A saavy consumer knows that “expensive” doesn’t necessarily equal “better". And a new Consumer Reports review confirms that goes for health care as well. As WebMD reports, “Independent investigators compared quality and… more »

For those men touchy about the subject of sexual dysfunction, the ability to buy Viagra online without a doctor’s prescription is likely an appealing prospect. But a new study warns would-be customers against the idea. According to MedPage Today,… more »

If dozing off to the glow of your iPad has become a nightly ritual, you may want to rethink the habit. According to a new study, the bright light emitted from tablet computers may mess up your sleep patterns. WebMD reports that when a tablet sits close… more »

WebMD reports on a new test that measures blood flow through clogged arteries. Called fractional flow reserve (FFR), the technique could potentially help physicians determine if heart patients need angioplasty and stenting to open clogged heart… more »

With other issues grabbing the headlines in the days leading up to the Republican National Convention, health care reform got lost in the shuffle. But vice-presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) put it back in the spotlight during his RNC speech.… more »

If you consume fewer calories in hopes of living longer, a new study won’t make your day. But it may offer enough good news to encourage you to say the course, the Los Angeles Times reports. Following earlier studies which showed that rats and… more »

Following a recommendation earlier this year by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that doctors abandon prostate cancer screenings for most male adults, defenders of the test have voiced their disagreement. And last week, a new study provided them… more »

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a once-a-day pill to treat the virus that causes AIDS, according to AFP (via Yahoo! Health). The new pill, Stribild, is actually a combination of the previously approved drug Truvada and two new ones,… more »

Michelle Andrews looks at the gender benefit gap in the Affordable Care Act. Why does the law greatly expand women’s access to free preventive services – particularly, for sexual and reproductive health – while giving men little by… more »

Keeping fit at midlife may not better your odds of living much longer, but it will increase your chances of avoiding chronic disease, new research suggests. According to the Los Angeles Times, a study of 18,670 men and women spanning from 1984 to 2010… more »

Employers and brokers filled the Morrow Conference Center for MedBen’s Health Care Reform Seminar on August 23. Entitled “Upward and Onward", the event focused on what businesses can expect from Affordable Care Act provisions already started… more »

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Republican Vice Presidential candidate, has a plan to restructure Medicare – and it’s come under criticism from Democrats. The scenario mirrors President Obama’s changes to Medicare under the Affordable Care… more »

The animal and insect kingdoms have kept the the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention busy as of late. Earlier this month, the government agency reported on a new strain of “swine” flu, spread from the pigs to humans. And this… more »

Sobering numbers for anyone currently saving for their golden years: Health care consulting firm HVS Financials estimates that a healthy moderate-income couple of 45-year-olds can expect to spend $1.7 million on health care over their retirement years.… more »

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced that nine additional states have been given grants to develop health insurance exchanges, The Hill’s Healthwatch blog reports. California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland,… more »

Regular checkups from your family doctor are a key to maintaining good health. But a new study reveals that many patients are bypassing general practitioners for specialty care. According to Reuters Health, researchers found 41% of adults in the U.S.… more »

Rosie O’Donnell’s recent health scare has brought the subject of women and heart attacks into the news. The 50-year-old comedienne and former talk show host revealed earlier this week that she underwent artery-opening angioplasty when tests… more »

Need another reason to practice good oral hygiene? Okay, here’s one – a new study suggests that people with healthy teeth and gums have a lower risk of developing dementia later in life. According to Reuters Health (via the Chicago… more »

Adding Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan to the Republican presidential ticket did more for Mitt Romney than bolster his support in a political swing state – it also provides him with a ready-made proposal that would shake up the health care… more »

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force will likely recommend the addition of HIV screening to a routine patient checkup, Reuters reports. Currently, the government health panel leaves the decision to test for the presence of the virus up to doctors.… more »

Depending on which scientist you talk to, aspirin is either a versatile wellness aid or an overrated pill best left to relieve minor aches and pains. The latest study on the effects of the drug suggests that its benefits may include helping to ward off… more »

No matter what state you venture into, you’re going to run into a lot of obese people. That’s the finding in a new report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Mississippi and Louisiana, over one-third of the population are… more »

