PBS NewsHour: Health Archive | 2012

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HEALTH


	2012 MAY May 22, 2012 New Online Tool Helps Women Track Menopause Symptoms Seventy-two percent of women who experience menopausal symptoms have not received treatment, according to the Endocrine Society. The organization created an online tool to help women and their doctors discuss options that might work for them.

	May 18, 2012 Baby's Tumor Means Surgery Before Birth As a 7-month old fetus, Cami Santee's life was threatened by a large tumor growing from her lower body. To remove it, doctors had to operate before she was born, cutting away the growth while she still lay half inside her mother's womb.

	May 17, 2012 Chemotherapy During Pregnancy: Yes, It's Possible Minnie Narth could recite everything she'd heard she wasn't supposed to have while pregnant. But as she entered her third trimester, her body was in desperate need of something she would never have predicted: intensive cancer treatment.

	May 17, 2012 When Cancer & Pregnancy Collide No sushi. No caffeine. No alcohol. No Ibuprofin. Minnie Narth could recite everything she'd heard she wasn't supposed to have while pregnant. But as she entered her third trimester, her body was in desperate need of something she would never have predicted: Chemotherapy. This is her story.

	May 16, 2012 Cancer and Infertility: Dodging the 'Double Blow' Two statistics had dominated Gina Danford's life. While close to 120,000 women under the age of 50 are diagnosed with cancer each year, Danford became one of them at age 19. But it wasn't until her third tumor, at age 30, that she joined a much more exclusive number.

	May 15, 2012 U.S. Launches National Strategy to Combat Alzheimer's Disease As rates of Alzheimer's Disease continue to jump in the U.S., HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Tuesday the first Congressionally mandated plan to help prevent and treat the disease. Margaret Warner discusses the details with NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and Eric Hall, CEO of Alzheimer's Foundation of America.

	May 14, 2012 Many Businesses Offer Health Benefits To Same-Sex Couples Ahead Of Laws President Obama's pronouncement last week in favor of same-sex marriage has no legal effect on employers' decisions on whether to offer benefits to workers' domestic partners, but some advocates believe it could reinforce a decade-long trend toward coverage.

	May 11, 2012 A Drug to Prevent HIV's Spread: Truvada's Promises and Problems The Food and Drug Administration gave the go-ahead Thursday to a drug combination called Truvada that is aimed at preventing the spread of HIV. Until now, it had only approved drugs for treating the disease. Ray Suarez discusses the details with Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases.

	May 10, 2012 FDA Urges Caution Over Long-Term Use of Bone-Density-Building Drugs Millions of women grapple with whether to take bone-density-building drugs to treat or prevent osteoporosis, but the FDA this week warned that long-term use of bisphosphonates can lead to rare fractures and side effects. Margaret Warner and Maine Medical Center's Dr. Clifford Rosen discuss the risks outlined by the FDA.

	May 10, 2012 Key Psychiatric Doctor Rejects Name Change for PTSD A leader in the psychiatric community has rejected the idea of changing the last word of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to "Injury." The move effectively blocks growing efforts by a small group of psychiatrists and military brass concerned about reducing patient stigma.

	May 8, 2012 Will Obesity Reverse Rise in U.S. Life Expectancy? Public health experts have long warned of a growing obesity epidemic in America. This week, the Institute of Medicine and others launched a major campaign in hopes of curbing the problem. Ray Suarez and Dr. Francis Collins of the National Institutes of Health discuss the personal and public consequences of obesity.

	May 8, 2012 Obesity in America: By the Numbers A consortium of the nation's top health organizations are driving home obesity statistics this month through a CDC conference, an IOM report, and an HBO documentary series, "The Weight of the Nation." Here's a cheat sheet and interactive map to help you navigate some of the most startling stats.

	May 8, 2012 'Weight of the Nation': U.S. Obesity Crisis Tackled in HBO Special With more than two-thirds of U.S. adults age 20 and over now overweight or obese, a new four-part documentary series produced by HBO outlines the scope of the problem, common myths, and the costs of inaction. John Hoffman, executive producer of the "Weight of the Nation" series, sat down with Ray Suarez to discuss the series.

	May 3, 2012 High-Deductible Health Plans: Your Questions Answered Nearly a third of U.S. workers with employer-based health insurance are now offered high-deductible plans. After health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser's report last week on this "quiet revolution" in the insurance industry, you had questions. Here are your answers.

	May 2, 2012 Health Reform on the Brink: Mixed Feelings in Maine As Jeff Aronson sees it, few things encapsulate the U.S. health care dilemma as well as a car crash on the island of Vinalhaven, Maine. In our latest profile on ways ordinary Americans feel about health care reform, Aronson describes why he doesn't think the law will do much to help -- or hurt -- the accident's victims.

