Health News

Medicare officials to review insurers' commissions

Federal health officials said Friday they will soon address growing concerns about the lucrative commissions that some Medicare insurers plan to pay their agents and brokers this year.

In Medicare, the elderly and disabled can enroll in private insurance plans that assume responsibility for covering a participant's health benefits. Those plans get a generous government subsidy and now serve roughly 10 million people. The program is called Medicare Advantage.

Documents obtained from some companies participating in Medicare Advantage show that their agents stand to make $500 to $550 this year for enrolling a beneficiary into one of their plans. In subsequent years, the agents could make another $500 for every year the beneficiary stays with the plan. After five years, an agent could have made more than $2,500, which is quite a jump from previous years.

26.10.2008 01:14:21 - Health News

With Crashes Mounting, Doctors Debate Need for Medevac Helicopters

Some doctors are wondering whether the use of medical helicopters should be avoided following a number of fatal crashes in the last year.

24.10.2008 23:53:41 - Health News

New Treatments Bring Hope to Multiple Sclerosis Sufferers

An experimental drug and a standard leukemia drug both show promise in advancing the treatment of MS, according to two new studies.

24.10.2008 23:53:05 - Health News

Mold holds hidden dangers in homes - Spores left unchecked can cause illness

Excerpts from the article -

Mold reactions can range from mild to life-threatening, according to David Straus, professor of microbiology and immunology at Texas Tech University.

"How large a problem it is depends on what type of organism it is (there are 100,000 species), the amount of mold growing indoors and the susceptibility of the people living in the house," said Straus, who conducts extensive mold research.

If there's mold growing in grout, it's not a problem. If you have several square feet growing on a wall, it's a serious problem Straus said.

"Mycotoxins are poisons produced by mold for reasons we don't understand."

Allergic reactions rank sixth as the leading cause of chronic disease in the United States costing health care $18 billion dollars annually according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

Article -

Tommy Riley of Seminary moved into a new top-of-the-line, double-wide trailer in July 1998. Nestled on 111 acres, it was as nice as some homes, he thought, a perfect fit to learn the lay of the land before building a permanent home.

Within the first six months of living there, the self-employed used-equipment salesman and his family began having upper respiratory problems, coughing and laryngitis. Four years later, his 7- year-old nephew fell in the hall, leaving a sinking hand print on the wall. After searching their home, they found mold dots sprinkled throughout in the top of closets, and their battle with serious mold was just beginning.

24.10.2008 20:02:44 - Health News

Military Opens Canine Medical Center for War Dogs

A new state-of-the-art veterinary hospital dedicated to military working dogs has opened.

24.10.2008 15:29:07 - Health News

Accidents Surpass Disease as America's Leading Cause of Death

Americans are increasingly dying from poisonings and other accidents, as advances in modern medicine have decreased the number of deaths from disease.

24.10.2008 00:16:36 - Health News

St. Louis High School to Test Students for HIV After Possible Exposure

One unidentified person possibly associated with Normandy High School who tested positive for HIV has suggested that 50 students may have been exposed.

24.10.2008 00:15:47 - Health News

Study Explores Why Some Teen Boys Hit Their Girlfriends

The first qualitative study of environmental factors that incline adolescents toward dating violence shares its results.

24.10.2008 00:12:02 - Health News

Toxic Jefferson Lakes Apts | Riverstone Residential | Louisiana Housing Finance Agency | Local News

Regarding this post - http://katysexposure.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/tenants-complain-apt-damage-mold-baton-rouge-la-wafb-news/ - A contnuing public health crisis with overwhelming documented evidence and microbial | fungal | IAQ reports will not be serious enough for any news stations in Baton Rouge, LA to look into.

23.10.2008 20:05:19 - Health News

Britain Approves New Stem Cell Provisions

British lawmakers approved the use of hybrid animal-human embryo research yesterday, in a victory for stem cell research proponents.

23.10.2008 16:01:37 - Health News