US Supreme Court will review the effectiveness of the mandatory purchasing of health insurance ‘The Affordable Care Act’ by the US citizens, a new law signed by the US president.

The law, under which the people of US will have to buy health insurance by 2014 or pay a tax penalty, has been challenged by 26 of the 50 US states, arguing that Congress exceeded its constitutional power and argued that the government should not interfere and force citizens to pay for a product they have opted against.

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The mandatory insurance is imposed by the authorities, and it is designed to protect other drivers than the guilty one. The facultative insurance can cover more risks, and with an insurance of this kind, you will be able to repair your car, to cover the medical expenses for the drivers and other persons harmed in the accident and other legal taxes that might result. However, if you have the curiosity to check the insurance quotes and estimations for cars you will discover that the facultative insurance costs a lot more than the mandatory one.

Sometimes, you can find differences of 20 % and more for the same quotes and estimations for car insurance services offered by different companies. Full post…

In a surprising result, Michigan State University researchers looking at the effects of diet on bowel disease found that mice on a calorie-restricted diet were more likely to die after being infected with an inflammation-causing bacterial pathogen in the colon.

While research suggests inflammation associated with obesity may contribute to inflammatory bowel diseases such as colitis, the study results revealed a low-calorie diet may actually impair the immune system’s ability to respond to infection, said Jenifer Fenton, assistant professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.

Additionally, the study found no connection that moderate obesity increased the severity of colitis in the mouse model.

“The results are similar to the research from our department that shows consuming fewer calories make it harder to fight off the flu virus,” said Fenton, referring to recent work by colleague Elizabeth Gardner.

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Four articles in the current issue draw attention to policy initiatives and implications of the rapidly changing U.S. health care environment. Collectively, they examine some of the challenges and opportunities facing the country following the 2010 passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Researchers Project Cost of Family Health Insurance Premiums Will Surpass Household Income by 2033

Updating estimates of who will be able to afford health insurance in the future in light of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that reformed health care payment in the United States, researchers now estimate that the cost of an average family insurance premium will surpass household income by 2033. Full post…

Willis Group Holdings, a UK-based insurance broker, has received Chinese Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) approval to open office in the megalopolis of Chongqing, China.

The new office will be the Willis Group’s 21st office in China.

Willis China CEO Mitchell Ma said that the new office enables clients and markets to enhance cooperation to provide best quality services, backed by Willis’ global resources.

Wills China offers risk management and insurance services to medium- and large-sized enterprises in China, supported by the global resources of Willis’ worldwide operations.

Willis Group is a global insurance broker, developing and delivering professional insurance, reinsurance, risk management, financial and human resource consulting and actuarial services to corporations, public entities and institutions.

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Promising avenue of neurodegenerative disease research may be a dead end

In science, refuting a hypothesis can be as significant as proving one, all the more so in research aimed at elucidating how diseases proceed with a view toward preventing, treating, or curing them. Such a discovery can save scientists from spending precious years of effort exploring a dead end. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Munich-based researchers refute a widely accepted hypothesis about a causative step in neurodegenerative conditions.

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