25-06-2012 06:27 With the approach of the Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act watch this 60-second video to get the real story on how Obamacare will affect America's youth and young adults. Share your story on and join us in reclaiming our future.

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Crossroads Generation - Ouch! - Video

25-06-2012 07:02 As a Birmingham hospital pioneers a new and successful approach to patient care, we ask why it's so difficult to spread "best practice" across the NHS

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Innovation in health care - Video

25-06-2012 22:04 Berkeley linguistics professor George Lakoff and Jennifer Granholm discuss the message wars between Republicans and Democrats, and how the Democrats should respond to Republicans' attacks on the language they choose. In the health care battle, Lakoff says fight the message of government takeover with the ideas of freedom and life, showing that government health care allows people to live longer, more freely. Tune in Weeknights at 9:00/8:00c on Current TV

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Lakoff: Health care a matter of freedom and life - Video

POMONA, CALIFORNIA--(Marketwire -06/26/12)- Editors Note: To view the graphic associated with this press release, please click the following link: http://epichearing.com/newsroom/images.

EPIC Hearing Health Care (EPIC), a Pomona-based provider of hearing health care insurance, is joining the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) in urging people to use sound judgment and ear plugs in celebrating the 4th of July, America's noisiest day of the year.

The single bang of a firecracker at close range can permanently damage hearing in an instant. EPIC and BHI also encourage people to protect their hearing when participating in other loud summertime activities: concerts, stock car races, the use of lawn mowers and power equipment, shooting practice, power boating, and when listening to MP3 players and other electronic devices with earbuds or headphones.

Noise is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. Ten million Americans have already suffered irreversible hearing damage from noise; 30 million are exposed to dangerous noise levels each day. Children are most vulnerable.

"Noise-induced hearing loss can be life changing, but close to 40 percent of hearing loss is preventable with proper protection," says Brad Volkmer, President and CEO of EPIC. "That's why this 4th of July EPIC is raising awareness throughout the nation of the risk fireworks pose to hearing. Leave the fireworks to the professionals and use earplugs when attending fireworks celebrations."

Disposable ear plugs, made of foam or silicone, are typically available at local pharmacies. They're practical because you still can hear music and the conversation of those around you when you have them in your ears. But when they fit snuggly, they're effective in adequately blocking out dangerously loud sounds.

EPIC Hearing Health Care also reminds everyone that regular hearing checks are crucially important for detecting hearing loss early and for getting appropriate help in order to minimize the negative impact that unaddressed hearing loss can have on quality-of-life. EPIC offers a free information and referral service to a local hearing care professional who can answer any questions, and assess and address any hearing problems or concerns. Simply call toll-free 1-866-956-5400 and speak to a hearing counselor who will assist you with all your questions.

EPIC Hearing Health Care is the nation's first supplemental healthcare insurance program for hearing care-much like dental or vision insurance programs-and offers services through a national network of hearing health care physicians and audiologists. EPIC offers brand-name hearing aids at about half the typical cost. Learn more at http://www.epichearing.com.

The Better Hearing Institute is a not-for-profit corporation that educates the public about hearing loss and what can be done about it: http://www.betterhearing.org. A simple, private, interactive screening test is available at http://www.hearingcheck.org.

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EPIC Hearing Health Care Urges Use of Ear Protection During July 4th Celebrations

Tom Grill | Getty Images

"Let me just thank the Supreme Court for not making a ruling today and messing up my presentation," began Kay D. Mooney, as she started her talk Monday outlining various parts of the health reform law now before the nine Justices.

Mooney, a health executive with insurance firm Aetna

"So it's complicated, for sure," said Mooney at the end of her speech. "But it seems that whatever the Court decides, uncertainty about health care is an understatement."

For business owners and HR execs, the waiting continues to be the hardest part. While the possibility of a decision loomed early Monday, it now seems that the justices won't announce a decision until Thursday. Speculation about what the Court will do abounds. Will it strike down all of the health reform law or just parts of it? How much is this all going to cost? When do certain rules go into effect?

What many analysts and experts say is that no matter what happens, some sort of closure is needed on the health-care debate.

"We just want the issue of health care to be settled," says Bill Harris, CEO of Personal Capital, a personal wealth management firm based in Redwood City, Calif.

"As a firm, we don't have to worry so much about health-care costs, but every year we see premiums going up," explains Harris who said he would like the health care bill to stand.

"I just don't want to spend a big part of my day thinking about all this," adds Harris, who has around 50 employees and pays between 6 percent to 15 percent of his business costs on health care.

Many businesses and HR execs are stuck scratching their heads over the 2,140-page bill that has several moving parts and penalties.

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Health-Care Debate: ‘Settle This Thing,’ Say Execs

Cancer patients in northeastern Vermont should be getting better coordinated — and maybe less expensive — care in the near future, if a program that is part of the state's health care overhaul is successful.

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Vt. health care changes arrive in St. Johnsbury

One of the few things that everyone in Washington agrees on is that the health care crisis is a two-pronged problem: too many people are going without it, but it costs too much for those who do have it. The disagreement comes only when you try to fix the problemin particular, whether it's better to first tackle the supply-side or the cost-side.

For investors who simply see enormous sums of money being spent, the problem is not about partisan battling as much as it's about risk and opportunity. Les Funtleyder, portfolio manager at Poliwogg and author of the book Healthcare Investing, is putting his chips on innovation and anything that can help to reduce cost.

"I'd rather invest on the side of the angels and short the reimbursement hogs, because they look like they have a giant bulls-eye on them," he says in the attached video. He cites testing labs and nursing homes as two sub-industries that ''over-utilize'' the Medicaid reimbursement system.

