Underinsured Struggle To Keep Up With Bills; Uninsured Seek Clinic Care Or Play The Odds

The underinsured are continuing their struggle to keep up with piling medical bills, and are seeking care at federally funded clinics in greater-than-ever numbers, but some choose to remain uninsured. NPR/Kaiser Health News: "Between them, Jim and Martha Martin work five part-time jobs. Yet they still struggle every day with medical debts. The burden warps nearly every aspect of their lives.

Timeline Tightening On Senate Finance Reform Bill

A merged Senate bill between the Finance and HELP committees could hit the Senate floor the week of Oct. 12 and Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D- Mont., readies his committee to finish its markup by Thursday or Friday. Roll Call: After this week, "Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has said he will huddle for several days with the White House, Baucus, and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.

Ban, Clinton Call For Increased Food Security Efforts

At a meeting on Saturday of "leaders, ministers, experts and non-governmental organizations from nearly 100 countries," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for greater urgency in the fight against hunger, Agence France-Presse reports. According to Ban, 2009 has seen an increase in malnutrition rates around the world (9/26).

Autoimmune Condition, Especially Combined With Smoking And Oral Contraceptive Use, Massively Increases Risk Of Stroke And Heart Attack In Young Women

The autoimmune condition antiphospholipid syndrome mainly affects young women. An Article published Online First and in the November edition of The Lancet Neurology shows that women with a particular subtype of antibody called lupus anticoagulant (LA) have a more than 40-fold increased risk of stroke and 5-fold increased risk of heart attack compared with the general population (of young women).

New Advice For Doctors Diagnosing Prenatal Down Syndrome

New prenatal tests for Down syndrome are soon to be offered to all pregnant women across the United States, yet telling an expectant couple that their child will be born with Down syndrome is a task very few physicians are trained for, claims research published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics.

Temple-Led Study Finds Weight Loss Has Significant Impact On Sleep Apnea

More than 12 million people in the U.S. suffer from sleep apnea, most common among the overweight and obese. More than just loud snoring, it can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease and a poor quality of life.