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People in state high-risk insurance plans often feel left behind
The federal health law set up new plans that are cheaper and more comprehensive than the older ones run by states but consumers need to go without insurance for six months to qualify.
Prevention
Critics say hospitals use marketing to cherry pick best-paying patients
Hospitals using their patients’ health and financial records to help pitch their most lucrative services, such as cancer, heart and orthopedic care and buying detailed information about local residents compiled by marketing firms — everything from age, income and marital status to shopping habits and whether they have children or pets at home.
How to cut your risk of heart disease — Tips from the NIH
The bad news: Heart disease is the number one killer of both women and men in the U.S. The good news: there’s much you can do to prevent heart disease. Here’s how . . .
Komen reverses Planned Parenthood decision, apologizes
Facing a storm of criticism form women’s groups and abortion-rights supporters, the Susan G. Komen for a Cure foundation announced it would reverse its decision to cut its funding to Planned Parenthood.
Peer passengers bad news for teen drivers
Key factors that influence how teens drive: their perception of driving risks, whether their parents set rules, and whether there are peer passengers.
Health exhibit coming to Science Center in 2012
Professor Wellbody’s Academy of Health & Wellness will bring guests of all ages into the imaginative world of Professor Wellbody, demonstrating how personal choices can positively affect our health and well-being.
Keeping food safe during power outages
When it comes to food safety, the general rule is, “If in doubt, throw it out.” Never taste suspicious food. It may look and smell fine, but bacteria that cause foodborne illness may be present and could make you sick.
Winter safety tips from Public Health – Seattle & King County
Stay warm safely. Beware of carbon monoxide poisoning. Keep your food safe. And check on friends, neighbors, and especially the elderly.
Signs can get us to use stairs instead of the elevator
Signs that read, “Burn Calories, Not Electricity” posted in lobbies of New York City buildings, motivated more people to take the stairs and continue to use them even months later.
Warning: Indoor charcoal fires and generators can be deadly
Each year in Washington, dozens of people get sick and die from carbon monoxide poisoning. And many are hospitalized for carbon monoxide exposure. During power outages, carbon monoxide poisoning is a major concern when people use charcoal briquettes or generators indoors as a heat source.
Only about half of recommended preventive services offered during annual checkups
Doctors offer or suggest only about half of the screening tests and other preventive services that guidelines recommend doctors offer to patients during their routine medical checkups, a new study finds. That’s not so bad, say some experts, given how little financial support there is to promote prevention.
Small steps to big health change
Want to lose weight? Quit smoking? Get fit? It can be done, but you’re more likely to reach your goals if you take a slow, step-by-step approach, experts say.
Want to quit smoking? Your health plan may want to help.
Some companies are also penalizing employees who don’t give up cigarettes by hitting them with higher health insurance premiums.
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