May 19 House Republicans propose letting schools opt out of healthy lunch programs By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press A GOP spending bill for agriculture and food programs released Monday would allow schools to apply for waivers if they have a net loss on school food programs for six months in a row. Continue reading
May 19 Can health insurers raise rates on e-cigarette users? By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News Under the health law, insurers who sell plans on the individual market can take into account only four factors when determining someone’s premium: age, geographic location, family size and tobacco use. People who use tobacco can be charged up… Continue reading
May 16 Hundreds of millions spent to attack new health care law, little to defend By Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press The report, released Friday by nonpartisan analysts Kantar Media CMAG, estimates that $445 million was spent on political TV ads mentioning the law since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Spending on negative ads outpaced positive ones… Continue reading
May 16 One in three hospitalized Californians over age 34 has diabetes, study says By Daniela Hernandez, Kaiser Health News In California, roughly one in three hospitalized people over 34 years old has diabetes, increasing the complexity and cost of their care, according to a report released Thursday. Continue reading
May 15 Ex-prisoners more likely to die early death, study finds By Ellen Rolfes Men who are incarcerated and released are more than twice as likely to die prematurely as those who have not been imprisoned. Georgia State University criminologist William Pridemore has found that ex-prisoners are more likely die early from disease, drug… Continue reading
May 14 Bill Clinton on how Democrats should handle criticism of the health care law By News Desk Former President Bill Clinton told Gwen Ifill that Democrats should acknowledge the problems with the health care law while highlighting its strengths. “Nobody could have done this perfectly,” Clinton said, and suggested that Democrats start on a “long-term repair process”… Continue reading
May 14 8 workout tips for getting 'buff' at 80 By Ellen Rolfes Diet and exercise fads you see on TV or online usually sell themselves by featuring trim, athletic men and women in their 20s. But as the average age in the U.S. shifts older, there is a growing need for workouts… Continue reading
May 14 Health benefits of red wine may be overhyped By Dave Sloan Red wine -- long celebrated by wine connoisseurs for its numerous health benefits, including improvements to longevity, heart health and blood circulation -- might not have as many benefits as previously touted. Continue reading
May 12 High price tag puts Hepatitis-C cure out of reach for boomers on Medicare By Richard Knox, NPR A growing number of people who got infected in the 1960s through the 1990s have now "used up" the infection's latency period, notes Dr. Camilla Graham of Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, "which is why we're now seeing this… Continue reading
May 10 Mothers-to-be gain new options under health care law By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press The health care law has opened up an unusual opportunity for some mothers-to-be to save on medical bills for childbirth. Continue reading