HEALTH NEWS

• Learning disability athletes return to Paralympics 11/21/2009, 4:31 p.m. EST
(AP) — KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Athletes with learning disabilities will be allowed to compete in the Paralympics again at London in 2012.

• Ex-Air Force nurse acquitted of killing patients 11/21/2009, 12:59 p.m. EST
(AP) — SAN ANTONIO - A court martial acquitted a former military nurse of murder Saturday after he was accused of giving lethal doses of painkillers to hasten the deaths of three terminally ill patients at the Air Force's largest hospital.

• Mental health cases tax police, emergency workers 11/21/2009, 12:31 p.m. EST
(AP) — BURLINGTON, Vt. - Police found him sitting on the floor of his old apartment near a bucket of urine, still dressed in his hospital gown.

• Health care bill nears crucial Senate test vote 11/21/2009, 6:00 a.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Democratic senators called an overhaul of the U.S. health care system long overdue as historic legislation advanced toward a crucial first vote Saturday night, an early test of party unity on President Barack Obama's top domestic initiative

• GOP: Health test recommendations could affect care 11/20/2009, 6:09 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Republicans are seizing on this week's recommendations for fewer pap smears and mammograms to fuel concern about government-rationed medical care-and to try to chip away support by women for President Barack Obama's proposed health care overhaul.

• CDC: Swine flu cases seem to be dropping in US 11/20/2009, 1:11 p.m. EST
(AP) — ATLANTA - Health officials say swine flu cases appear to declining throughout most of the U.S., but the specter of Thanksgiving gatherings makes it hard to predict what will happen next.

• Tamiflu-resistant swine flu cluster reported in NC 11/20/2009, 1:11 p.m. EST
(AP) — ATLANTA - Four North Carolina patients at a single hospital tested positive for a type of swine flu that is resistant to Tamiflu, health officials said Friday.

• AP Top News at 8:55 p.m. EST 11/19/2009, 5:52 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Digging in for a long struggle, Republican senators and governors assailed the Democrats' newly minted health care legislation Thursday as a collection of tax increases, Medicare cuts and heavy new burdens for deficit-ridden states. Despite the criticism, there were growing indications Democrats would prevail on an initial Senate showdown set for Saturday night, and Majority Leader Harry Reid crisply rebutted the Republican charges. The bill "will save lives, save money and save Medicare," he said.

• UC regents vote to reopen troubled LA hospital 11/19/2009, 1:30 p.m. EST
(AP) — LOS ANGELES - California's public university system has agreed to fully reopen a troubled South Los Angeles hospital that was partially closed in 2007 after deadly lapses in care.

• Reid: Congress closer than ever to health overhaul 11/19/2009, 12:48 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - The Senate Democratic leader says Congress is closer than ever to overhauling the nation's health care system.

• UC regents vote to reopen troubled LA hospital 11/19/2009, 3:21 a.m. EST
(AP) — LOS ANGELES - California's public university system has agreed to fully reopen a troubled South Los Angeles hospital that was partially closed in 2007 after deadly lapses in care.

• Senate, House Democratic health bills compared 11/18/2009, 8:47 p.m. EST
(AP) — A comparison of the health care bills before Congress:

• Jobless benefits could end for many in January 11/18/2009, 8:19 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - More than 1 million people will run out of unemployment benefits in January unless Congress quickly extends federal emergency aid, a nonprofit group said Wednesday.

• Jobless benefits could end for many in January 11/18/2009, 8:19 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - More than 1 million people will run out of unemployment benefits in January unless Congress quickly extends federal emergency aid, a nonprofit group said Wednesday.

• US Senate health figures: $849 billion overhaul 11/18/2009, 7:28 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - The Senate received $849 billion health care legislation Wednesday and is set to begin work on the subject that has become the biggest domestic issue facing President Barack Obama's administration.

• Senate Democratic leader says health care bill saves lives, saves money and protects Medicare 11/18/2009, 6:42 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Senate Democratic leader says health care bill saves lives, saves money and protects Medicare.

• Senate Dems to make gov't plan widely available 11/18/2009, 1:43 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Congressional budget experts say the new Senate health care bill would make a government health plan widely available.

• HHS secretary says mammograms still vital 11/18/2009, 1:29 p.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says federal policy on who should get breast cancer screening has not changed.

• Study: CT scans rule out heart attacks faster 11/18/2009, 1:18 p.m. EST
(AP) — ORLANDO, Fla. - A new study suggests that a type of "super X-ray" can give a faster, cheaper way to tell whether a chest pain sufferer is really having a heart attack.

• Study: CT scans rule out heart attacks faster 11/18/2009, 1:17 p.m. EST
(AP) — ORLANDO, Fla. - A new study suggests that a type of "super X-ray" can give a faster, cheaper way to tell whether a chest pain sufferer is really having a heart attack.

• AP Poll: Gov't health plan divides public 11/18/2009, 6:04 a.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Tell Americans that letting the government sell insurance in competition with private industry would be cheaper for them, and a majority is in favor.

• AP-US--AP Poll-Public Plan,1st Ld-Writethru, US 11/18/2009, 6:04 a.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - Tell Americans that letting the government sell insurance in competition with private industry would be cheaper for them, and a majority is in favor.

• AP Poll: Public favors gov't health plan 11/18/2009, 6:04 a.m. EST
(AP) — WASHINGTON - More Americans support creation of a new government-run health insurance plan to compete with the private insurance market, a new Associated Press poll finds, but the level of enthusiasm depends on how the question is asked.

• Small firms scrapping, scaling back health plans 11/18/2009, 5:33 a.m. EST
(AP) — JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Faced with high health insurance costs, a North Carolina brokerage passed the buck on to its employees, a Texas public relations firm switched from group insurance to stipends, and a Missouri travel agency let its workers walk away instead paying for insurance.

• Cancer study seeks smokers and former smokers 11/18/2009, 4:07 a.m. EST
(AP) — CHICAGO - Chicago researchers are seeking current and former smokers for a study on early detection of lung cancer.