Too Much Arsenic in Our Juice? Consumer Reports Says Yes

Arsenic: A Consumer Reports investigation has found excessive levels of arsenic in fruit juices, with apple and grape juices having some of the highest levels. The type of arsenic was not just organic, but inorganic, the form that has been linked to human cancers.

Children's Health: In a welcome bit of news, the number of American kids without health insurance dropped by 1 million to 5.9 million between 2008 and 2010 despite a grim economy, Kelli Kennedy reports for the Associated Press. The new health reform law and better access to Medicaid help explain the improvement, experts said.

Medicaid: New cuts to California's Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, could save the state $623 million but will also put elderly and disabled patients at risk, Darrell Smith reports for the Sacramento Bee. Some skilled nursing facilities could be forced to close because of lower reimbursements.

Medicare: Medicare officials should do more to prevent doctors from unnecessarily prescribing powerful anti-psychotics to nursing home patients with dementia, according to government inspectors, Matthew Perrone reports for the Associated Press. The drugs typically are prescribed off-label to control aggressive behavior caused by dementia.

Addiction: The national drugstore chain CVS has notified some Florida doctors that its stores will no longer fill the doctors' prescriptions for the painkiller oxycodone and other controlled, highly addictive drugs, Barbara Liston reports for Reuters. The chain is concerned about prescription drug abuse in Florida, well-known for its pill mills.

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Photo credit: Joshua Ganderson via Flickr