Your healthy living guide

Custom Search

Home

Health News

Health News

Health News Archive

Jul 2009 | Jun 2009 | May 2009 | Apr 2009 | Mar 2009 | Feb 2009 | Jan 2009 | Dec 2008 | Nov 2008 | Oct 2008 | Sep 2008 | Aug 2008 | Jul 2008 | Jun 2008 | May 2008 | Apr 2008 | Mar 2008 | Feb 2008 | Jan 2008 | Dec 2007 | Nov 2007 | Oct 2007 | Sep 2007 | Aug 2007 | Jul 2007

Going It Alone When Buying a Health Policy
The sour economy is prodding more Americans to buy their own health insurance, a daunting task for people not prepared to navigate the possible pitfalls. (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:32:04 GMT)

Key Senate Democrats trim cost of health care bill
Determined to advance President Barack Obama's health care agenda, key Senate Democrats are calling for a government-run insurance option to compete with private plans, as well as a $750-per-worker annual fee on larger companies that do not offer coverage to employees. (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:04:09 GMT)

Health Highlights: July 2, 2009
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:04:00 GMT)

Health Care Reform... Now Half Off?
Senate Dems are unveiling a new non-partisan analysis of their health care reform plan that dramatically cuts the estimated cost. (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:49:14 GMT)

Health care call goes awry
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) tried to announce some positive news about the cost of health reform Thursday, but hardly anyone could hear him and other senators over the coughing, yawning and sustained chorus of Muzak. (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:42:00 GMT)

Revised Senate Health Bill Includes Employer Mandate, Public Plan Option
Revised draft health care legislation would result in insurance coverage for 97 percent of Americans at a lower cost than expected -- about $611 billion over 10 years, leaders of a key Senate committee say. (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:29:20 GMT)

Key Senate Democrats trim cost of health care bill
Determined to advance President Obama's health care agenda, key Senate Democrats are calling for a government-run insurance option to compete with private plans, as well as a $750-per-worker annual fee on larger companies that do not offer coverage to employees. (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:05:46 GMT)

Health care reform: What small business wants
As Congress prepares to do battle over health reform, a parallel dispute is shaping up among small-business groups that are staking out opposing positions on a key element of reform proposals: whether Uncle Sam will take on a bigger role in offering insurance coverage or leave the field to the private market. (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:39:15 GMT)

Electronic health records: A checkup
Getting an electronic health record system in place by 2014? Tough. (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:24:13 GMT)

New Dem health plan has public option, lower cost
Democrats on a key Senate Committee outlined a revised and far less costly health care plan Wednesday night that includes a government-run insurance option and an annual fee on employers who do not offer coverage to their workers. (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 04:29:01 GMT)

Overuse of energy drinks worries health pros
Health experts are sounding the alarm over the possible effects on young athletes of popular energy drinks such as Red Bull, the leading brand in a growing market. High school and college athletes are increasingly consuming large quantities of these caffeine-loaded drinks to boost athletic performance or lose weight, said a dozen health experts at the SUNY Youth Sports Institute's first national ... (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:59:29 GMT)

Emotion, few details, in Obama's health care pitch
President Barack Obama wanted to put a human face on his plans to overhaul health care, and a Virginia supporter did just that Wednesday. Fighting back tears, Debby Smith, 53, told Obama of her kidney cancer and her inability to obtain health insurance or hold a job. (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:33:57 GMT)

President Pushes Health Plan as an Economic Boon
At a town-hall-style meeting, President Obama pushed his proposal for a health care overhaul as a cost-saver rather than an expenditure. (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:27:24 GMT)

Dems circulate revised health care plan
Democrats on a key Senate committee are circulating details of a revised health care plan that includes a government-backed insurance option and a fee on employers if they do not offer coverage to their workers. (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:26:57 GMT)

Argentina gets new health minister amid swine flu
Argentina swore in a new health minister on Wednesday as the spreading swine flu epidemic prompted schools nationwide to give students an early vacation and one province to declare a public health emergency. (Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:20:22 GMT)

