Poll: Idea of healthcare overhaul gets wide support

Obama healthcare legislation supporters rally during the third and final day of legal arguments over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) – An overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system remains popular even though Americans are not enamored with the law that President Barack Obama signed in 2010, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. The poll found that 44 percent of respondents favor the law, and that an additional 21 percent oppose it because it doesn’t go far enough – for a total of 65 percent. The rest, 35 percent, said they oppose the law and major changes to healthcare generally. “People still very much hunger for something to fix the healthcare system,” said Ipsos pollster Chris …

Changes in insurance tied to more ER visits

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People who either gained or lost their health insurance took more trips to the emergency room than those who had a stable insurance status, in a new study. The findings are troubling when considering the 32 million Americans expected to become newly-insured under President Barack Obama’s 2010 healthcare law. But the results also suggest that the number of ER visits even out as a person remains either insured or uninsured for more than a year. “Eventually, you’d suspect that their (ER) utilization would go down. So it could just be a short-term surge,” said Dr. …

Weight loss, exercise improve mobility in diabetes

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Losing weight and improving fitness may ward off some of the mobility problems that older overweight people with type 2 diabetes often face, according to a new study. The lifestyle changes helped mobile people stay that way and eased severe mobility problems in others, at least over the short term. Lead author W. Jack Rejeski from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, said the trends show the importance of encouraging people to get their weight down and exercise sooner, rather than waiting until they develop problems getting around. …

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