	May 1, 2012 Newborns Addicted to Painkillers: Study Finds Troubling Spike in Cases On average, one baby is born in the United States each hour addicted to opiates -- a class of drugs ranging from heroin to prescription painkillers, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Ray Suarez discusses the findings with lead author Dr. Stephen Patrick of the University of Michigan.



	APRIL April 30, 2012 ER Visits After Drinking May Not Be Covered Up to half of the people who are treated at hospital emergency departments and trauma centers are under the influence of alcohol, experts say. But laws in more than half the states permit insurers to deny payment for medical services related to alcohol or drug use.

	April 30, 2012 Combat Paper: Veterans Battle War's Demons With Paper-Making At first blush, cutting up a military uniform might seem like an unsettling concept -- a potential act of disrespect. But veterans in New Jersey and around the U.S. are doing just that as part of the Combat Paper Project -- repurposing their uniforms into paper to use as canvasses to create therapeutic works of art.

	April 30, 2012 Veterans Changing the Arts: Share Your Story If you've served in the military and your experience has influenced your art and creative expression, share your story.

	April 27, 2012 High-Deductible Plans a 'Quiet Revolution in Health Insurance' As health costs rise, insurance plans characterized by lower premiums and higher out-of-pocket costs are on the rise in American workplaces. Health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser reports on the growing trend toward high-deductible health plans, and concerns that they may encourage delays in receiving needed medical care.

	April 27, 2012 Top 10 Things to Know About High-Deductible Health Plans High-deductible health care plans are no longer a novelty -- they are becoming mainstream. According to the industry trade group America's Health Insurance Plans, the number of people with this kind of coverage reached more than 11.4 million in January 2011 -- up from 10 million in January 2010.

	April 27, 2012 Workers Putting 'More Skin' in the Health Care Game The name pretty much says it all: high-deductible health insurance plans. Higher deductibles, cheaper premiums. But if you think the surprises end there, brace yourself for one more: Proportionally, these plans are growing faster than any other type in the United States.

	April 26, 2012 What Rare Mad Cow Case Means for U.S. Consumers For the first time in six years, a case of mad cow disease surfaced in the U.S. this week. But there's no need to fear the beef aisle -- for now.

	April 26, 2012 Millions Expected To Receive Insurance Rebates Totaling $1.3 Billion Millions of consumers and small businesses will receive an estimated $1.3 billion in rebates from their health plans this summer under a provision of the health care law that effectively limits what insurers can charge for administration and profits, a new study projects.

	April 23, 2012 Aging Population, Costs Worsen Medicare's Long-term Prognosis The outlook for the Medicare program, which covers nearly 50 million elderly and disabled people, was only slightly worse than findings from last year. Once again, trustees forecast that Medicare's hospital fund would start running out of money in 2024.

	April 23, 2012 Health Reform on the Brink: Nervous in New Mexico After 54 years of hard work -- many of them in the military -- Ron Castle hates the idea of "freeloaders." He worries the health care reform law will lead to more of them. In our "Health Reform on the Brink" series, we profile ways the law is impacting ordinary Americans like Castle -- for the better and worse.

	April 19, 2012 VA Adds 1,600 Workers to Fix Backlog, but 'Always More We Can Do' Responding to a backlog of mental health cases and a blistering federal appeals court ruling, Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said Thursday that the agency will hire 1,600 more professionals -- including psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers. Jeffrey Brown and the VA's Sonja Batten discuss the new hires' goals.

	April 19, 2012 Just Ask: What Health Benefits Do the Supreme Court Justices Receive? As nine Supreme Court justices decide whether to strike down the health care reform law, some Americans are wondering: What kind of health insurance do the justices themselves receive? And how might that play into their decision?

	April 18, 2012 After Heart Attack, Turning Scar Tissue Back Into Beating Heart Cells A study published Wednesday in the journal Nature revealed that scientists have managed to convert damaged tissue into functioning heart muscle by inducing mild heart attacks on lab mice then coaxing their hearts into rebuilding themselves. In collaboration with KQED's QUEST program, correspondent Spencer Michels reports.

	April 17, 2012 Buckle Up: Deadly Accidents More Likely on Tax Day Death and taxes. The two certainties in life, as Benjamin Franklin once said. But new research suggests another link between the two: Americans are more likely to be in a fatal car crash on Tax Day, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

	April 16, 2012 Out-Of-Network Care Adds to Health Expenses Financially, it's always been risky to get health care from a hospital or doctor that's outside your health plan's network. But some recent developments put consumers in a slightly stronger position.

	April 16, 2012 Health Reform on the Brink: Uninsured in Missouri Leukemia, autism, epilepsy. Adam Hill's health troubles eventually resulted in a new shock: the family's health insurance jumped to nearly $100,000 per year. In our "Health Reform on the Brink" series, we'll profile ways health care reform is impacting ordinary Americans like the Hills -- for the better and worse.