AMA open to government-funded health insurance option
The new president of the American Medical Association, which represents the interests of the nation's doctors, said Wednesday the group is open to a government-funded health insurance option for people without coverage. (Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:45:25 GMT)

Health Highlights: July 1, 2009
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: (Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:03:55 GMT)

Obama takes health care pitch to Virginia
President Obama is taking his pitch for health care revisions to Virginia, holding a town hall forum and fielding questions via the Internet. (Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:37:14 GMT)

Obama Looks to Town Hall to Further Health Agenda
President Obama will try to rally Americans behind his health care agenda today with a town hall meeting in Annandale that will include some questions from Northern Virginians and others submitted via online social networking sites. (Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:37:59 GMT)

Wal-Mart supports employer-mandated health coverage
Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world's largest retailer, said on Tuesday that it supports President Barack Obama's push to require large employers to offer health insurance to workers. (Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:18:56 GMT)

Poll: Obama health plan has slim majority support
A new national poll suggests that a bare majority of Americans support President Obama's health care plan. (Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:51:05 GMT)

Obama to hold another health care town hall
President Barack Obama will hold another town hall-style session on health care Wednesday. (Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:18:04 GMT)

Obama takes health care pitch to Virginia
President Barack Obama is taking his pitch for health care revisions to Virginia, holding a town hall forum and fielding questions via the Internet. (Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:31:59 GMT)

Reading Obama's mind on health care
In the end, there’s only one person who really matters when it comes to getting a health-care overhaul done this year – President Barack Obama – and he’s been maddeningly vague about what he can live with in a plan. (Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:08:00 GMT)

Wal-Mart backs employer health insurance mandate
Wal-Mart, a huge company once criticized for its less than generous employee benefits, has embraced President Obama's call for requiring all large employers to offer health insurance to their workers. (Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:37:28 GMT)

Wal-Mart, union back employer health insurance
Wal-Mart is the latest in a line of traditionally Republican-leaning businesses to embrace key portions of President Barack Obama's bid to overhaul health care, a trend that could complicate opponents' efforts to build a united front when Congress ramps up its work on the issue this summer. (Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:04:24 GMT)

Canada's Single-Prayer Health Care
Health Reform: A critically ill premature baby is moved to a U.S hospital to get the treatment she couldn't get in the system we're told we should emulate. Cost-effective care? In Canada, as elsewhere, you get what you pay for. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:01:05 GMT)

Wal-Mart supports employer-mandated health coverage
Wal-Mart Stores Inc , the world's largest retailer, said on Tuesday that it supports President Barack Obama's push to require large employers to offer health insurance to workers. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:48:40 GMT)

Senate health panel readies gov't insurance option
Senators on a key committee are putting the finishing touches on a government health insurance option that they hope will win broad support among Democrats and the public. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:17:17 GMT)

Wal-Mart Gets Behind Idea of Employers Helping to Expand Health Care
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation's largest private employer, announced Tuesday that it would support a mandate on businesses to help expand health care coverage, an about-face from other business interests that have strongly opposed any such requirement. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:30:16 GMT)

Walmart Gets Behind Idea of Employers Helping to Expand Health Care
Walmart, the nation's largest private employer, announced Tuesday that it would support a mandate on businesses to help expand health care coverage, an about-face from other business interests that have strongly opposed any such requirement. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:30:00 GMT)

S.African health minister revises wage offer for striking doctors
South Africa's health minister on Tuesday admitted serious challenges in public health, as the government came up with a revised wage offer to stop an illegal doctors strikes. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:03:10 GMT)

Religious groups' radio ads back health overhaul
Liberal-leaning religious groups are launching radio ads in five states this week in which local pastors urge senators to back efforts to overhaul the nation's health care system. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:27:13 GMT)

Health Experts Say U.S. Is Prepared for Swine Flu Pandemic
Two public health experts painted a relatively rosy picture Tuesday of the United States' ability to respond to the swine flu pandemic, saying the country had learned from earlier mistakes and from plans developed during the avian flu scare several years ago. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:43:00 GMT)

