Health halo can hide the calories
Have Americans been seduced into overeating by the so-called health halo associated with certain foods and restaurants?

AHIP Unveils Plan for Improved Health Care
A health-plan trade group on Tuesday unveiled a plan it believes will reduce health-care costs, allow for universal coverage and improve quality of care -- but only a few specifics were offered.

UAW Agrees to Revise Health Plan, Suspend Jobs Bank (Update1)
Dec. 3 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. auto workers, responding to calls to help aid ailing car companies, agreed to delay payments to a union health-care fund and suspend a jobs bank that pays laid off union members.

NW Side eatery closed for health violations
A Northwest Side restaurant was shut down late Tuesday--and remains closed today--after health inspectors found a fruit fly infestation in the kitchen and dining areas, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health. Piatto, 5304 W. Devon Ave., also was cited for two other violations, including a moldy ice machine and no sanitizing solution in an automatic dishwashing machine.

Police break up Zimbabwe health protest
Riot police charged into a group of doctors and nurses protesting Zimbabwe's deepening economic and health crisis, eyewitnesses said Wednesday as deaths rose sharply from a cholera epidemic.

Health insurers offer reform plan
WASHINGTON -- After a national "listening tour" that included a Columbus stop, the health-insurance industry today unveiled a reform plan that it says can hold down costs and improve the quality of care.

TV, Video Game Time Affects Children's Likelihood of Obesity, Other Health Risks
· Children who spend a lot of time watching TV, playing video games and surfing the Web are more likely to get fat, start smoking and face other health risks when they get older, researchers said yesterday.

Georgia's rank on health slips again ? to No. 41
The overall health of Georgians, already considered among the nation's worst, has slipped further, according to an annual ranking by the United Health Foundation released Wednesday. The foundation's latest survey ranked Georgia No. 41 out of the 50 states. Last year, Georgia ranked No. 40. The report cited several health challenges in Georgia, including high levels of pollution and a high rate ...

Health insurers offer their own reform plan: universal coverage, guarantee for pre-existing conditions
WASHINGTON -- Facing the prospect that Washington will put the nation's broken health-care system on the operating table next year, the health insurance industry today unveiled its own prescription for reform. America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade group whose members...

Health workers in pay protest
Hundreds of health service workers protest outside Northern Ireland hospitals in a dispute over pay.

Zimbabwe police crush health workers? march
Zimbabwe riot police on Wednesday broke up a peaceful march by health workers protesting against the collapse of the health infrastructure amid mounting signs that the situation is slipping out of the government?s control.

Louisiana falls to 50th in annual health ranking
Louisiana's high rates of obesity, infant mortality and preventable hospitalizations helped the state fall to 50th -- last -- in an annual state-by-state ranking of of overall health released today.

Texans' health risks are growing, survey finds 10:30 AM CT
Texas had the nation?s most dramatic drop in a national health-care ranking measuring the prevalence of smoking, obesity and percentage of children in poverty.

Health insurers pitch plan to curb costs, premiums
The U.S. health insurance industry urged Congress to create a public-private advisory panel on health costs and a uniform national coverage plan exempt from state requirements on benefits.

Budget ax falling on Washington Basic Health Plan
OLYMPIA ? The budget ax falls Friday on the state's Basic Health Plan that covers 105,000 people.

Michigan sees small improvement in national health ranking
While still ranking in the bottom half of states, Michigan improved to 27th from 31st in a national survey on the overall health of its residents.

Lobbies backing health reforms
WASHINGTON - Powerful special interest groups that helped torpedo healthcare reform 16 years ago are now advocating significant changes in the nation's health insurance and delivery system. They are participating in regular discussions about how to expand health coverage and lower costs, key commitments that President-elect Barack Obama made in his campaign.

PHILIPPINES: Rebel reproductive health law
Source: IRIN The bustling northern Philippine city of Olongapo has defied the politically influential Roman Catholic Church by passing its own reproductive health code advocating sex education for high school students and the mass distribution of condoms, among other things.

Russian parliament passes new restrictions on cigarettes, but health advocates displeased
MOSCOW - Russia's lower house of parliament has approved legislation to lower tar and nicotine content in cigarettes and to put large health warnings on the packs.

SOUTH AFRICA: Global Fund money gets stuck with health department
Source: IRIN South Africa's Department of Health has failed to channel US$3.9 million in donor money to 13 HIV/AIDS organisations, leaving them underfunded.