Politico. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky conceded that a full repeal of the health care law won't be possible in the short term but pledged that Republicans would use their new oversight powers in the House to keep pressure on the Obama administration and Democrats. (Wong, 11/4) Full story

New York Times. While Republicans cannot fulfill their campaign promise to repeal the new health care law any time soon, they can lead Congress in a sweeping re-examination of its more unpopular provisions, including new taxes and a requirement for most Americans to carry health insurance. (Pear and Abelson, 11/3) Full story

MarketWatch. Large firms seek to change, not repeal, health law. (Gerencher, 11/4) Full story

Reuters. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Wednesday said he was willing to make tweaks to the landmark healthcare reform law enacted earlier this year over united Republican opposition. (Charles and Wutkowski, 11/3) Full story

New York Times. In the new political reality in Washington, the drug industry, hospitals and doctors' groups are setting their sights on the elimination of the Medicare Payment Innovation Center, a little-known provision of the health care overhaul that some experts identify as the biggest cost-cutter of all. (Wilson, 11/4) Full story

Wall Street Journal. The pharmaceutical industry hopes to hold on to concessions it won from Democrats during their recent brief reign in Congress, while benefiting from antiregulatory sentiment among Republicans who captured the House, industry lobbyists said. (Mundy, 11/3) Full story

Associated Press. Fifty years after the pill, another birth control revolution may be on the horizon: free contraception for women in the U.S., thanks to the new health care law. (Alonso-Zalvidar, 10/31) Full story

Wall Street Journal. A doctor's prescription won't do any good unless it's filled, and the medication being prescribed won't do any good unless it's taken. (Hobson, 11/2) Full story

The Medical News. An initiative by the U. S. technology company Pitney Bowes to make medications of proven value less expensive for their employees succeeded in stabilizing employees' adherence to their treatment regimens, according to a Commonwealth Fund-supported study published in this month's Health Affairs. (11/3) Full story

CVS Caremark. At a time when patients are increasingly turning to social media such as Facebook for information about medical conditions and their treatment, a new study by Harvard University and Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers raises disturbing questions about the accuracy of the information on these sites - and its sources. (11/2)Release

The Fiscal Times. Here's a health care reform idea that proponents say will bring both Democrats and Republicans together: Make people pay more for high-priced medical interventions that may not be necessary or simply don't deliver results. (Goozner, 11/2) Full story

FDA. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Cymbalta (duloxetine hydrochloride) to treat chronic musculoskeletal pain, including discomfort from osteoarthritis and chronic lower back pain. Cymbalta was first used to treat major depressive disorder in 2004. Release

MedPage Today. During the second day of the FDA's public meeting on developing an approval pathway for generic versions of biologics, generic manufacturers took a decidedly different view from companies that make brand-name biologics on how the agency should proceed. Full story