Health Care News & Latest Health Care Headlines

Just Fuel It? Nike Fans Get Exercised Over FuelBands

7:00AM 1/26/2012

By Rick Aristotle Munarriz, The Motley Fool

The Nike FuelBand won't hit the market for weeks, but the sultan of swoosh already knows it has a hit. The $149 high-tech wristbands sold out quickly during two short-lived online buying opportunities over the weekend. Here's what all the fuss is about.

Obama's Health Overhaul Lags in Many States

10:27AM 1/23/2012

By The Associated Press

Health Care

Here's a reality check for President Barack Obama's health overhaul: Three out of four uninsured Americans live in states that have yet to figure out how to deliver on its promise of affordable medical care. This is the year that will make or break the health care law. States were supposed to be partners in carrying out the biggest safety net expansion since Medicare and Medicaid, and the White House claims they're making steady progress.

Pot-Based Prescription Drug Looks for FDA OK

9:12AM 1/23/2012

By The Associated Press

Health Care

A quarter-century after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first prescription drugs based on the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, additional medicines derived from or inspired by the cannabis plant itself could soon be making their way to pharmacy shelves, according to drug companies, small biotech firms and university scientists.

Coke's New Orange Juice Flavor: Fungicide?

4:00PM 1/17/2012

By Alyce Lomax, The Motley Fool

Health Care, Coca-Cola Company, Pepsico, Food

Coca-Cola has never shied away from trying new variations of its classic beverage. The company also is known for adding flavorful twists like lime and lemon to its drinks. But last week, both Coke and archrival Pepsi revealed that a more disturbing addition had made its way into their drinks: fungicide.

America Hits the Brakes on Health Care Spending

4:20PM 1/09/2012

By The Associated Press

Health Care

Health spending stabilized as a share of the nation's economy in 2010 after two back-to-back years of historically low growth, the government reported Monday. Experts debated whether it's a fleeting consequence of the sluggish economy, or a real sign that cost controls by private employers and government at all levels are starting to work.

Get Fit or Get Fined: Web Service Offers to Charge You for Skipping the Gym

3:01PM 1/04/2012

By Eamon Murphy

Health Care

It's a fundamental principle of human nature: The pain of loss is stronger than the pleasure of gain. So can the pain of potentially losing some cash motivate Americans to keep their commitments to exercise?

The EPA's Christmas Gift to Us All: Fewer Poisons in Our Air

10:15AM 12/27/2011

By Bruce Watson

Energy, Health Care

Last week, the EPA unveiled rules that establish the first national limits on power plant emissions of a host of poisonous airborne pollutants. It's estimated that they'll save the country billions of dollars in health care costs.

5 Ways You May Be Overpaying for Health Insurance

7:00AM 12/22/2011

By Dan Caplinger

Health Care, Insurance

At many companies this is open-enrollment season -- your one chance a year to make changes to your health insurance. The easiest thing to do is just pick the same plan and coverage options you did last year. But often, that can be a big mistake.

Medicare Cuts Could Hit Jan. 18

3:58PM 12/20/2011

By The Associated Press

Health Care

Nearly 650,000 doctors caring for millions of seniors will get a steep cut in Medicare payments Jan. 18 unless a gridlocked Congress issues a reprieve, program officials said Tuesday.

Medicare Launches Experiment to Improve Care

1:30PM 12/19/2011

By The Associated Press

Health Care

Medicare says it's launching a national experiment to improve care for seniors, and hopefully save taxpayers money as well. Officials announced that 32 networks of doctors and hospitals around the country are becoming Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations, or ACO, which will pursue a coordinated approach to medicine.