Reuters
Health - Reuters

A special agent holds an X-ray film file of a healthcare fraud case at a warehouse near Miami, Florida November 23, 2009. It's a crime so profitable that even dead people are in on the act and law enforcement experts, who say it costs U.S. taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars a year, see little hope of reining it in any time soon. Healthcare fraud has garnered increased attention amid the congressional debate about overhauling the U.S. healthcare system, especially since President Barack Obama wants to cover some of the cost of reforms by fighting abuse. REUTERS/Carlos Barria (UNITED STATES HEALTH CRIME LAW BUSINESS)

Healthcare reform faces challenges in Senate

Mon Nov 23, 11:47 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's U.S. healthcare overhaul plan has cleared an important Senate hurdle but lawmakers warned on Sunday of challenges ahead in winning support for passage, even among Obama's own Democrats.

  • The French family from Young's Point waits for H1N1 vaccinations, administered by Peterborough Health Unit, held at a branch of Royal Canadian Legion in rural Lakefield Ontario, October 29, 2009. REUTERS/Fred Thornhill
    Swine flu may have hit one peak; more to come 2 hours, 59 minutes ago

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The pandemic of swine flu may be hitting a peak in the Northern Hemisphere, global health officials said on Friday, but they cautioned it was far from over.

  • Don't kiss Santa, he may have the flu: Hungary government Mon Nov 23, 5:43 AM ET

    BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Santa Claus should avoid kissing children and shaking their hands to prevent spreading the flu and should get vaccinated against the illness, Hungary's state health authority said.

  • Texas court tosses state Vioxx suit against Merck Mon Nov 23, 11:09 AM ET

    NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Texas court has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the state against drugmaker Merck & Co that sought a refund for money spent on the withdrawn Vioxx pain treatment, the company said on Monday.

  • Health care reform may hurt hospital credit 14 minutes ago

    NEW YORK (Reuters) - High-cost urban U.S. hospitals may face debt rating downgrades if large cuts to Medicare funding are implemented as part of U.S. health care reform, Moody's Investors Service said on Monday.

  • Canada stops use of one batch of flu vaccine 2 hours, 4 minutes ago

    WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Some Canadian provinces have stopped using a particular batch of the H1N1 flu vaccine after six people experienced severe allergic reactions, the country's health agency said on Monday.

  • Los Angeles gets tough on medical marijuana shops Fri Nov 20, 9:29 PM ET

    LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Past the security man and his pit bull and through a haze of eye-watering smoke, two youths load up a pipe next to a row of shiny glass jars with two dozen varieties of marijuana bud displayed like candy.

  • Funeral workers risk cancer from formaldehyde Fri Nov 20, 4:58 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Morticians who use formaldehyde to embalm bodies have a higher risk of leukemia, researchers reported on Friday.

  • Did U.S. make mistake in skipping vaccine additive? Fri Nov 20, 12:36 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As U.S. health officials struggle to vaccinate tens of millions of Americans against the pandemic of swine flu, some are looking regretfully at one easy way to instantly double or triple the number of doses available -- by using an immune booster called an adjuvant.

  • A boy gets a free H1N1 flu vaccine at a kindergarden in Budapest, November 19, 2009. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh
    H1N1 flu spreading east, peaking in some areas: WHO Fri Nov 20, 12:40 PM ET

    GENEVA (Reuters) - The H1N1 flu is moving eastwards across Europe and Asia after appearing to peak in parts of western Europe and the United States, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

  • Eat and drink your way to a healthy colon? Fri Nov 20, 3:55 PM ET

    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Eating fruits and vegetables, and drinking tea and red wine may offer overweight men and normal weight women some protection from colon and rectal cancers, hint study findings from the Netherlands.

  • Exercise important in teens' blood pressure control Fri Nov 20, 2:15 PM ET

    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Regular exercise may help keep teenagers'

  • New guidelines push back age for Pap smears Fri Nov 20, 8:46 AM ET

    CHICAGO (Reuters) - Women in the United States should start cervical cancer screening at age 21 and most do not need an annual Pap smear, according to new guidelines issued on Friday that aim to reduce the risk of unnecessary treatment.

  • A public health nurse prepares a dose of H1N1 vaccine at the Balboa Park Community Center in Encino, California October 23, 2009. REUTERS/Mark Boster/Pool
    Swine flu may be peaking in U.S. Fri Nov 20, 4:27 PM ET

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The pandemic of swine flu may be hitting a peak in the United States, health experts said on Friday.

  • Harmful effects seen with repeated ketamine abuse Fri Nov 20, 2:12 PM ET

    NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Abuse of ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, is on the rise in many countries and now new research shows that repeated use of the club drug impairs memory, concentration, and psychological well-being.

  • A Florida jury has ordered tobacco giant Philip Morris to pay almost 300 million dollars (200 million euros) in damages to a former smoker -- the largest fine ever in such a case, lawyers said.(Philip Morris)
    Philip Morris ordered to pay $300 million to smoker Fri Nov 20, 7:43 AM ET

    LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Florida jury on Thursday ordered cigarette maker Philip Morris USA to pay $300 million in damages to a 61-year-old ex-smoker named Cindy Naugle who is wheelchair-bound by emphysema.

  • Norway says found H1N1 mutation in flu victims Fri Nov 20, 2:10 PM ET

    OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian health authorities said on Friday they have discovered a potentially significant mutation in the H1N1 influenza strain that could be responsible for causing the severest symptoms among those infected.