Friday, April 3, 2009

Health

Patient Money

Getting a Health Policy When You’re Already Sick

Melissa Klettke’s insurer dropped her coverage, saying she had a pre-existing condition, when she was undergoing tests for symptoms that can signal multiple sclerosis. She does not have the disease.
Lisa Bauso for The New York Times

Melissa Klettke’s insurer dropped her coverage, saying she had a pre-existing condition, when she was undergoing tests for symptoms that can signal multiple sclerosis. She does not have the disease.

A reform is promised, but for now consumers with pre-existing conditions must still struggle for coverage.

Recipes for Health

Bruschetta With Roasted Peppers and Goat Cheese

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

This light dish can be made sweeter by roasting your own peppers in the oven.

Vital Signs

Heart Muscle Renewed Over Lifetime, Study Finds

The finding upends a medical myth and suggests new therapies for heart attack patients may be possible.

Regimens: Creepy, Maybe, but It Seems to Work
Prevention: One Drink a Day Tied to Lower Death Risk
Vitamin D Pills May Prevent Fractures in Older Adults

House Passes Tobacco Bill, but Senate Battle Looms

The House passed a bill that would give the Food and Drug Administration sweeping powers over tobacco products.

G.E. and Intel Working on Remote Monitors to Provide Home Health Care

The companies plan to spend $250 million to find ways for doctors to remotely monitor, diagnose and consult with patients.

Fast Vote Is Unlikely on Health Dept. Pick

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas skirted what could have been difficult questions about her income taxes and her views on abortion.

Nurse Is Charged in the Death of 5 Patients

Authorities accused a nurse in Lufkin, Tex., of injecting bleach into the veins of patients undergoing kidney dialysis.

Doctor and Patient

Do You Know What Your Doctor Is Talking About?

Health literacy means some patients may get more from their medical care.

Recipes for Health

Bruschetta With Mushroom Topping

This savory mushroom stew can be made with a combination of mushrooms, including wild ones.

Doctors Are Opting Out of Medicare

Many people, just as they become eligible for Medicare, discover that the insurance rug has been pulled out from under them.

Study Finds Many on Medicare Return to Hospital

President Obama’s budget calls for lower payments to hospitals with high rates of readmitted patients.

Doctors Urge End to Corporate Ties

A group of prominent physicians and researchers urged professional medical groups to “wean” themselves from industry support.

Money & Policy »

Democrats Agree on a Health Plan; Now Comes the Hard Part

The insurance industry has made several major concessions, while the chairmen of five Congressional committees reached a consensus on the main legislative points.

Benefits of Mammogram Under Debate in Britain
A Lesson on Health Care From Massachusetts
3 Researchers at Harvard Are Named in Subpoena
Bill Would Let Copycats Compete With Biotech Drugs
Doctors Raise Doubts on Digital Health Data
Multimedia
The Weekly Health Quiz

In the news: Water fountains, libido and a legal sports enhancer. Test your knowledge of this week’s health news.

Special Series

Foreign Ways and War Scars Test Hospital

Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis offers an extraordinary vantage point on the ways immigrants are testing the medical establishment.

Columns
Personal Health

A Dip in the Sex Drive, Tied to Menopause

What’s a woman to do when her libido drops?

Really?

The Claim: Heart Attack Symptoms Differ According to Sex

Is one gender more likely to suffer from the classic symptoms of chest pain and shortness of breath prior to a heart attack?

Q & A

More Than Skin Deep

My mother used to tell me that the white stuff sticking to orange segments was good for me. Is it?

Multimedia
Patient Voices: Spinal Cord Injury

Physical limitations, intense rehabilitation and an entirely new way of life: six men and women talk about their lives after a spinal cord injury.

Recipes for Health

potatoes
Featured Ingredient:
Potatoes

A selection of healthy recipes from The New York Times.

Browse Recipes By Ingredient
Opinion
Room for Debate
Ideas for Fixing Health Care

President Obama said in his speech to Congress that the nation must address “the crushing cost of health care.” Reform won’t be easy, he said, but it cannot wait another year. Health care experts share their ideas for what might make a difference this time.

Consults

Doctors and medical scientists answer readers’ questions and write about research in their fields.

Multimedia
Regional Differences in Cost and Care

Track the variability of cost in the Medicare system and the rates of several kinds of surgery.

Mapping the Human ‘Diseasome’

Researchers created a map linking different diseases to the genes they have in common.

Times Essentials

The latest news and scientific perspective on common diseases and conditions.

Health Around the Web