Last week on this blog, we highlighted a New York Times story that discusses an unavoidable downside of the health care reform law: a shortage of doctors, resulting in longer wait times. Taking this inevitability one step further, John C. Goodman,… more »

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has declined to recommend hearing tests for older adults without symptoms of hearing loss, The New York Times reports. “We just don’t have enough evidence to show there would be a benefit,” said Dr. Albert Siu, a… more »

An Internal Revenue Service interpretation of the Affordable Care Act could make health care coverage subsidies unavailable to millions of lower-income Americans, The New York Times reports: “Under the law, most Americans will be required to have… more »

According to HealthDay News (via MedicineNet.com), recent research shows that many patients are unknowingly taking “off-label” drugs – medications prescribed to treat illnesses other than which they were approved by the Food and Drug… more »

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has asked for comments on eliminating the “use it or lose it” rule for Flexible Spending Plans. We need your help telling the IRS why the forfeiture rule is burdensome, outdated and needs to be modified. MedBen has… more »

Most businesses aren’t buying the claims that the Affordable Care Act will reduce health care costs. A new survey by the Mercer consulting firm found that 61% of employers expect to pay more for their group health coverage – and 1 in 5… more »

No kidding: Telling the truth improves your physical and mental health, a new study suggests. According to USA Today, researchers monitored 110 adults for 10 weeks. Half the participants were told to refrain from telling lies for any reason; the other… more »

If you’ve got insomnia, better you read a book than reach for a pill, suggests sleep expert Leon Lack of Flinders University. According to Medical Xpress, Lack said that “hypnotic drugs” may provide short-term relief, but in the long… more »

Nobody ever promised that the Affordable Care Act would single-handedly solve all that ails health care (not that we recall, anyhow). But a new Congressional Budget Office report suggests that even when the law’s provisions are in place, we will… more »

More Americans are walking around, but not for nearly as long as they should, according to the results of a new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. USA Today reports that about 62% of adults in 2010 said they took at least one… more »

When Congress passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010, President Obama and lawmakers took it for granted that every state would willingly establish its own health insurance exchange. A misguided assumption, to put it mildly. According to The New York… more »

While far from an epidemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking a new strain of “swine” flu seriously. HealthDay News reports that the H3H2 strain has thus far only been spread from pigs-to-humans, rather than… more »

Kevin Pho, a primary care physician and blogger – and whose KevinMD.com website we frequently highlight here – recently wrote a column for USA Today regarding patient access to lab test results. He observes that while having to wait days or… more »

Several months ago, this blog examined what types of health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) are excepted from Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We now turn our spotlight on health… more »

Singulair users can expect to pay less for their prescriptions soon. WebMD reports that the Food and Drug Administration has given 10 generic drugmakers approval to begin making generic versions of the popular asthma and allergy drug. Formally known as… more »

Whatever your feelings about the Affordable Care Act – whether it will benefit health care or hinder it, save the U.S. money or further strain the budget – there is one unavoidable outcome to providing coverage to tens of millions of… more »

Many Americans live in denial regarding their excess weight, reveals a new study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. According to HealthDay News, the researchers are concerned about the national health… more »

MedBen is pleased to announce the addition of Lindsay Kirk to the MedBen Sales and Marketing team. In her role as Regional Sales Manager, Kirk will serve current and prospective MedBen clients in Northern and Central Ohio. Kirk joined MedBen in 2011 as… more »

While most businesses will continue to offer group health plans to their employees, about 9% expect to drop their coverage in the next 1-3 years, according to a recent survey by the consulting company Deloitte. This is slightly higher than the… more »

Generic drugmakers are basking in the glow of good news: A new report from the Generic Pharmaceutical Association states that the use of generics over brand-name drugs reduced U.S. drug spending by $193 billion in 2011 and more than $1 trillion over the… more »

HealthDay News reports that nearly half of American adults have at least one risk factor for heart disease, such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled high levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and smoking. The U.S. Centers for… more »

On August 1, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services adopted women’s preventive health care services guidelines developed by the Institute of Medicine. The services listed in these guidelines are added to the required covered preventive… more »

Has watching the Olympics motivated you to exercise more? If so, it’s not surprising – two weeks of morning-to-night competition brings out the superjock in some individuals. And just like the Olympic athletes, many people fuel their… more »