	April 10, 2012 U.S. Dental Crisis: Sen. Sanders on the Fight for Coverage As the U.S. dental crisis intensifies -- and controversy continues to swell over whether dentists should be the only ones pulling teeth -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, convened a recent hearing on some potential solutions to the pain.

	April 10, 2012 Why Churches Could Be Crucial in the Fight Against HIV in Africa In the history of the AIDS epidemic in Africa, there has long been a divide between public health advocates and churches. Religious leaders often promote ideas about HIV and the use of condoms that run counter to public health campaigns. But that's starting to change in at least one country in southern Africa.

	April 10, 2012 Dental Therapists 'Safe' Pulling American Teeth, Study Suggests As more Americans struggle to find dental care near their homes, the controversial idea of training mid-level practitioners to perform "basic" dental work -- including extractions -- is spreading. According to a new report, these dental therapists are usually "competent, safe and effective."

	April 9, 2012 Study: Higher U.S. Costs For Cancer Care May Be 'Worth It' Higher U.S. spending for cancer care pays off in almost two years of additional life for American cancer patients on average compared to their European counterparts -- a value that offsets the higher costs -- according to a study in the April issue of the journal Health Affairs.

	April 6, 2012 Medicare 'Less Generous' Than Private Plans, Study Finds On average, Medicare recipients receive less coverage than the typical elderly employee of a large company, according to a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation. If recent proposals to cut Medicare spending or squeeze the program's benefits go forward, the gap could widen.

	April 4, 2012 SCOTUS v. POTUS: The Role of the Supreme Court, Historically President Obama made his feelings known this week on the Supreme Court, "judicial activism" and "those who would overturn" the health reform law. Some say he's gone too far. Jeffrey Brown discusses the historical tug-of-war between the president and the Court with Georgetown Law's Louis Michael Seidman and Randy Barnett.

	April 4, 2012 Medical Groups Call on Doctors to 'Choose Wisely,' Perform Fewer Tests Nine medical specialty groups on Wednesday released a list of 45 medical tests and procedures they say are often unnecessary and costly -- and sometimes dangerous. Gwen Ifill discusses the "Choose Wisely" campaign with Dr. Glen Stream of the American Academy of Family Physicians and Dr. Eric Topol of Scripps Health.

	April 4, 2012 News Wrap: Internet Giant Yahoo to Lay Off 14 Percent of Staff In other news Wednesday, Internet giant Yahoo announced that it will lay off 2,000 employees as part of a plan to redeploy resources and boost revenues. Also, a barrage of tornadoes Tuesday damaged or destroyed 650 homes in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. No deaths and only a few serious injuries were reported.

	April 4, 2012 Medical Groups List 45 Ways to Lower Health Care Costs As U.S. health care costs inch closer to 20 percent of GDP, some of the nation's top medical specialists have created a list of common tests and practices they feel are often unnecessary -- sometimes even harmful. Here are their top 45.

	April 2, 2012 A Hard-Hitting Story: Young Football Players Take Big-League Hits to Head Virginia Tech researchers placed helmets with sensors on 7- and 8-year-old football players and collected data on more than 750 hits to the head over a season. The findings are the first quantitative study of the acceleration and risk that young brains face in youth football. Special correspondent Stone Phillips reports.

	April 2, 2012 Lawyer to Examine Bales' Medications at Time of Afghan Killings The attorney for the U.S. soldier charged with killing 17 Afghan civilians on March 11 told the NewsHour he is interested in learning what medications his client, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, was taking at the time of the shootings.



	MARCH March 30, 2012 Health Reform's Fate: How the Supreme Court Will Decide After three days of hearings on health care reform, Supreme Court justices held a secret preliminary vote Friday to deliberate the Affordable Care Act's future. Their decision is expected in late June. Jeffrey Brown and The National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle discuss the steps ahead as the justices begin their deliberations.

	March 30, 2012 Read, Listen and Even Translate The Supreme Court's Health Care Hearings As the Supreme Court justices met Friday for a secret initial vote on the constitutionality of the health care reform law, the NewsHour has compiled audio and transcripts from the hearings into YouTube videos to make the arguments easier to follow.

	March 30, 2012 Pint-Size Football Players Are Taking Big-League Hits Virginia Tech researchers placed helmets with sensors on 7- and 8-year-old football players and collected data on more than 750 hits to the head over a season. The findings are the first quantitative study of the acceleration and risk that young brains face in youth football. Special correspondent Stone Phillips reports.

	March 29, 2012 Autism's Prevalence Grows: 'This Is a Big Problem' The rate of autism diagnosis in American children continues to climb, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. Jeffrey Brown discusses the latest research into the group of disorders with CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden and the University of Rochester Medical Center's Dr. Susan Hyman.