Health Highlights: June 30, 2009
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:03:02 GMT)

Canada Sees Boom in Private Health Care Business
Facing long waits and substandard care, a growing number of Canadians are willing to pay for health treatment, leading to a booming private business in Canada -- a country often touted as a successful example of a universal health system. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:46:26 GMT)

EU health chief proposes stricter laws on smoking
The European Union's health chief proposed on Tuesday that uniform laws be drafted for all 27 countries in the bloc to regulate smoking more strictly in public areas and workplaces. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:49:21 GMT)

Dems warn GOP not to overreach in health care
Mainstream Democrats close to Barack Obama are warning Republicans about insisting on too many changes to the president's health care overhaul, saying the Democratic-controlled Congress will move ahead without GOP input if they do. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:31:13 GMT)

Big Health Firms Underpay Claims
Congressional investigators said large health insurers are relying on faulty databases to underpay valid insurance claims. The flawed databases are owned by Ingenix, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:18:08 GMT)

Hard choices on 4 big issues stymie health push
Four divisive issues could dash President Barack Obama's hopes of overhauling health care: cost, creating a government-run plan, taxing workers' benefits and penalizing employers that don't offer coverage. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:03:56 GMT)

Argentina: Health Minister Resigns Over Handling of Flu Cases
Graciela Ocaña, Argentina’s health minister, resigned Monday amid an outbreak of swine flu that has killed 26 people in the country, government officials said. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:38:59 GMT)

AP Interview: Snowe seeks bipartisan health bill
Sen. Olympia Snowe, a key figure in shaping federal health care legislation, said Monday that a government-run plan that would take effect if the private insurance market fails to deliver affordable coverage could bridge the partisan divide that threatens to derail President Barack Obama's efforts to reform the system. (Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:25:04 GMT)

Even Paid-For Health Care Plan Would Entrench Budget Woes
As analysts project $10 trillion in deficits this decade, President Obama's main path to fiscal fitness is to curb federal health care outlays long term. (Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:02:17 GMT)

Obama Seeks Popular Support for Health Reform
The White House is trying to shift the health care debate away from Washington and to the states. (Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:55:43 GMT)

First lady visits community health clinic
First lady Michelle Obama visited a community health center Monday to announce the release of $850 million in stimulus grants to help such clinics across the country provide care. (Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:55:30 GMT)

Democrats warn GOP on health care overhaul
Mainstream Democrats close to President Obama are warning Republicans about insisting on too many changes to the president's health care overhaul, saying the Democratic-controlled Congress will move ahead without GOP input if they do. (Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:53:13 GMT)

Prominent Dems propose pay plan for health overhaul
Two top Democrats with close ties to the White House on Monday outlined a framework for financing a $1.2 trillion health care overhaul as Congress heads into a critical month for fashioning a bill. (Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:14:39 GMT)

Health Highlights: June 29, 2009
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: (Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:03:29 GMT)

Genomic Health Gets a Boost
Genomic Health Gets a Boost (Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:59:18 GMT)

50% Favor Obama Health Reform Plan, 45% Oppose It
Voters remain closely divided over the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats, with a high level of intensity on both sides of the issue. (Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:50:15 GMT)

King: Health care, climate change top talk agenda
A late June Sunday stirred memories of sparring of 16 years ago on the issue that was then, and is now, center stage in the nation's policy and political debates: health care reform. (Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:39:44 GMT)

Local health inspectors feel strain
Massachusetts is recognized as a pioneer in public health. It was here, in 1799 in Boston, that the nation’s first local board of health was created. But now the state’s network of community health departments is stretched so thin that some are unable to provide important services, public health officials said. (Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:25:29 GMT)

Health problems dogged Jackson through the years
In Michael Jackson's later years, the pop star made headlines for his health and medical care nearly as often as for his music. (Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:05:44 GMT)

Lawmakers Face Growing Pressure as U.S. Health Issues Unsettled
June 29 (Bloomberg) -- Lawmakers working to overhaul the U.S. health-care system face a pressure-filled July after leaving town this week without resolving the biggest questions dividing Democrats and Republicans. (Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:01:00 GMT)

