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Americans spend only about two hours each week in sports and fitness activities

Americans spend, on average, only about two hours each week participating in sports and fitness activities, according to researchers at Penn State and the University of Maryland who examined U.S. government data from the American Time Use Study.

9 May 2012

U of A marks National Nursing Week with launch of online palliative care toolkit

An interactive toolkit created by a team from the University of Alberta helps palliative care patients and their care providers to deal with the physical, emotional and relationship changes that come with terminal and chronic illnesses.

9 May 2012

Caring for carers

According to a new poll, there are hundreds of thousands of unpaid carers in Scotland who are suffering from mental health problems and struggling to keep their jobs.

8 May 2012

Ads for “affordable care act” claim to protect Medicare: Really?

Proponents of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act have a very costly, tax-payer funded national advertising campaign--- posing as “protectors” of Medicare—even as the massively unpopular law cut $500-$800 billion from Medicare to fund expansion of Medicaid, shifting more medical care services to younger voters.

8 May 2012

NCPIE launches three acetaminophen safe use modules

The National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE) today launched three customized, online educational modules to promote safe use of acetaminophen products.

8 May 2012

State roundup: Calif. fight over group homes for seniors; New agency proposed to police disabled care in NY; Conn. retiree health plan expansion could endanger protections

Neighbors were already concerned about the growing number of group homes for the elderly and recovering addicts in the area, many of them for profit. A Times analysis found 24 licensed facilities offering residential care for the elderly within a mile of the proposed project and three more waiting for state approval. It is one of several such clusters that have emerged in Los Angeles County -- including parts of the San Fernando Valley and South Bay -- where families can afford fees that run into thousands of dollars per month. Large swaths of the county's less affluent areas have no such facilities.

8 May 2012

People continue to make unhealthy choices despite best intentions

Humana Inc., one of the nation's leading health and well-being companies, and Reader's Digest, one of America's most recognized brands, today announced results of a nationwide survey that highlights an intriguing fact about health in America - despite our best intentions, Americans continue to make unhealthy choices.

7 May 2012

Obama, Romney and their supporters debate government role in health care

[Bill] Clinton defended the Affordable Care Act that Obama signed into law in 2010, which is now the subject of debate among U.S. Supreme Court justices who are weighing the constitutionality of the legislation's requirement that all people have health insurance.

7 May 2012

New research about why people forego colorectal cancer screening

New research about why people forego colorectal cancer (CRC) screening suggests that three fears play a significant role; fear of embarrassment, fear of getting AIDS and fear of pain may make some seniors skip the potentially lifesaving tests.

5 May 2012

The Supreme Court rule could have 'unintended consequences' for Medicare payments

The Associated Press reports that a high court decision to strike down the health law could be disruptive to Medicare's payment systems.

4 May 2012

Current research does not support use of smell tests for Alzheimer's dementia

Current research does not support the use of smell tests for predicting Alzheimer's dementia, according to a comprehensive review by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars at the University of Michigan and the VA Center for Clinical Management Research.

4 May 2012

Health Care REIT completes acquisition with Chartwell Seniors Housing REIT

Health Care REIT, Inc. announced today that it has completed the acquisition with Chartwell Seniors Housing REIT of 42 seniors housing and care communities in attractive Canadian markets, which was previously announced on February 15, 2012.

2 May 2012

Older Americans experience significant and troubling gaps in primary care

Large majorities of older Americans experience significant and troubling gaps in their primary care, according to a new national survey, "How Does It Feel? The Older Adult Health Care Experience," released today by the John A. Hartford Foundation, a champion for improved geriatric care and longtime partner of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at New York University's College of Nursing.

2 May 2012

House Republicans divided over how to 'replace' health law

Ask each of the 242 House Republicans what kind of health policy they'd like to enact instead of President Barack Obama's health care reform law and you might get 242 different answers. Even after three years of railing against Obama's plan, Republicans have coalesced around only a few basic tenets of health policy - let alone a full replacement plan.

2 May 2012

Health information technology gains momentum, uses

One in 10 doctors who work outside hospitals in the United States began using electronic health records in 2011, helped along by the promise of $27 billion in incentives from the federal government.

30 Apr 2012

Ryan's Medicare plan moves him into the headlines

The New York Times reports on how the budget plan advanced Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has become the GOP's marching orders. In related news, the Medicare component of the Republican budget blueprint overhaul drew in-depth scrutiny during a House hearing last week.

30 Apr 2012

First Edition: April 30, 2012

In today's headlines, a variety of health policy headlines ranging from reports about state-level health law implementation progress to marketplace news.

30 Apr 2012

CityBusters battle illness on public transit

The best place to enjoy a breath of fresh air may be a city bus, if Rice University students have their way. A team of graduating seniors has created a system for public transit that would continually clear the air of pathogens that can lead to tuberculosis (TB), flu and pneumonia.

30 Apr 2012

Ryan says his budget will protect seniors

Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, said in the Republican weekly address the GOP budget will reform the tax code and protect such programs as education and Medicare.

30 Apr 2012

Berries taken at least once a week can preserve memory functions: Study

The study of more than 16,000 women taking part in the Nurses' Health Study involved following them up since 1980. Between 1995 and 2001, researchers also measured the mental function of women who were over 70 and had not had a stroke.

29 Apr 2012