	March 29, 2012 After Hearings, GOP Candidates Redouble Health Reform Critiques As the Supreme Court decides how to rule on the health reform law following this week's hearings, Republican candidates Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney touched on the topic Thursday. Judy Woodruff, The Washington Post's Amy Gardner and The Boston Globe's Brian Mooney discuss how health care is being debated on the campaign trail.

	March 29, 2012 CDC: Diagnosis of Autism Rising in U.S. Autism rates in the United States have risen dramatically in recent years, jumping 23 percent between 2006 and 2008 and a full 78 percent between 2002 and 2008, according to new figures released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

	March 29, 2012 Webcast: Health Reform And The Court Wrap-Up After six hours of historic arguments on the health law, the Supreme Court now begins its deliberations. What were the key moments in the debate, and how might they affect the outcome? Check out this video wrap from our partners at Kaiser Health News.

	March 28, 2012 Minus A Mandate, Health Law Would Still Affect Millions If the Supreme Court strikes down the requirement that most Americans carry health insurance - along with related provisions that insurers must sell to people with pre-existing conditions and not charge the sick more -- what's left in the law?Quite a bit, say policy experts.

	March 28, 2012 Medicaid Expansion: Good or Bad for America? If the health care reform law pushes forward, 16 million more Americans will receive health care coverage through the federal Medicaid program. For perspective, we turn to Tom Miller of the American Enterprise Institute and Ron Pollack of Families USA. Our question: Is the Medicaid expansion good or bad for America?

	March 28, 2012 Congressmen on Political, Practical Stakes of Court's Health Reform Ruling In the third day of the Supreme Court's hearings on the health reform law, justices delved into the constitutionality of Medicaid expansion and whether the law could survive without a so-called individual mandate. Judy Woodruff discusses the eagerly anticipated decision with Reps. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., and Peter Roskam, R-Ill.

	March 28, 2012 Supreme Court Wraps Up Health Reform Law Hearings: What's Next? In the final day of Supreme Court hearings on the Affordable Care Act, justices questioned the constitutionality of requiring states to expand Medicaid coverage to more individuals. Betty Ann Bowser reports, and Marcia Coyle and Susan Dentzer discuss with Gwen Ifill whether the law could survive without an insurance mandate.

	March 28, 2012 Health Reform in the Supreme Court: Day 3 Audio, Transcript As the Supreme Court convenes for a final day of hearings on the constitutionality of the health care reform law, check back here throughout the day for the audio and transcripts, as well as the latest from NewsHour Supreme Court analyst Marcia Coyle.

	March 28, 2012 Supreme Court Considers Health Care Reform: A Guide to Day 3 The Supreme Court will conclude its hearings on the Affordable Care Act Wednesday with arguments over the constitutionality of the Medicaid expansion and the "severability" of the individual mandate from the rest of the law. Marcia Coyle previews the day's arguments.

	March 27, 2012 Is Health Law's Individual Mandate Constitutional? Legal Scholars Debate Justices at the Supreme Court Tuesday heard arguments over the health care law and whether requiring citizens to buy health insurance is constitutional. Former Solicitor General Walter Dellinger and Georgetown University's Randy Barnett debate the legality of the health reform law's so-called individual mandate.

	March 27, 2012 Supreme Court Considers Health Reform Day 2 Recap: Individual Mandate on Trial Arguments at the Supreme Court Tuesday dealt with whether Congress had the authority to require citizens to purchase health insurance and whether the government could issue a financial penalty for those who decline. Betty Ann Bowser reports then Marcia Coyle and Susan Dentzer discuss the crux of the hearings with Gwen Ifill.

	March 27, 2012 Health Care Reform in the Supreme Court: Day 2 Audio and Transcript On the second day of arguments before the Supreme Court about the health care reform law, the justices tackled the central question of whether the mandate to purchase insurance is constitutional. Read Marcia Coyle's analysis, then listen to the day's hearings or browse the transcript.

	March 27, 2012 Join @Newshour on Twitter for a Discussion of Healthcare Reform The Supreme Court will hear a historic three days of arguments about whether the 2010 Affordable Care Act is constitutional from Monday, March 26, to Wednesday, March 28.Join NewsHour for a live chat on Tuesday March 27 from 1 - 2 p.m. ET on Twitter with the hashtag #HCRChat

	March 27, 2012 What Is the Individual Mandate and What If It's Declared Unconstitutional? Today the Supreme Court waded into the legal arguments about whether Congress acted within its constitutional authority when it adopted the Affordable Care Act's "minimum coverage requirement" - the so-called individual mandate. Here's a quick guide to the key questions that the experts in health policy are asking.

	March 27, 2012 Why I Support Health Care Reform: Voices of the Defense As the Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of the health reform law, here are 10 portraits of individuals who say health reform changed their lives for the better. Be sure to catch yesterday's post: Voices of the Opposition.

