Reuters - Health Report

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Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Texas governor signs bill to limit insurance coverage for abortions

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The Republican governor of Texas signed into law on Tuesday a measure that will restrict insurance coverage for abortions, compelling women to buy a supplemental plan if they want coverage for the procedure.

Philippine troops to help cull thousands of fowl in bird flu battle

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines will deploy hundreds of troops to hasten a cull of about 600,000 fowl, the farm minister said on Wednesday, as part of efforts to rein in the Southeast Asian nation's first outbreak of bird flu.

South Carolina sues OxyContin maker Purdue over opioid marketing

(Reuters) - South Carolina sued Purdue Pharma LP on Tuesday, becoming the latest state or local government to accuse the OxyContin maker of deceptive marketing practices that have contributed to a national opioid addiction epidemic.

End of U.S. payments to health insurers would cause premiums to rise: CBO

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Health insurance premiums for many customers on the Obamacare individual insurance markets would be 20 percent higher in 2018 if U.S. President Donald Trump follows through on a threat to stop billions of dollars of payments to health insurers, a nonpartisan congressional office said on Tuesday.

Centene to sell Obamacare plans in Nevada next year

(Reuters) - Centene Corp, one of the largest players in the Obamacare individual insurance market, said it would offer Obamacare plans in Nevada in 2018.

Rare fungus found in 200 patients in 55 UK hospitals

LONDON (Reuters) - A rare fungus that can cause drug-resistant infections has been found in around 200 patients in more than 55 hospitals across Britain, health officials said on Tuesday.

South Africa's Western Cape province confirms presence of H5N8 bird flu

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa's Western Cape has detected type H5N8 bird flu on two ostrich farms, the province's agriculture department said on Tuesday.

Austria finds some egg products contaminated with insecticide

VIENNA (Reuters) - Tests show that some imported egg products in Austria have been contaminated with a potentially harmful insecticide, Austria's food safety agency said on Monday, adding to the list of countries affected by an international health scare.

Abortion after-care costs driven up by scarcity of nearby clinics

(Reuters Health) - The absence of a nearby abortion clinic drives up healthcare costs, a study of California's poor has found.

Some jobs tied to higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis

(Reuters Health) - Workers exposed to airborne toxins may have an elevated risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, an immune system disorder that causes debilitating swelling and pain in the joints, a Swedish study suggests.