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As many of the nation's physicians gather at a convention in Chicago this weekend, one of the most controversial issues on their agenda is continued support of the "individual mandate," a key part of President Obama's health care overhaul.
"It will be intensely debated," said Dr. Lori Heim, a North Carolina family physician who travelled to Chicago for the annual meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA), the nation's largest physicians group.
AMA support for the Affordable Care Act, and specifically the individual mandate, which requires that nearly all Americans purchase health insurance, was seen as important in setting the stage for its passage last year.
"AMA's support was and is more significant with respect to PR than legislative politics," said Heritage Foundation health care expert Edmund Haislmaier.
Of course, the Obama administration is facing dozens of legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act, including one brought by Republican governors and attorneys general from more than two dozen states that's now before the federal appeals court in Atlanta. Those challenges will almost certainly be decided by the Supreme Court, perhaps as soon as next year, according to CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen.
In light of the fact that the battle has moved to the courts, it's not clear what real world effect a change in position by the AMA would have, though it would certainly give more fuel to opponents of "Obamacare" going into the 2012 elections. Haislmaier said it would also weaken the White House narrative that the Affordable Care Act is "settled and everybody needs to get on board with implementation."
Members of the AMA on both sides of the issue said the debate within the organization mirrors the larger national discussion about the health care law and the individual mandate.
"In the same way that you're seeing this debate being played out in the political arena, similarly you have people on both sides of the issue in the AMA," said Dr. Robert Sewell, past president of the American Society of General Surgeons, a medical group that opposes the individual mandate.
Heim, board chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians, which supports the mandate, agreed. She said the issue has played out along political party lines among physicians just as it has in society at large.
CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care Reform
"Although I think the individual responsibility will get the support it deserves," she said. "I think it will be intensely debated."
Heim added she believes a majority of AMA members support the individual mandate. "Most physicians want to see a change in health care in the nation," she said.
"If you think about it in terms of individual responsibility," Heim said. "We want patients and the public to be responsible about their health. They also need to be responsible about health insurance."

Being a personal finance blogger I tend to tie everything into money management. I’m sure you noticed this with my post last week where I connected personal finance and getting laid. Today I wanted to tie in fitness and finance as a result of my newest site, Training Shark, that just went live.
I covered personal fitness on here a few times in the past: How to Save Money on Gym Membership Fees & Personal Finance Meets Personal Fitness. Today I wanted to share the five ways that fitness has impacted my finances and how this can happen to you:

1. You’ll spend more money when you first start training.

I didn’t say that fitness will always impact your finances in a positive way. There will be many times where you spend way too much money on your nutrition/fitness needs. When I first got hardcore about my training I found myself spending tons of money by experimenting with all of the various supplements on the market. I tried everything from NO to creatine, only to realize that none of it really mattered unless you ate properly. Now I don’t even take any supplements at all. When I first started working out I spent more money than I care to admit on supplements. I find that many new fitness enthusiasts will go through a similar phase. Keep your new supplement and quality food in mind as you begin with a new training program.

2. You save money by going out less frequently.

I’ve noticed that when I’m training hard I tend to go out less frequently. This means that I eat out less and drink booze less often. I’m saving money by enjoying activities that don’t cost a lot of money (hanging out with friends). When you don’t go out for food and drinks, you’ll be fairly surprised by how much money you can save.

3. Fitness keeps you focused in all areas of your life.

I’m much more focused in other areas of life when I get my intense training in. I noticed how during exam time there would be less and less people attending the kickboxing classes. Everyone had the same excuse about how they wanted to focus on their exams. The funny thing is that going to the gym is what kept me more focused. That one hour study break really kept me energized. Taking some time to push my body in the middle of mental stimulation really kept me focused. Taking care of your fitness life will allow you to feel more energized and to hopefully be more focused when it comes to watching your money.

4. Your long term health.

If you start taking care of yourself at an earlier age the odds are in your favor that your long term health will benefit greatly. I know that there are things that happen that are simply out of our control, so why not control what we can? All I know is that older dudes at the gym always stress the importance of taking care of your body at an early age to me. I try to listen to advice when it comes to my health any time it’s possible.

5. You’re not as stressed

My stress levels go down when I train my body and eat properly (this means no McDonald’s). What does this have to do with money management? Many people seek “retail therapy” when they’re stressed out. Stress causes us to become vulnerable and to do things that we normally wouldn’t do. Think of the last time you were stressed out. Chances are that you foolishly spent money or your judgment was severely clouded. When you train on a consistent basis I find that you’ll get stressed out less often.