	March 27, 2012 Court of Public Opinion Weighs In on Health Care Reform Law The Supreme Court justices will hear arguments Tuesday about whether a national insurance mandate is constitutional. At the same time, the health care law is getting a fresh look in the court of public opinion.

	March 27, 2012 Supreme Court Reviews Health Care Reform Law: a Guide to Day 2 The Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday morning on a central pillar of the health care reform law: Can the government force Americans to buy health insurance or pay a fine? Marcia Coyle previews the day's arguments.

	March 26, 2012 Heart Transplants: How Do You Get One? Former Vice President Dick Cheney's heart transplant this weekend raised new questions about how the organ transplant waiting list operates. Margaret Warner and the University of Chicago's Dr. Allen Anderson discuss the waiting list system and why people with cardiovascular disease are living longer nowadays.

	March 26, 2012 Supreme Court Considers Health Reform Day 1 Recap: Jurisdiction, Tax Questions Demonstrators gathered Monday outside the Supreme Court as justices kicked off three days of hearings on the health care reform law. Betty Ann Bowser reports then Marcia Coyle and Susan Dentzer discuss the day's proceedings and the core issues of the day's arguments with Gwen Ifill.

	March 26, 2012 Join a Live Chat Friday at 2 p.m. ET on Learning Differences The NewsHour Health team recently looked at the challenges students with learning differences face as part of our ongoing American Graduate series.

	March 26, 2012 Health Care Reform in the Supreme Court: Day 1 Audio and Transcript In the first day of arguments before the Supreme Court about the health care reform law, the justices indicated extreme skepticism that the Anti-Injunction Act would bar them from ruling on the merits of the case.

	March 26, 2012 Why I'm Protesting Health Care Reform: Voices of the Opposition As the Supreme Court hears arguments about whether to strike down the health care reform law, we turn our lens to the ordinary Americans who both fear and applaud the law. First up: opposition voices from Saturday's Tea Party Patriots rally on Capitol Hill.

	March 26, 2012 Health Care Reform Heads to the Supreme Court: A Guide to Day 1 Starting Monday morning, the national debate that has divided the nation since the passage of the health care reform law two years ago will culminate in three days of oral arguments before the Supreme Court. Here's your guide to Day 1.

	March 23, 2012 Health Reform By the Numbers As the Supreme Court considers next week whether to strike down the landmark health reform law, all the numbers that have been thrown around for the last two years will be kicked back into the unseasonably hot air over Washington. Here's a cheat sheet.

	March 23, 2012 Confusion, Division Run Deep as Health Care Reform Goes to the Supreme Court Love it or hate it, most Americans don't understand the health care reform law. As the Supreme Court prepares for next week's arguments on the constitutionality of the law, the latest polls show a deeply divided and confused nation.

	March 23, 2012 Health Care Twitter Chat Recap Join PBS NewsHour and representatives from Center for American Progress, American Enterprise Institute and Kaiser Health News for a live Twitter chat on Tuesday March 27 from 1 - 2 p.m. ET with the hashtag #HCRChat.

	March 22, 2012 A Viewer's Guide to Supreme Court Arguments on Health Care Law The Supreme Court is set to hear three days of arguments next week over challenges to the health reform law President Obama signed two years ago. Judy Woodruff, The National Law Journal's Marcia Coyle and Health Affairs' Susan Dentzer preview the upcoming arguments.

	March 22, 2012 Learning Differences and the Arts Many students with learning disabilities lack confidence in some of the typical classroom activities but shine in the arts. At Henderson Inclusion Elementary School in Boston, a third of the students are disabled and the curriculum is filled with things like dancing, theater and visual arts.

	March 22, 2012 Should You Have to Buy Health Insurance? 2 Attorneys General Debate Ahead of next week's Supreme Court arguments, attorneys general Ken Cuccinelli of Virginia and Martha Coakley of Massachusetts debate whether the federal government has the constitutional authority to require Americans to either buy health insurance or pay a fine.

	March 22, 2012 The Health Reform Law's Wild Ride: A Timeline As the Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments over whether the entire health reform law -- or just pieces of it -- should be dismantled, here is a review of what's been constructed thus far.

	March 21, 2012 How Aspirin May Help Prevent Certain Kinds of Cancer A daily low dose of aspirin could potentially combat a variety of cancers, according to a series of studies published in the medical journal The Lancet. Ray Suarez discusses the studies and the health benefits and risks of aspirin with Harvard Medical School's Dr. Andrew Chan, who wrote a commentary on the studies.

	March 21, 2012 Engaging Students With Learning Differences Early On Students with learning differences are twice as likely as their peers to drop out of high school, according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities. Betty Ann Bowser visited an elementary school that practices early intervention -- engaging students with technology and art to improve their chances of earning a diploma.

