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Employees face sticker shock as more companies roll out high deductible insurance plans

Over the next 18 months, between one quarter and one half of Americans who get insurance coverage through their employers will pay more of their doctor bills themselves as companies roll out healthcare plans with higher deductibles, benefits consultants say.

29 Oct 2012

Planned Parenthood finds success in courts to block efforts to cut funding

News outlets report on the status of state efforts to block funding for Planned Parenthood.

29 Oct 2012

Living examples of hope and determination against cancer

Their battle with cancer is not the only thing that unites the Labrada sisters of Houston who are now cancer-free and strong advocates for women taking charge of their bodies.

29 Oct 2012

Senate investigation culminates in report criticizing Medtronic

The Senate Finance Committee alleges that the medical technology company played a hidden role in drafting studies about one of its products.

29 Oct 2012

New HIV test for babies differs from conventional test, delivers diagnosis in less than an hour

Today, mothers in Africa sometimes walk more than 10 miles to a clinic only to learn that conventional HIV test results for their babies are not available yet.

29 Oct 2012

Resistin protein causes high levels of bad cholesterol

Canadian scientists have discovered that a protein called resistin, secreted by fat tissue, causes high levels of "bad" cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein or LDL), increasing the risk of heart disease.

29 Oct 2012

New anti-thrombotic treatments in AF patients can reduce risk of stroke

Atrial fibrillation, whose prevalence continues to rise, was described last year as the "new epidemic" in cardiovascular disease, even though AF can be successfully controlled by the detection and management of risk factors, by rhythm control treatments, and by the use of antithrombotic therapies.

29 Oct 2012

Rectal cancer more likely to spread to the lymph nodes in younger patients

Rectal cancer is more likely to spread to the lymph nodes in younger patients, according to new findings that Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers will be presenting on October 29 at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's 54th Annual Meeting.

29 Oct 2012

State roundup: Surging number of high-deductible health plans; Mass. contemplates physician-assisted 'suicide'; Costs slowing in Colo.

High-deductible health insurance plans are catching on in states struggling to contain escalating costs among their own employees, according to a brief the National Governors Association released Thursday. Nationally, insurance industry figures show that 13.5 million workers -- public and private -- are enrolled in high-deductible plans, which have soared in popularity in recent years among private sector employers trying to cope with high costs. The idea is that health costs will decline because workers will have more of an incentive to look for the best value in health care.

29 Oct 2012

Contaminated drug passed lab test

Products from the Massachusetts pharmacy linked to the deadly meningitis outbreak passed a lab test in May, reports The Wall Street Journal. In addition, the pharmacy dodged a reprimand by Massachusetts regulators in 2004 after protesting it would be "fatal to the business." The company's founders come under scrutiny by media outlets as more people file lawsuits.

26 Oct 2012

Health law, costs confusing for consumers

About 15,000 physicians and medical students from around the country, working through the grassroots advocacy group Doctors for America, haven taken on the challenge of explaining the health law to patients and providers.

26 Oct 2012

Viewpoints: Medicare provider cuts 'won't work'; A 'pamphlet isn't a plan'

Once the presidential election is over, Congress will try to address the Medicare cost shortfall one way or another. They will almost certainly consider a method that is guaranteed to fail: Medicare rate cuts for doctors and hospitals. It's been tried before, most notably as part of the 1997 Balanced Budget Act. Not once since the BBA required annual physician rate cuts have those cuts been implemented, leading every year to the predictable and depressing final-hours "doc fix" vote.

26 Oct 2012

Medical practice evolves: Prescribing habits, doc-patient relationship, health law changes

A push to treat chronic pain and financial disincentives for treating addiction may pressure clinicians into prescribing opioids for patients who are already addicted, a researcher suggested.

26 Oct 2012

Guidelines to help protect vulnerable populations from flu

While it is important to get vaccinated against the flu virus as early as possible, it is never too late to reap the benefits of this vaccine. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the peak months for the spread of the flu virus are January and February and the season can last into mid-May.

26 Oct 2012

Winter safety tips for older adults

Winter is a special time for celebration. It should also be a time for added caution if you or someone in your family is an older adult. It is the season for falls, slips on icy streets and other dangers that can be especially harmful for older adults.

25 Oct 2012

Scientists to examine origins of soil-carbon chemical chain reactions

Potential connections between the biodiversity of soil microorganisms and the carbon cycle will be studied by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Northern Arizona University (NAU) under a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

25 Oct 2012

Tips to help turn your alligator skin into suede

All winter flakes are not made of snow. Cold weather, with its low relative humidity, wreaks havoc on our skin, making it dry and flaky. Skin dries out if it's deprived of moisture and this dryness often aggravates itchiness, resulting in a condition commonly referred to as "winter itch."

25 Oct 2012

National Proactive Surveillance Network launches today

The National Proactive Surveillance Network, the world's first online medical database designed to help men track the progression of their prostate cancer while avoiding complications from overtreatment, launches today.

25 Oct 2012

Anxiety related to Medicare physician payment chills doctors' interest in experiments and demonstration programs

A survey by the Medical Group Management Association concluded that physicians' willingness to try new models of payment and delivery -- such as accountable care organizations and bundled payments -- is linked to congressional efforts to fix the Medicare doctor payment formula.

25 Oct 2012

New U-M mobile phone app for concussion patients

A new mobile phone app, the first of its kind, helps concussion patients track their activities and symptoms, and share that information with their healthcare team. The app from the University of Michigan, is called Return2Play.

24 Oct 2012