Supporters Of Health Overhaul Look To Reclaim ‘Obamacare’
“Thanks Obamacare.” Sounds like sarcasm, right? Sure, opponents of the federal law overhauling health care tagged it with the “Obamacare” moniker to belittle the measure even before it had passed. To many of them, the law is an ill-considered attempt to fix America’s health care problems with a one-size-fits-all approach that thrusts the government into [...]
Flu Shots: Far from Perfect, Still Advised
Flu shots are safe, cheap and pretty much universally recommended. But how well do they really protect us from getting sick? The most comprehensive review to date, just published online by The Lancet, suggests that flu vaccines aren’t as effective as many of us have thought. An analysis of 31 published studies conducted since 1998 [...]
Employers May Not Rush To Drop Health Coverage After All
Despite claims to the contrary, a insightful economic analysis suggests that it wouldn’t be in most employers’ business interests to stop providing health insurance when the main coverage provisions of the federal health overhaul kick in. The work, done by researchers from the Urban Institute for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (a supporter of NPR), [...]
Key Panel Recommends Routine HPV Vaccination For Boys
If you thought the HPV vaccine against cervical cancer was controversial before, things are just warming up. A panel of experts that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine policies has recommended routine vaccination of 11- and 12-year-old boys with Gardasil, Merck’s vaccine against human papillomavirus. Vaccinations could start as early as [...]
High-Deductible Health Plans More Common On Employers’ Menus
Health plan deductibles keep inching up. When employees sign up for coverage this fall during their company’s annual enrollment period, nearly a quarter will face annual deductibles of at least $1,000, according to a recent employer survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.) At small companies, the [...]
New Health Center Focuses on Prevention
Oklahoma City’s most unhealthy zip code is getting a new regional health and wellness campaign which broke ground on Monday.
A Day To Think About Food Even More
It’s tough to get excited about another awareness day. In case you hadn’t heard, October is National Protect Your Hearing Month. Sept. 21 was National School Backpack Day. There is a Hug Your Hound Day. These are all worthy causes, of course, but at a certain point, one wonders whether any good can come from [...]
BPA And Behavior: More Questions Than Answers
When it comes to worries about raising kids in our modern age, the effects of chemicals in the environment are near the top of the list. Unfortunately for those looking for definitive answers about BPA, the latest study doesn’t have them. Critics of bisphenol A say it can cause health problems by mimicking the hormone [...]
Big-Name Drugs Are Falling Off The ‘Patent Cliff’
Some of the most popular and expensive brand-name drugs are about to go generic. Take Lipitor, for example. In November, the heart drug comes off-patent — and by next June, there are likely to be multiple generic versions. With almost $11 billion in sales last year, it’s the largest blockbuster to fall off what analysts [...]
Will Smartphones And iPads Mush My Toddler’s Brain?
Parents of small children have long been told to avoid using the television as a babysitter. This week, the nation’s leading group of pediatricians reiterated its stance against letting kids under 2 watch any TV at all. But what about iPhones and iPads? These days, it’s pretty common to see Mom or Dad hand over [...]
programs
events
audio