White House Won't Rule Out Taxing Middle-Class Workers' Health Benefits
President Obama's top political adviser declined yesterday to rule out the possibility that the White House would agree to a tax hike on health insurance plans that would hit middle-income Americans. (Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:54:56 GMT)

Small businesses wary of health care legislation
Small business owners leery about what impact proposed changes in health care will have on employer-sponsored insurance plans. (Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:14:45 GMT)

White House won't rule out taxing health benefits
The Obama White House left open the possibility Sunday that the president would break a campaign promise and raise taxes on people earning less than $250,000 to support his health care overhaul agenda. (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:10:08 GMT)

White House won't rule out taxing health benefits
The White House left open the possibility Sunday that President Obama might pay for his health care overhaul by taxing employer-provided health insurance even though he had campaigned on not raising taxes on middle-class families. (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:38:50 GMT)

Taxing Employee Benefits Option to Pay for Health Plan
The White House left open the possibility Sunday that President Obama could tax employer-provided health insurance to pay for his $1 trillion universal health care plan, a violation of the president's campaign pledge to not raise taxes on middle-class families. (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:26:18 GMT)

Obama adviser: No ultimatums on health care
Presidential adviser David Axelrod on Sunday said the White House hasn't issued ultimatums over its proposed health care overhaul because that approach kills grand ideas. (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:57:03 GMT)

Health happenings
Looking for a certain support group or workshop? Check out our local roundup of everything from health screenings to child car-seats. (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:08:23 GMT)

The many dimensions of health care reform
Letters on health care reform, movies appropriate for children, pushing bounds of legal logic, HUMC North and more state work for EnCap's lawyers. (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:59:52 GMT)

Axelrod expects Senate to tackle health care first
A top presidential adviser says it probably will be the fall before the Senate deals with a major climate change bill that just passed the House. White House aide David Axelrod says he thinks health care overhaul will be the first thing on senators' agenda.... Sponsored Topics: Health care - White House - Australian Senate - David Axelrod - Barack Obama (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:38:18 GMT)

HEALTH CARE IN A TERRIBLE 'FIX'
"In the beginning," says a character in a Peter De Vries novel, "the earth was without form and void. Why didn't they leave well enough alone?" When Washington is finished improving health care, Americans may be asking the same thing. Certainly... (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:46:31 GMT)

How to check your life insurer's health
Claims rise and investment returns fall in a bad economy. That might be enough to weaken or even topple the company, leaving policyholders with little or no coverage. If you want to know why it's important to know the health of your life insurance company, ask Vince Watson. His daughter, Katie, was left severely disabled and in need of 24-hour care because of a series of tragic errors at a ... (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:08:00 GMT)

Health insurance story resonates
Re: David Lazarus' consumer column " Going broke for health coverage ," June 24: (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:07:20 GMT)

Health-Care Reform's 'Public Option' Obsession
The health-care debate is focused these days way too much on the tail and not nearly enough on the rest of the dog. The disappointing result could be a stubby little tail attached to a poorly designed -- not to mention astonishingly expensive -- dog. (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT)

Health-Care Activists Are Targeting Democrats Who Are Usually Allies
In the high-stakes battle over health care, a growing cadre of liberal activists is aiming its sharpest firepower against Democratic senators who they accuse of being insufficiently committed to the cause. (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT)

Health care on track to account for 99% of GDP by 2082
How far can spiraling health care spending go? If historical trends continue unchecked, health care will account for 99 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product by 2082, the Congressional Budget Office predicts. (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:17:31 GMT)

Area efforts to hold down health costs a template for success elsewhere
As leaders in Washington look for ways to bring exploding health care costs under control — a critical element for health care reform — they may want to look right here. Because businesses, doctors and insurers in Kansas City are doing a good job of bending the cost curve down. (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:17:31 GMT)

Experts to report on Aussie health
A panel of health experts is due to deliver its blueprint on how to make Australians healthier. (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:26:38 GMT)