	March 21, 2012 6 Tips for Parents of Students With Learning Differences After being diagnosed with ADHD and multiple learning disabilities, Daniel Paris was able to move from high school dropout to Harvard graduate student. Read Paris' advice for parents of children with learning differences.

	March 21, 2012 From High School Dropout to Harvard University Graduate Student Frustrated by his struggles in school, Daniel Paris dropped out of high school during his sophomore year. But after being diagnosed with ADHD and other learning disabilities, Paris finished high school, graduated from the University of Southern California and is now a graduate student at Harvard University.

	March 19, 2012 Poetry from a 'Neurologically Impaired' Life This is the story of a now-successful poet who once found it hard to write. A businessman who couldn't add. LeDerick Horne's learning disability almost caused him to become part of the U.S. dropout statistic. Almost.

	March 16, 2012 Five Misconceptions About Learning Differences Nearly 50 percent of special education students in the U.S. struggle with learning disabilities, but most Americans still struggle to define exactly what they are -- and just as importantly, what they aren't. Here's your 101.

	March 13, 2012 Five Health Reform Changes to Watch in 2012 With constant controversy swirling around the health reform law and the many attempts to repeal it, it's easy to forget that implementation marches on. In fact, a number of notable changes will take effect for consumers this year.

	March 12, 2012 New Health Reform Rules Issued as Supreme Court Review Nears Just two weeks before the Supreme Court begins considering whether to strike down the federal health reform law, the Obama administration issued new guidelines for the establishment of state-based health insurance exchanges, a key pillar of the law.

	March 9, 2012 Fukushima Survivor: I Want 'To Breathe Freely Again' Nuclear technician Carl Pillitteri was one of 38 Americans at the Fukushima nuclear power plant when an earthquake and tsunami struck Japan's eastern coast and triggered a radiation leak at the reactor. It's taken Pillitteri a full year to be able to talk publicly about what he saw at Fukushima.

	March 8, 2012 Report: 1 in 3 Americans Burdened With Medical Bills In 2011, one in three Americans were part of a family that would call their medical bills a "financial burden." One in five struggled to pay those bills each month and one in 10 admitted they wouldn't be able to pay them at all, according to the CDC's latest National Health Interview Survey.

	March 5, 2012 New Study Challenges Whether Electronic Records Cut Health Costs A new study challenges the premise that electronic health records will reduce health care costs by tens of billions of dollars annually and says that doctors may order more testing in some cases -- potentially increasing costs.



	FEBRUARY Feb. 29, 2012 Top 10 Myths of Heart Health Grab some chocolate, pop an aspirin and wash it all down with red wine. You're on your way to a heart-healthy life, right? Not so fast.

	Feb. 27, 2012 The Healing Power of Music An unconventional approach to recovery and coping, music therapy is a field of medicine capturing new attention due to its role in helping Gabrielle Giffords recover from a gunshot. Correspondent Spencer Michels reports on the versatility of music in a medical setting, but the difficulty of quantifying its effectiveness.

	Feb. 27, 2012 A New Look at Music Therapy The interesting thing about music therapy is that nobody I could find understands how it works on the brain -- just that it does.

	Feb. 27, 2012 Insurers Open Stores To Peddle Health Plans Health insurers increasingly want to make shopping for a new health plan as easy and convenient as dropping into a local retailer to buy a TV. In recent years, a number of them have opened stores to make that goal a physical reality.

	Feb. 23, 2012 The Health of the Oscars Open wide, Oscar, it's time for your check-up. With the Academy Awards slated for Sunday, we've brought in a medical doctor to examine the accuracy of the health themes in some of the year's top films.

	Feb. 22, 2012 New Weight Loss Pill Gets Second Look from FDA, Stirring Old Fears As an FDA advisory committee ponders a new weight-loss drug, some physicians are warning against too much hype. History has proven that quick fixes are rare in this field. And too often, they can also be dangerous.

	Feb. 22, 2012 Are Oscars Nominees' Health Plots Accurate or Malpractice? Open wide, Oscar, it's time for your check-up. With the Academy Awards slated for Sunday, we've brought in a medical doctor to examine the accuracy of the health themes in some of the year's top films.

	Feb. 21, 2012 News Wrap: Supreme Court to Consider Affirmative Action Challenge In other news Tuesday, the Supreme Court agreed to revisit affirmative action in college admissions. A white student who was denied entry at the University of Texas in 2008 filed the case, calling the school's race-conscious policy unconstitutional. Also, federal regulators moved to ease shortages of two cancer drugs.

	Feb. 20, 2012 India Close to Eradicating Polio, But Challenges Still Remain Health officials in India are close to wiping out polio, a disease forgotten in most of the world but still endemic in some developing countries. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on India's challenge to remain vigilant in its campaign to immunize children one mouthful at a time.

