Topic: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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5 ways to improve a marriage

From author Elizabeth Weil's book 'No Cheating, No Dying,' 5 expert tips to improve a marriage.
Four ways New Orleans is better than before Katrina

The Katrina floodwaters that drowned New Orleans caused many to wonder if the city could ever recover. Five years later, recovery is evident in spades. January's Super Bowl win helped set the tone for what recently elected mayor Mitch Landrieu is calling “the new New Orleans.” Here’s a look at four signs of progress that could be models for cities nationwide:
Top 5 most stressful jobs

JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater – who quit and made a dramatic exit down an aircraft emergency slide on Aug. 9 – is the latest symbol of stress on the job. But he's hardly alone. With more employees electronically tethered to their jobs 24/7, greater competition in the workplace for fewer jobs due to a sluggish economy, and other factors may create more job-related anxiety. On the other hand, some of the jobs considered most stressful are also the most coveted.
Here's a short list of the most stressful jobs of 2010, based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Careercast.com.

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Obama and the contraception mandate

The Obama administration plans to exempt only certain types of religious institutions from the health-care law's mandate for coverage of birth control. But in doing so, it redefines religion, which not only steps on a basic liberty but a basic understanding of religion's role in society.
Catholic groups take fight against Obama birth-control rules to court

Some 43 Catholic groups including Notre Dame are attempting to block rules in the new health-care law that require health insurance to provide access to birth-control services.
Modern Parenthood
Teens drinking hand sanitizer – though underage drinking is down

Teens drinking hand sanitizer to get drunk is a new trend noticed by California authorities. While overall underage drinking has been going down in the past decade, 72 percent of teens who do report having had an alcoholic drink apparently were able to get it without resorting to the gooey gel. 
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No child left alone: Volunteers mentor children of inmates

With 2.3 million inmates behind bars in the US, the goal of volunteers in mentor programs for the 2.7 million children of prisoners is: No child left alone. Despite government cuts in funding, the programs continue.
Obama health care law at Supreme Court: mega case for the history books

US Supreme Court takes up the Obama health-care reform law starting Monday. The case puts the high court center stage in a constitutional showdown that could define the scope of congressional power for generations – and perhaps affect Obama's reelection prospects.
5 ways to improve a marriage

From author Elizabeth Weil's book 'No Cheating, No Dying,' 5 expert tips to improve a marriage.
At CNN debate, Rick Santorum skewered over 'bridge to nowhere'

GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum took a pounding from rivals over his Senate record, during the CNN debate Wednesday. MItt Romney reminded voters of Santorum's vote for the so-called 'bridge to nowhere.'
Obama plan to boost teen employment could be an uphill battle

The national unemployment rate has fallen to 8.6 percent, but the level of teen joblessness has remained high. So, on Thursday, President Obama encouraged the private sector to step up their hiring of young people.
As government shutdown looms, lawmakers squabbling over policy, not pork

Time was, an 11th-hour omnibus spending bill to avoid a government shutdown was an invitation for members of Congress to push through pork projects. This year the tussle is over policy riders.
Letters to the Editor – Weekly Issue of September 19, 2011

Readers write in to defend Head Start as a good use of federal funds and to praise the 'People Making a Difference' profile of a public servant.
Hurricane Irene update: After initial landfall, storm heads north

Hurricane Irene 'remains a large and dangerous storm' Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Saturday. She advises residents in its path to 'hunker down.'
Health insurers must provide free birth control

Health insurers must also provide other preventive services under new federal rules, which say health insurers can't charge a co-pay.
Health insurers owe Fla. $3 million

Health insurers that overstated how much money they spent on patients owe the state millions. Florida relies on private health insurers for some state-run programs.
Medicare: Massive fraud nets doctor 20-year sentence

Medicare fraud earned Florida doctor $1.2 million – and prison. Sentence is second-stiffest handed out for Medicare fraud in South Florida.
Uncle Sam's meddling in health insurance rates is wrong and will hurt consumers

The US Department of Health and Human Services is trying to bully or shame health insurers into reducing their rate increases. The problem is that the federal government has no legal authority to regulate health insurance rates and doing say may actually drive prices up.
Health-care battle: A third US appeals court weighs law's constitutionality

Lawyers representing 26 states square off Wednesday against the Obama administration. Both sides bring top legal talent to the appeal of a ruling by a federal judge in Florida who invalidated the entire health-care law.
Indiana can't block Medicaid money for Planned Parenthood, feds say

An Indiana law that prevents Medicaid dollars from going to Planned Parenthood, an abortion provider, runs afoul of Medicaid law, the Obama administration says. A long legal battle could be ahead, with other states watching to see if they can follow suit.
Medicaid like a Mercedes, S.C. lawmaker says

Medicaid coverage is 'way more than adequate,' South Carolina legislator says, as state Senate gives initial approval to new Medicaid budget.
Indiana governor vows to block federal funds for Planned Parenthood

Gov. Mitch Daniels says he will sign a bill to deny Planned Parenthood, the nation's leading abortion provider, $2 million in federal funds. It will also strengthen antiabortion laws.
Schools facing rise in homeless students

Schools serving homeless children are seeing an increase in enrollment, straining their ability to serve the most vulnerable students.
Health care reform takes hold in Indiana

Health care insurance program begins enrolling Hoosiers diagnosed with a pre-existing condition.
Guatemalans sue US for deliberately spreading illness in 1940s experiment

A lawsuit was filed Monday in a US district court on behalf of 700 Guatemalan soldiers, mental health patients, and orphans secretly experimented on from 1946 to 1948.
US economy's hidden asset: older workers

Far from being a drag on the economy, so-called gray labor will be key to America's competitiveness in coming years. Mature workers can bring major productivity gains to US businesses – if we can make changes to better tap their talent.
Health-care reform: How Democrats plan to crash House GOP's repeal party

As Republicans move to vote Wednesday to undo Obama's health-care reform bill, Democrats are posing a question to new House members: What would repeal mean to their constituents?
Nikki Haley to be sworn-in as SC governor

Nikki Haley being sworn-in as SC governor means several firsts for South Carolina. But for the Nikki Haley inaugural organizers, Mother Nature has added her own, unexpected twist.