February 2011 - NPR Health Blog - The Network of Care

Judges Reviewing Health Law Say Penalty Is Not A Tax

Congress took great pains to ensure that the penalty imposed on people who don't get health insurance was not called a tax in the health law. This could make it tough for the Justice Department to argue that it is a tax. Read More...

Published Wed, Feb 23 2011 12:28 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Pop Quiz: Has Health Overhaul Law Been Repealed?

A poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that about 1 in 5 Americans believes the federal law overhauling health care has been repealed. Barely more than half of those polled answered it was till the law. Read More...

Published Thu, Feb 24 2011 5:47 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Cigarettes, Even Smokeless Ones, Still Outlawed On U.S. Planes

Smokers of electronic cigarettes are making videos of themselves using the devices on airplanes, but the U.S. Department of Transportation says the smokeless cigarettes aren't welcome aboard. Read More...

Published Thu, Feb 24 2011 7:56 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Pill That Hits A Cause Of Cystic Fibrosis Beats Expectations

An experimental medicine, taken twice a day, dramatically improved breathing in people whose cystic fibrosis stems from a particular genetic defect. If approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the medicine could be very pricey. Read More...

Published Thu, Feb 24 2011 2:22 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Psychotherapy and Exercise Look Best To Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

A study of four different treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome finds that psychotherapy and gradual increases in exercise were clearly better than specialist care or an approach called "adaptive pacing," favored by some patients. Read More...

Published Fri, Feb 18 2011 9:59 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

U.S. Late To The Party On School Lunch Makeovers

Scotland and Japan started revising their school lunch programs years ago to focus more on nutrition and health. The U.S. is just now getting around to making big changes. Read More...

Published Tue, Feb 01 2011 11:25 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

Republicans Move To Undo Restrictions On Flexible Spending Accounts

The federal health overhaul law imposed a variety of restrictions on flexible spending accounts as a way to boost government revenue. Now a backlash is brewing in Congress and bills to roll back some of the changes are getting traction. Read More...

Published Wed, Feb 02 2011 9:56 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

Cow's First Milk: An Udderly New Sports Drink?

Bovine colostrum has been a popular natural health supplement for centuries. Now, British researchers have found that it helps mitigate the effects of overheating in athletes. Read More...

Published Fri, Feb 25 2011 2:08 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Women Docs Fall Further Behind On Pay

While more women are choosing medicine as a career, there's a pretty big gender gap in starting salaries, researchers have found. The explanation used to be that women entered less lucrative specialties, but that's not the case anymore. Read More...

Published Thu, Feb 03 2011 12:38 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

FDA Rejects Diet Pill, Casting Pall Over Future Of Weight-Loss Medicines

In a move that contradicted the advice of a panel of outside experts, the Food and Drug Administration will not consider approving the diet pill Contrave without a large study to determine its heart risks. Read More...

Published Tue, Feb 01 2011 6:25 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

Homeopathic Medicine Overdosers Survive Unscathed

Magician and professional skeptic James Randi is challenging purveyors of homeopathic remedies to prove they work. And hundreds of people around the world took overdoses of the treatments to show they are inactive. Read More...

Published Mon, Feb 07 2011 12:55 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

Maryland Tries Carrot And Stick To Fight Hospital Infections

A Maryland program to prevent hospital complications goes further than most, including those already underway in Medicare and new ones slated to begin next year under the health care overhaul law. Read More...

Published Fri, Feb 25 2011 8:33 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health Blog

Is It Time To Dial Back The Drug Ad Arms Race?

A former executive at Merck argues the time has come for drugmakers to slow down on TV ads. Congress could help by making it possible for companies to cooperate on ads that don't feature specific drugs, he says. Read More...

Published Thu, Feb 10 2011 6:17 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

Will Insurers Have To Offer Free Birth Control?

The White House is reportedly looking into whether under the Affordable Health Care Act, it can require insurance companies to offer free contraceptives and family planning as a preventive service. Experts say 50 percent of pregnancies in the U.S. are...

Published Thu, Feb 03 2011 2:27 PM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

Consumers Claim Safeway Failed To Tell Them About Food Recalls

Two customers sued Safeway this week for failing to use data from their shopper loyalty cards to alert them about peanut butter and egg recalls. The suit raises questions about how those shopper cards are used to protect consumers. Read More...

Published Fri, Feb 04 2011 5:37 AM by NPR Blogs: Shots - Health News Blog

February 2011 - NPR Health Blog

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