	Feb. 20, 2012 A Look at the World's 'Forgotten' Diseases With news that India is close to eradicating polio, eyes turn to other endemic diseases, such as measles and river blindness, that countries are battling.

	Feb. 20, 2012 Ind. Measles Outbreak, Linked to Super Bowl, Raises Vaccination Concerns The crowds and teams may have long departed Indiana after Super Bowl XLVI, but something else has lingered: an outbreak of measles.

	Feb. 16, 2012 Chronic Malnutrition a 'Hidden Crisis' About 2 million children who are malnourished die each year worldwide, according to a United Nations estimate. Yet aid organizations say it's tough to attract attention to the issue of chronic malnutrition in a preventative way -- before it becomes severe and life-threatening.

	Feb. 15, 2012 What's Causing a Shortage of Pediatric Cancer Drugs? While more than 250 drugs were declared in short supply in the U.S. this past year, the latest worries centered on one called Methotrexate, considered essential for children battling leukemia. Ray Suarez discusses the problem and latest developments with Dr. Peter Adamson of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

	Feb. 14, 2012 Broken Heart Syndrome: Yes, It's Real Broken hearts seem to be on the upswing these days. That's in strictly clinical terms: More doctors are diagnosing a condition that literally stuns the heart after a profound emotional shock.

	Feb. 10, 2012 After Uproar, Obama Revises Contraception Rule Under mounting pressure, the Obama administration today proposed an "accommodation" to a mandate that religious groups cover employee birth control free-of-charge.

	Feb. 9, 2012 Love Story Sheds Light on How Society Treats People With Disabilities A New York Times bestseller, Rachel Simon's "The Story of Beautiful Girl" explores empathy and tolerance in the form of a love story where characters with disabilities overcome heavyweight obstacles. Judy Woodruff and Simon discuss how society deals with disabilities and how they are portrayed in literary works.

	Feb. 9, 2012 Can White House, Religious Leaders, GOP Reach Consensus on Birth Control? A new birth control mandate was under duress this week as Roman Catholic officials said it violated Church teachings and Republicans said it threatened religious freedom. Ray Suarez discusses the rule with Anthony Picarello of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Methodist Federation for Social Action's Jill Warren.

	Feb. 9, 2012 As 'Let's Move!' Campaign Turns 2, Time for a Check-Up Two years after First Lady Michelle Obama launched the "Let's Move!" campaign, we take stock of her progress in the fight against childhood obesity -- both the high-profile successes and equally loud criticism.

	Feb. 8, 2012 Choose Your Own Health Care Adventure, Part II What will U.S. health care look like in a few years? Last week we asked you to rank the likelihood of four plausible scenarios. We now travel back to the future -- 2025, to be exact -- to analyze the results and find out what will need to happen in the next 13 years for each scenario to become reality.

	Feb. 6, 2012 Obama Administration, Catholic Leaders Clash Over Contraception Mandate Catholic leaders are pushing back against a new Department of Health and Human Services ruling requiring employers who offer health insurance to provide contraception free of charge. While churches are exempt from the rules, Catholic hospitals and universities must comply. Betty Ann Bowser reports on the controversy.

	Feb. 6, 2012 Next Health Care Mandate: Flu Shots for Medical Professionals? In this moment of looming change in American health care, the debate over whether flu shots should be mandatory for hospital workers has become a smaller but important battle in the nation's ongoing fight to build a better system while protecting individual liberties.

	Feb. 3, 2012 Questions Linger About Komen's Commitment to Planned Parenthood Susan G. Komen officials said Friday they had no immediate plans to halt funding over concerns raised about Planned Parenthood's referrals. But in statements the Foundation provided to the NewsHour, it seemed to leave the door open to possibly doing so in the future.

	Feb. 3, 2012 Komen Charity Reverses Planned Parenthood Grant Cuts After two days of uproar and different explanations for its initial decision, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure charity reversed course Friday on cutting funding for Planned Parenthood. Hari Sreenivasan and Amina Khan of The Los Angeles Times discuss the abrupt shift in message at the well-known breast cancer charity.

	Feb. 1, 2012 Santorum's Daughter Bella Recovering Nicely, But From What? As Bella Santorum struggles toward recovery after a bout with double pneumonia, her family's openness about her Trisomy 18 has prompted a national question: What is it?

	Feb. 1, 2012 News Wrap: Pfizer Recalls 1 Million Packets of Birth Control Pills In other news Wednesday, the drug maker Pfizer recalled 1 million packets of birth control pills. Some of the packages contained too many active tablets while others had too few, raising the risk of unintended pregnancy, the company said. Also, at least 73 people were killed in Egypt when a soccer match erupted into a riot.



	JANUARY Jan. 31, 2012 Pick Your Future Health Care Adventure Does all the health reform chatter have you ready to jump into a high risk pool or bend a cost curve of your own? Take a deep breath and try to look past it all: It's the future, 2025 to be specific, and your name is Mary.