Experts to report on Aussie health
A panel of health experts is due to hand its blueprint on how to make Australians healthier to the Rudd government this week. (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:22:59 GMT)

Analysis: Obama shows flexibility on health care
The reversals, hints of concessions and politically dicey proposals on health care are piling up for President Barack Obama, whose appeal for bipartisan legislation carries risk with no guarantee of reward. (Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:32:43 GMT)

Doc: Poverty causes Scotland's poor health
LIVERPOOL, England, June 27 (UPI) -- New industries need to be created and the population redistributed for Scotland to improve its chronically poor health record, a medical expert says. (Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:13:09 GMT)

Obama: Health-care status quo 'unsustainable'
President Barack Obama in his weekly address on Saturday highlights the choice America faces in the current health-care debate. (Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:37:33 GMT)

Ill health forces MP to step down
Cumbrian MP David Maclean, who has multiple sclerosis, is to stand down due to deteriorating health. (Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:33:09 GMT)

Health warning ahead of heatwave
BBC weather forecaster Derek Brockway predicts a heatwave in Wales, and issues a health warning. (Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:03:10 GMT)

Health worker catches swine flu
A health worker at a Derby hospital is taken ill with swine flu, officials confirm. (Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:03:19 GMT)

Sebelius Sees Room for U.S. Health Cooperative, Few GOP Votes
June 27 (Bloomberg) -- Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said she’s open to the idea of a medical- insurance cooperative and counts no more than 10 Republican votes in the Senate for overhauling the U.S. system of care. (Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:06:46 GMT)

Jackson’s Health a Subject of Confusion
Michael Jackson had a long and intricate history of health problems, according to people who knew him, but separating rumor from reality is difficult. (Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:35:01 GMT)

Little Hope for G.O.P. To Support Health Bill
Republicans dislike much of the Democrats’ health care proposals, making it difficult for Congress to come up with a truly bipartisan plan. (Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:56:54 GMT)

Analysis: Liberals prod Obama on their health bill
Presidents quickly learn that legislative showdowns on tough issues, such as overhauling the nation's health care system, must be dealt with eventually. Some liberal Democrats worry that President Barack Obama may be waiting too long to face down Republicans on one of the issue's knottiest questions. (Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:23:01 GMT)

Uninsured Figures Overhype The Lack Of Health Coverage
President Obama rarely misses a chance to stress that 46 million people in the U.S. lack health coverage. But the actual number of chronically uninsured Americans is far less, experts say. (Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:40:57 GMT)

New H1N1 flu not going away: U.S. health agency
More than 1 million people in the United States may have been infected with the new H1N1 swine flu, U.S. health officials said on Friday, and infections continue to rise. (Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:39:50 GMT)

Democrats increasingly confident they'll enact health-care plan
WASHINGTON — Despite the strains of sky-high costs and public skepticism, the government is moving steadily toward a vast health care overhaul that would at least partly fulfill a six-decade quest for universal coverage and could rein in soaring costs for everyone else. (Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:04:00 GMT)

Health Highlights: June 26, 2009
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: (Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:04:07 GMT)

The Family Doctor: A Remedy for Health-Care Costs?
The primary-care doctor is gaining new respect in Washington. Battles may be breaking out left and right over the various health-care bills emerging from Congress, but reformers on both sides agree that general practitioners should be given a central role in uniting the fragmented U.S. medical system. (Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:28:23 GMT)

Unions’ Health Benefits May Avoid Tax Under Senate Proposal
June 26 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Senate proposal to impose taxes for the first time on “gold-plated” health plans may bypass generous employee benefits negotiated by unions. (Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:01:00 GMT)

Advertising wars escalate in health care fight
The type of advertising war that helped doom the last effort to overhaul the nation's health care system is heating up. (Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:11:57 GMT)

Senators claim $1 trillion health bill in reach
Senators working to give President Barack Obama a comprehensive health care overhaul said Thursday they had figured out how to pare back the complex legislation to keep costs from crashing through a $1 trillion, 10-year ceiling. (Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:57:03 GMT)