As much uncertainty as there is surrounding Thursday's expected Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare, Funtleyder knows there's "still lots to be done" on the issue, such as striking a balance between what he calls volume (the amount of care) and price (the cost of services).

He's also watching another area of opportunity, which has to deal with what he calls "informational asymmetry."

"I can't tell you which hospital is best for which disease, and I can't tell you what product is best for what disease. We just don't know. There's a lack of information. It's not publicly available," he explains, then points out the absurdity of the situation. "I mean, I can tell you the differences between a Corolla and Camry, but even I can't tell you the difference between a bypass and a stent."

To be sure, the next round of health care legislation is likely to put much more emphasis on cost control, given that the industry has been growing ''at two or three times GDP" for the past 40 years, and that only 5% of the population accounts for 50% of all health care spending.

Of course, identifying the problem is the easy part. Fixing it is never going to be easyor cheap.

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Health Care Overhaul Will Crush ‘Reimbursement Hogs’ Says Expert

June 26, 2012 Updated Jun 26, 2012 at 8:03 AM EDT

BUFFALO, N.Y. ( WKBW ) Dr. Raul Vazquez from Urban Family Practice in Buffalo stopped by Channel 7's "Eyewitness News This Morning" Tuesday to break down what could happen with the expected Supreme Court ruling Thursday on nationwide health care, and how it could impact you.

The National Constitution Center published an online article that offers a guide on what to expect:

Thursday will be the day when the U.S. Supreme Court finally decides the constitutionality of President Barack Obamas health care program. Here is a quick guide on what to expect.

First, there could be several decisions announced on Thursday, starting at 10 a.m. EST., including a case about real estate, one about lying about military honors, and the health care case.

There are no live cameras in the courtroom, despite some recent requests from politicians to put the decision on live TV.

Our friends at SCOTUSblog, including Constitution Daily contributor Lyle Denniston, will be at the court blogging.

You can check their live blog at http://www.scotusblog.com starting at 9 a.m. They also will talk about the background of cases and the procedures followed by the Court.

Constitution Daily will have its own coverage starting at 10 a.m.

At 10 a.m., the Court will start presenting its decisions. The expectation is that the other cases would be announced first, and then the health care case would be announced as the final decision. That would put the ETA for the health care decision after 10:15 a.m.

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Health Care Ruling Expected Thursday

You may consider basic health care as a necessary component of strong family values, equal rights for women, and even more strangely, equal rights for men.

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Health Care As A Family Value

A new survey reveals which drivers and driving behaviors Americans find most annoying. More The 2012 Latino Bridal and Quinceaera Expo will feature party planners, DJs, photographers, caters, decorators, tuxedos, choreographers and so much more. Keep up with the latest news surrounding the 2012 Elections here. More

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Timeline: Health Care Through The Years

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON In a move that could significantly expand insurance coverage of weight-loss treatments, a federal health advisory panel on Monday recommended that all obese adults receive intensive counseling in an effort to rein in a growing health crisis in America.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force urged doctors to identify patients with a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or more currently one in three Americans and either provide counseling themselves or refer the patient to a program designed to promote weight loss and improve health prospects.

Under the current health care law, Medicare and most private insurers would be required to cover the entire cost of weight-loss services that meet or exceed the task forces standards.

That could all change Thursday, when the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on the constitutionality of President Barack Obamas health care law, which requires adoption of certain strong recommendations from the task force, such as this one on obesity.

Few private health insurers now reimburse physicians for weight-loss counseling or pay for programs that patients seek out on their own. A growing number, in fact, charge obese patients more for coverage - a policy some public health officials have denounced as punitive and ineffective.

The Task Force concluded after a review of the medical literature that the most successful programs in improving patients health are "intensive, multi-component behavioral interventions." They involve 12 to as many as 26 counseling sessions a year with a physician or community-based program, according to the panel.

Successful programs set weight-loss goals, improve knowledge about nutrition, teach patients how track their eating and set limits, identify barriers to change (such as a scarcity of healthful food choices near home) and strategize on ways to maintain lifestyle changes, the panel found.

In some cases, programs include exercise sessions as well.

The recommendation, published online in the Annals of Internal Medicine, does not apply to the roughly one-third of Americans who are considered overweight, those with a BMI from 25 to 29.9.

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Government health care panel wants obese people to undergo counseling

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. Supreme Court will rule Thursday on the constitutionality of the sweeping health care law championed by President Barack Obama.

The high court announced a series of other decisions on Monday, but not the most anticipated one. It announced that all remaining rulings for the year will come in three days.

The stakes cannot be overstated -- what the justices decide will have an immediate and long-term impact on all Americans, both in how they get medicine and health care, and also in vast, yet unknown areas of "commerce."

Saving this ruling for the final day "may not be political, but they understand drama," said David Cole, a Georgetown University constitutional law professor. He added, "It's also the most difficult case, the most important case, so they may want the extra few days to make sure that they're happy with their written opinions."

The nation's highest court heard three days of politically charged hearings in March on the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a landmark but controversial measure passed by congressional Democrats despite pitched Republican opposition.

The challenge focused primarily on the law's requirement that most Americans buy health insurance or pay a fine.

Supporters of the plan argued the "individual mandate" is necessary for the system to work, while critics argued it is an unconstitutional intrusion on individual freedom.

All sides preparing for political fallout from health care decision

Four different federal appeals courts heard challenges to parts of the law before the Supreme Court ruling, and came up with three different results.

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Health care ruling looms