson didn't know what to do. She and her grandson, Dontez Dickerson, temporarily were living in a Licking County homeless shelter when Dontez became aggressive and the shelter was on the verge of kicking them out. The Dickersons were the first of 385 families the unit has helped, 80 percent of which had no previous contact with publicly funded mental health or developmentally disabled services. (Ison, 5/30)

The New York Times: Jury In The Bronx Awards $45 Million For A Death After Surgery
A Bronx jury has awarded $45.6 million to the parents of a man who was paralyzed at 14 and later died as a result of a spinal operation at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, according to court papers released Friday. The man, Edward Beloyianis, who lived in Dix Hills, Long Island, had gone to the Manhattan hospital in November 2002 for surgery to correct his scoliosis, a condition that made his spine curve in an S-shape, his lawyer, Evan Torgan, said on Friday. Mr. Beloyianis was paralyzed from the waist down by four screws that had been misplaced during the surgery and were pressing on his spinal cord, Mr. Torgan argued during a six-month trial in State Supreme Court in the Bronx. (Hartocollis, 5/29)

The Associated Press: NYC Mayor Forms Task Force To Probe Sober Houses
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has created a task force to investigate so-called three-quarter houses for potentially exploiting addicts and homeless individuals. The dwellings, sometimes called sober houses, fall somewhere between regulated halfway houses and permanent housing. (6/1)

The New York Times: Treating H.I.V. Patients Before They Get Sick
A major international clinical trial has provided the strongest evidence yet that people infected with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, should get treated as soon as possible, even if they are feeling well, to ward off serious illness and fatal complications in future years. The finding raises the powerful moral question of whether global and national organizations can find the will — and the resources — to protect millions of people from deaths and diseases that could be prevented. (5/30)

Los Angeles Times: Pass The Vaccination Bill
The vaccination debate has reached fever pitch. Legislation has passed in the state Senate that would do away with the "personal belief exemption" that allows parents in California to refuse to vaccinate their children. As it moves to the Assembly, opponents are ratcheting up their rhetoric, calling the bill a huge intrusion on their rights, and one that is written so broadly that even children with conditions that make vaccinations dangerous for them wouldn't be entitled to exemptions. The noise surrounding SB 277 is drowning out the truth, which is this: In general, parents have a right to make medical decisions for their children. But when it comes to communicable diseases, which can have devastating consequences on large groups of people, there also is a general societal right to protect public health. (5/29)

Tampa Bay Times: Real Stories: Floridians Without Health Care Thanks To The Legislature
The Florida Legislature can help more than 800,000 low-income Floridians obtain affordable, accessible health coverage. It can accept billions in federal Medicaid expansion money to help pay for private coverage during a special session that starts Monday. Yet Gov. Rick Scott and House Republicans remain opposed to the Senate’s bipartisan plan that has broad support from businesses, civic groups and the medical community. They are the immoral minority. How can they turn their backs on these fellow Floridians? (6/1)

Modern Healthcare: Judge's Comments Signal Another Legal Nightmare For Obamacare
It looks like the Obama administration may have another big legal headache in defending the Affordable Care Act. A Republican-appointed judge's comments Thursday suggest that it's very possible the administration will have to fight a new high-stakes court battle to save another key affordable coverage feature of the law. During a preliminary court hearing in Washington, U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer fired a series of sharply skeptical questions at the administration's lawyer who was urging her to dismiss an anti-Obamacare lawsuit filed by House Republicans. She was far less aggressive in questioning the plaintiffs' lawyer. And she made what was apparently a joke about impeaching the president. (Harris Meyer, 5/28)

Los Angeles Times: A Bogus Study Of Chocolate And Diets -- And The Media That Swallowed It Whole
John Bohannon is a journalist who made something of a name for himself with a 2013 exposé of the credulousness of science journals. This week he unveiled a new sting, in which he duped a host of media outlets in Europe and the U.S. with a patently bogus study purporting to find that eating chocolate made diets more effective. Bohannon promptly attracted kudos for exposing the laziness of the mass media when it comes to checking out superficial scientific claims. But he has also drawn brickbats for his own investigative technique and questions about his own ethics. All these reactions are justified. (Michael Hiltzik, 5/29)

The New York Times: The Insecure Americans
[T]he reality is that living longer in our ever-more-unequal society is very much a class thing: life expectancy at age 65 has risen a lot among the affluent, but hardly at all in the bottom half of the wage distribution, that is, among those who need Social Security most. And while the retirement system F.D.R. introduced may look old-fashioned to affluent professionals, it is quite literally a lifeline for many of our fellow citizens. A majority of Americans over 65 get more than half their income from Social Security, and more than a quarter are almost completely reliant on those monthly checks. (Paul Krugman, 5/29)

NPR: Does Your Neighborhood Doom You To An Early Death?
As health care providers, we can work hard to provide good care and even advocate for expanded access to health care, but that there are a myriad of other greater factors that contribute to people dying early. Those factors aren't within any individual's control; they that can only be addressed by the larger society. But as a culture it seems like we've decided that we're okay with not addressing environmental factors, which means we're okay with T.S's baby having a life expectancy that is almost a decade less than a baby born the next neighborhood over. (Kelli Dunham, 5/31)

The Charlotte Observer: Let's Make An Industry Of Doctors
Charlotte is always reaching for something it has no business having. Charlotte is just too big for its britches. Always has been. Last week’s big idea was about a medical school. A privately-financed study said we should get one. That’s no reason we should get one. (Mark Washburn, 5/30)

The Seattle Times: Can You Be Addicted To Food?
No one doubts the reality — or seriousness — of addiction to alcohol, tobacco or other drugs, but bring up food addiction and you might get a few eye rolls. However, research suggests that food addiction is far more than just an excuse for overeating. One conundrum with food addiction is that unlike alcohol or drugs, we need food. We depend on food to live. There’s a saying in Overeaters Anonymous: “When you are addicted to alcohol, you put the tiger in the cage and leave it there in order to recover. When you are addicted to food, you put the tiger in the cage but take it out three times a day for a walk.” (Carrie Dennett, 5/31)