New $1 Trillion Price Tag May Advance Senate Health-Care Plan
June 26 (Bloomberg) -- Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said the cost of health-care options being weighed by his panel can be cut to his goal of $1 trillion, potentially removing a major stumbling block to the legislation’s passage. (Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:01:05 GMT)

Senators Near Agreement on Health-Care Bill
Senate health-care negotiators said yesterday they were closing in on a $1 trillion health-care bill that would be fully funded by tax increases, Medicare cuts and new penalties for employers who do not offer health insurance. (Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT)

Michael Jackson's health woes took center stage
Over Michael Jackson's chart-topping music career, his health has commanded as much publicity as his hit songs. (Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:15:10 GMT)

Senators Worry That Health Overhaul Could Erode Employer Insurance Plans
Senators struggled with the possibility that offering subsidized health insurance to millions could inadvertently speed the erosion of employer-provided coverage. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:40:46 GMT)

Michael Jackson had history of health problems
Pop icon Michael Jackson, 50, who died Thursday afternoon after being rushed to a Los Angeles hospital in cardiac arrest, had a long history of confirmed health problems, in addition to rumored conditions. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:37:40 GMT)

Lower-Cost Health Reform? Yeah, Right
Health Care: Does the public option plan stand a better chance of becoming law now that a new estimate pegs the cost at less than $1 trillion? Better hope not. It's just another rosy federal projection hiding the true cost. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:01:01 GMT)

Congress suspends health care debate as crowds rally for plan
WASHINGTON — Senators who are negotiating how to overhaul the nation's health care system broke off formal talks Thursday until after the July Fourth holiday, saying that they lack consensus on how to pay for the $1 trillion or more that the changes could cost over the next decade. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:01:00 GMT)

Senators say $1 trillion health bill in reach
Senators working to give President Obama a comprehensive health care overhaul said Thursday they had figured out how to pare back the complex legislation to keep costs from crashing through a $1 trillion, 10-year ceiling. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:44:44 GMT)

Health bill needs seniors' support, but there's little in it for them
WASHINGTON — In many ways, seniors have the least to gain from an overhaul of the health care system. Thanks to Medicare, they're the only age group that already has universal coverage. And they have had a drug benefit since 2006. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:18:00 GMT)

Women's Sexual Health Issues Hit Home
THURSDAY, June 25 (HealthDay News) -- A new survey finds that 70 percent of American women have experienced a sexual health issue, and 22 percent felt very or extremely concerned about it. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:02:37 GMT)

Key senator says $1 trillion health bill possible
A bipartisan group of senators at work on health care reported progress Thursday in holding the cost of legislation to their $1 trillion target, but Republicans quickly added there was no agreement on even the outlines of a bill. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:15:21 GMT)

China porn crackdown includes health info: state media
China's crackdown on Internet pornography will be extended to health-related sex information, according to new regulations that tighten supervision of such content. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:04:26 GMT)

Health Highlights: June 25, 2009
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:03:24 GMT)

Key senator says $1 trillion health bill possible
A senior lawmaker trying to break the logjam on health care overhaul says his committee has come up with elements of a plan that would allow them to produce a bill under $1 trillion that would be fully paid for. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:42:53 GMT)

Health care bill price tag goes down
A group of key Senate negotiators found a way to further reduce the price tag on the health care reform bill, bringing it in line with a $1 trillion target and moving the Senate Finance Committee closer to a deal, Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Thursday. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:32:00 GMT)

Daschle Says Odds of Health-Care Overhaul Now Better Than 50-50
June 25 (Bloomberg) -- Tom Daschle, the former Democratic leader of the U.S. Senate, says the odds now favor an overhaul of health-care legislation this year, and a “public option” feature depends on congressional Republicans. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:08:37 GMT)

Health games become serious business
Videogames were once blamed for rising obesity rates but are now being championed by the medical industry and for use by government departments for their health benefits. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:51:15 GMT)

Public health plan could save money faster: policy group
A nationwide health insurance exchange that includes a Medicare-like government option could save $1.8 trillion more than if only private plans are offered, a prominent private U.S. health policy group said on Wednesday. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:54:31 GMT)