	Jan. 30, 2012 Experts Weigh in on Bird Flu Research The Newshour asked three experts to weigh in on the bird flu research debate.

	Jan. 25, 2012 Telenovelas: Are Spanish-Language Soap Operas Good for Your Health? The latest in Spanish-language soap operas, or telenovelas, have encased more than typical romance and personal scandal, debuting some very clear messages on health care for Latinos in the U.S., specifically Colorado. Health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser reports on the creators' reasoning in writing beyond the usual storylines.

	Jan. 25, 2012 Telenovelas Provide Platform for Public Health Messages Alicia's entire life has been building to this one moment at the breakfast table. She's finally admitting to herself that the colon cancer will take everything ... her successful psychiatric practice, a comfortable home, her new love with Don Juancho.

	Jan. 24, 2012 How Are Microwave Popcorn, Your Child's Immune System Connected? A new study found that the perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in products are associated with lowered immune response to vaccinations in children. It is the first study to document how PFCs can adversely affect vaccine response. These pollutants can be transferred to children prenatally and postnatally from environmental exposure.

	Jan. 24, 2012 Hospitals Seek To Attract Business With Patient Perks Photo by Getty Images.

	Jan. 20, 2012 Bird Flu Studies Temporarily Paused, Journals Announce Last year, questions were raised over how much research on the dangerous H5N1 virus -- or avian flu -- should be published in scientific journals. H5N1 is not yet transmissible among humans, though scientists have created a strain that can pass between ferrets.

	Jan. 19, 2012 The High Cost of a Good Night's Sleep There is a growing awareness in the medical community that the grunts and snorts of noisy sleepers can also be a sign of sleep apnea. Critics, however, worry that overnight tests to diagnose apnea, particularly those done in sleep labs, may be over-prescribed at great cost to the health care system.

	Jan. 17, 2012 As New Cancer Treatments Emerge, An Old Question: 'What If?' While reporting on the NewsHour's recent cancer series, health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser kept thinking of an old friend. If Mary had been diagnosed with melanoma today, at the very least she might have had more time.

	Jan. 13, 2012 Cancer Treatment: Are Personalized Molecular Profiles in Our Future? In the 40 years since the federal government promised to find a cure for cancer, hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent and much has been learned. Still, the diseases continue to claim more lives each year. Health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser reports on the past, present and future of cancer treatment.

	Jan. 13, 2012 Health Reform: Changing the Game for Pediatric Cancer Patients? This is the story of Cooper Cochran -- one of the 350,000 pediatric cancer survivors in the U.S. What impact will the new health care reform law have on his future?

	Jan. 12, 2012 Kids and Cancer: Why Pediatric Cancer Cure Rates Have Improved So Much Four decades ago, President Nixon signed a law that would change the way cancer research was funded in an effort to develop better treatments and cure more patients. Health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser explores the positive developments pediatric cancer research has realized in the last 40 years.

	Jan. 12, 2012 Share Your Photos: Childhood Cancer Awareness On the PBS NewsHour Thursday, health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser will explore some of the astonishing gains made in pediatric cancer research since 1971. We want to put faces to this very human story with your help.

	Jan. 11, 2012 Teens Dealing With Cancer Find an Ally in The Who's Daltrey There's a building chorus in the oncology world demanding more support for teen cancer patients. Headlining the movement now making inroads in the U.S.: rock star Roger Daltrey.

	Jan. 10, 2012 In Their 90s, Brothers Still Going for Olympic Gold For decades, the Tatum brothers of Washington, D.C., have been shaming their neighbors at the local pool and dominating their peers at the annual Senior Games. But their brush with national fame only came after their story caught the attention of a pair of filmmakers gearing up for a new documentary, "Age of Champions."

	Jan. 9, 2012 What's Slowing Down Americans' Health Care Spending? A new government report shows that the rise in health care spending slowed for the second consecutive year. Meanwhile, health insurance premiums continue to climb as workers pay an ever-growing share of the cost. Ray Suarez discusses what's behind these changes with Susan Dentzer of Health Affairs.

	Jan. 9, 2012 How Has Stephen Hawking Lived to 70 with ALS? An expert on Lou Gehrig's disease explains what we know about this debilitating condition and how Hawking has beaten the odds.

	Jan. 5, 2012 Conversation: 'Power, Politics and Universal Health Care' Longtime presidential adviser Stuart Altman's new book, "Power, Politics and Universal Health Care," places the Obama Administration's historic health care win in context: at the end of a century's worth of tough lessons, false hopes and broken promises.

	Jan. 2, 2012 Health Experts Question Army Report on Psychological Training Mental health experts say a U.S. Army report on training aimed at enhancing soldiers' psychological resilience is flawed.