Increasing Medicare Age Could Lead To Higher Costs
Congress’ so-called deficit reduction “supercommittee” is down to the final weeks of deliberations in its efforts to come up with $1.2 trillion in budget savings. And one proposal that keeps cropping up is the idea of raising the eligibility age for Medicare. GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney became just the latest to propose it in [...]
Poor Economy May Be Coloring Views Of Nation’s Health
Public skepticism about health isn’t confined to doubts about last year’s health care law. Despite evidence to the contrary, most Americans also think the overall health of the public isn’t improving, according to a new poll commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The poll found that 45 percent of people thought the health of [...]
What Not To Buy Online: Lollipops Laced With Chickenpox
Shopping online can be a real time-saver, and you can get some great deals. But skip lollipops that come with the virus that causes chickenpox. This caution comes after a woman in Nashville, Tenn., advertised lollipops contaminated with the varicella virus on Facebook. The tainted pops were intended for parents who want to expose their [...]
Clear The Air: Scented Candles, Air Fresheners Can Be Irritating
Mary, a 46-year-old flight attendant, had a persistent runny nose that was sometimes so bad she had trouble doing her job. She’d tried antihistamines, nasal sprays and “allergy drops” prescribed by a specialist. None of them helped. Then she saw Dr. Stanley Fineman, an allergist, who found Mary wasn’t allergic to the usual household suspects [...]
Organic Isn’t Always Safer When It Comes To Botulism
Organic Italian olives are the unlikely suspects in a new botulism outbreak, which has sickened two people in Europe. The Food and Drug Administration has urged people not to eat Bio Gaudiano organic olives stuffed with almonds, and the United States distributor has recalled the product. Scientists say that the case is a good reminder [...]
Unhappiest Hospital Patients Are In New York City, Chicago And Florida
Not all hospital patients are alike. Some are harder to satisfy. Especially those who are admitted to hospitals in and around New York City, Chicago and parts of Florida. Patients in those places gave some of the lowest evaluations of their hospital stays, Medicare data show. The surveys asked patients how well their doctors and [...]
Conservative Appeals Court Judge Writes Opinion Upholding Health Law
An appeals court judge appointed by President Ronald Reagan just wrote an opinion affirming the constitutionality of the federal law overhauling health care. That makes three appeals court decisions in favor of the law and one against, if you’re keeping track. But the latest decision written by Judge Laurence Silberman of the U.S. Court of [...]
Investigating DHS Child Deaths
A Special Review Committee of the Human Services Commission is looking at child deaths at the Department of Human Services.
Insurance Penalties For Smokers Draw Wide Support
When it comes to improving health, there are carrots and there are sticks. One way to try to influence people’s habits is by tying how much they pay for health coverage to their behavior. Starting next year, for instance, Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest private employer, will charge workers who smoke a penalty ranging from $260 [...]
A Disco Beat Isn’t Enough For CPR Stardom
“Disco Science,” which you may know from the movie Snatch, has joined the ’70s hit “Stayin’ Alive” and the British children’s song “Nellie the Elephant” on a unique playlist. The three songs have been found to help people compress the chest at the right rate. Unfortunately, adding music to the CPR mix doesn’t improve its [...]
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