Dec 23 Watch FDA plans to end prohibition on blood donation by gay men, with conditions By PBS News Hour The FDA is set to ease a 31-year ban on blood donations by gay men, put in place in the early days of the AIDS crisis. The policy revision will allow gay men to donate blood one year after their… Continue watching
Dec 22 Watch 5:37 Why changes in health care costs vary widely around the U.S. By PBS News Hour More than 2.5 million people have selected a health care plan through the federal health exchange so far in the new enrollment season. This year, signing up on HealthCare.gov has been easier, but how easy will it be to pay… Continue watching
Dec 19 Hugs help protect against the common cold, research finds By Nora Daly A team of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that frequent hugging helps reduce individuals’ susceptibility to infections associated with stress, and reduces the severity of symptoms if an infection is contracted by providing increased social support. Continue reading
Dec 18 Public easily swayed on attitudes toward health care law, poll finds By Julie Rovner, KFF Health News Just days before the requirement for most large employers to provide health insurance takes effect, a new poll finds the public easily swayed over arguments for and against the policy. Continue reading
Dec 16 Insurers relax Obamacare deadline By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Trying to head off a new round of consumer headaches with President Barack Obama's health care law, the insurance industry said Tuesday it will give customers more time to pay their premiums for January. Continue reading
Dec 16 The top 10 political stories of 2014 By Domenico Montanaro, Lisa Desjardins, Rachel Wellford, Simone Pathe Today in the Morning Line: Ferguson, elections, polarization, health care and the GOP's lawsuit were the top five. A 9/11 report, immigration, President Obama's unpopularity, taxes, and the debt round out the top 10 Top 10 political stories of… Continue reading
Dec 15 Small businesses drop health coverage and shift employees to Obamacare By Jay Hancock, Kaiser Health News For two decades Atlanta restaurant owner Jim Dunn offered a group health plan to his managers and helped pay for it. That ended Dec. 1, after the Affordable Care Act made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Continue reading
Dec 15 Healthcare.gov prepares for traffic crunch as deadlines hit today By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press Wait times at the federal call center started creeping up around the middle of last week, mainly due to a surge of current customers with questions about their coverage for next year. Many will face higher premiums, although they could… Continue reading
Dec 12 Watch 7:47 Should a federal health program pay to house L.A.'s homeless? By Hari Sreenivasan, Jason Kane Continue watching
Dec 10 Watch 6:54 Using Medicaid dollars to expand long-term care choices in Michigan By PBS News Hour Most Medicaid funds for long-term care go to nursing homes, but waiver programs give low-income seniors and younger adults with disabilities alternative options to get care in more home-like settings. The NewsHour's Cat Wise reports on a program in Michigan… Continue watching