While no one knows for certain what causes us to age, prevailing wisdom suggests it's a buildup of stresses and the cumulative effects of disease. The surprising results of a recent study, however, say otherwise.

The Department of Health and Human Services has announced a new incentive program to help spur the advancement of electronic prescribing practices.

President Bush today may veto H.R. 6331, a measure that would temporarily delay the full implementation of therapy caps and a 10.6% cut in Medicare physician pay.

President Bush indicated Thursday that he plans to veto the Medicare bill that would restore the exceptions process for Medicare Part B therapy caps and would block a scheduled physician payment cut.

After keeping the healthcare community in a state of uncertainty for several days, the Senate late Wednesday passed the Medicare bill that continues the exceptions process for Medicare Part B therapy caps and delays other onerous healthcare regulations.

Senate Democratic leaders are hoping for a vote on the critical Medicare bill by the end of the week, news and industry sources say.

Palliative care workers are allowed to sedate some patients with intractable pain at the end of life--but only as a last-resort measure, according to a new ethical guideline approved by the American Medical Association at its most recent annual meeting.

Suspense has been building around passage of a critical Medicare bill and whether the Senate can take such action before the July 4th recess.

A new, slimmed down version of a bill to delay physician pay cuts and extend expiring Medicare provisions is expected to hit the Senate floor soon. It is the third bill that would put off the cuts.