Today's Globe: Commonwealth Care cuts, healthcare costs, stomach stapling and cancer, patent payoffs

Overseers of Massachusetts’ trailblazing healthcare program made their first cuts yesterday, trimming $115 million, or 12 percent, from Commonwealth Care, which subsidizes premiums for needy residents and is the centerpiece of the 2006 law.

State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill has come out strongly against the $1 billion in tax increases approved by the Legislature, proposing instead deep cuts in the state’s landmark effort at universal healthcare, calling it a luxury taxpayers can no longer afford.

Women who have their stomachs stapled not only lose weight, they also may reduce their cancer risk by up to 40 percent, new research says.

The chairman of the Federal Trade Commission says eliminating lucrative patent settlements between brand name and generic drug companies would save consumers $3.5 billion annually.