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Health Check: Reform of US Health System?

President Obama on health

02/10/2013

Reform of US Health System?

BBC World Service - Health Check, Reform of US Health System?

What will the US health reforms of universal health insurance mean for Americans?

What will the US health reforms of universal health insurance mean for Americans? Also, the new synthetic anti-venom for spider bites, and is sibling rivalries worse than bullying?

The United States spends more on health than any other industrialised country and yet 45 million people have no health insurance. It is thought that as many as 1800 people a year die prematurely from inadequate health care through lack of health insurance. A major part of President Barack Obama’s election pledge was to reform the health system in the US. This week sees the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as ‘Obamacare’. We look at what this legislation means for Americans who currently don’t have medical insurance, and how the US medical system differs from those in other countries. 

Making Artificial Spider Venom
A particular family of spiders is known for the uniquely nasty way they can harm humans – by injecting their venom which creates sores and lesions, killing off the human skin. Without urgent medical aid, death by organ failure occurs rapidly. Until now, making anti-venom to treat the spider bites has been a long process involving the deaths of huge numbers of spiders and horses. We hear from Brazil where a breakthrough in anti-venom technology might result in fewer animal deaths.

Millennium Development Goals
In 2000 the UN introduced the Millennium Development Goals – a set of eight targets – to increase living standards for the world's poorest and to eradicate different areas of human suffering by 2015. With the end date less than two years away, we ask how successful they’ve been and if and what they should be replaced with. 

Sibling Rivalry
How big a problem is bullying between siblings? New research says it occurs more frequently than we might think and is just as problematic as traditional forms of bullying. Dr Robin Kowalski who conducted the research tells us why she was particularly shocked by some of the results it revealed. 

(Picture: President Barack Obama on a podium speaking on ‘Obamacare’.  Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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