Obama not closing door on possible health care tax
With lawmakers trying to crunch the numbers on a $1 trillion health care overhaul, President Barack Obama is leaving the door open to a new tax on employer-provided health care benefits. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:09:32 GMT)

Senate Panel Hears of ÃÂRaw Deal' Consumers Get From Health Insurers
Health insurers have forced consumers to pay billions of dollars in medical bills that the insurers themselves should have paid, according to a report released yesterday by the staff of the Senate Commerce Committee. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:00:00 GMT)

States Assert Place in Health-Care Debate: Governors Fear Shifting of Costs
A bipartisan group of governors told President Obama yesterday that they share his urgent desire to restructure the nation's health-care system but warned that any changes should not place more burdens on strained state budgets or eliminate innovative programs they already have in place. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:53:23 GMT)

Obama leaves door open to tax on health benefits
President Barack Obama left the door open to a new tax on health care benefits Wednesday, and officials said top lawmakers and the White House were seeking $150 billion in concessions from the nation's hospitals as they sought support for legislation struggling to emerge in Congress. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:19:32 GMT)

Obama says insurers profit with his health plan
President Barack Obama says insurance companies will make less profit on each patient if he gets his health care overhaul. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:02:55 GMT)

Obama to host health care town hall, meet governors
President Obama continues to tackle health care issues today. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:53:41 GMT)

Senators Face Fear That Federal Health Plan Would Shrink Employers’ Plans
Senators struggled with the possibility that offering subsidized health insurance to millions could inadvertently speed the erosion of employer-provided plans. (Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:26:54 GMT)

Health suffers in recession; preventive care often cut first
As the recession continues and unemployment climbs, surveys suggest many Americans are cutting costs by delaying or forgoing preventive health care. However, an ounce of prevention doesn't always equal a pound of cure, at least in economic terms, experts say. (Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:59:49 GMT)

Obama takes health care debate to the airwaves
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Wednesday intensified his campaign to overhaul the nation's health care system, as polls show Americans wanting but fearing change and as a divided Congress grapples over what to do. (Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:46:00 GMT)

Benefits tax advances in health care negotiations
Taxing workers for employer-provided medical benefits could become the next big controversy for President Barack Obama in his quest to overhaul the nation's health care system. (Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:15:26 GMT)

HHS secretary presses lawmakers on health care
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday defended President Barack Obama's call for a new public health insurance plan in the face of strong opposition from Republicans and fresh criticism from a powerful business group. (Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:07:27 GMT)

Health Highlights: June 24, 2009
Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: (Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:03:32 GMT)

Health care battle intensifies for Obama, Congress
The struggle to overhaul health care is expected to reach a fever pitch Wednesday. (Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:52:57 GMT)

Real medical emergency interrupts health hearing
A House hearing on overhauling the nation's health care system was briefly interrupted by a real-life medical emergency when a young intern collapsed. (Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:00:19 GMT)

THE INFLUENCE GAME: Health bills prompt grumbles
For President Barack Obama, the MRIs and other medical scans for Medicare patients that cost the government billions are prime targets for cuts to help finance health care overhaul. (Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:55:09 GMT)

HHS secretary to press lawmakers on health care
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told lawmakers Wednesday that President Barack Obama is willing to listen to suggestions on how to pay for a health care overhaul, as long as they don't increase the deficit. (Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:50:54 GMT)

Jobs' health prospects 'excellent': hospital
The Tennessee hospital where Apple chief executive Steve Jobs received a recent liver transplant has confirmed having performed the procedure, and said the outlook for his health is "excellent." (Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:34:53 GMT)

Health Tip: Don't Ignore Diabetes
(HealthDay News) -- Dealing with diabetes can be a tough pill to swallow, and denial is common, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) says. But ignoring doctor's orders can have enormous health consequences. (Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:03:54 GMT)

Baucus Grabs Pacesetter Role on Health Bill
As President Obama’s effort to overhaul health care seems to hit one roadblock after another in Congress, he is counting on Senator Max Baucus for help. (Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:41:39 GMT)