AP Health NewsBrief at 11:45 a.m. EST

Preventive care: It's free, except when it's not

CHICAGO (AP) _ Bill Dunphy thought his colonoscopy would be free. His insurance company told him it would be covered 100 percent, with no copayment from him and no charge against his deductible. The nation's 1-year-old health law requires most insurance plans to cover all costs for preventive care including colon cancer screening. So Dunphy had the procedure in April.

New fee coming for medical effectiveness research

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Starting in 2012, the government will charge a new fee to your health insurance plan for research to find out which drugs, medical procedures, tests and treatments work best. But what will Americans do with the answers? The goal of the research, part of a little-known provision of President Barack Obama's health care law, is to answer such basic questions as whether that new prescription drug advertised on TV really works better than an old generic costing much less.

Argentine leader's cancer forces her to delegate

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) _ Argentine President Cristina Fernandez is cracking jokes and insisting she will never give up after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer. In her first appearance since the cancer announcement, Fernandez joked about her difficulties in delegating power while warning allies not to sabotage her government's accomplishments in social justice and economic growth.

State cuts to Medicaid affect patients, providers

ATLANTA (AP) _ Just as Medicaid prepares for a vast expansion under the federal health care overhaul, the 47-year-old entitlement program for the poor is under increasing pressure as deficit-burdened states chip away at benefits and cut payments to doctors. Nearly every state has proposed or implemented a plan in its current budget to rein in costs, and many are considering additional cuts in the year ahead.

Coloradans can make money by losing weight

DENVER (AP) _ Insurance company Kaiser Permanente Colorado is offering cash to Coloradans to lose weight and keep it off. Companies have been making similar offers to their employees for years as a way to reduce obesity in the workplace and lower health costs, but Kaiser is taking it one step further and making the offer to any adult in Colorado.

New powerful painkiller has abuse experts worried

NEW YORK (AP) _ Drug companies are working to develop a pure, more powerful version of the nation's second most-abused medicine, which has addiction experts worried that it could spur a new wave of abuse. The new pills contain the highly addictive painkiller hydrocodone, packing up to 10 times the amount of the drug as existing medications such as Vicodin. Four companies have begun patient testing, and one of them _ Zogenix of San Diego _ plans to apply early next year to begin marketing its product, Zohydro.

SC Army veteran, 96, always eager to give blood

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) _ At age 96, Joe Johnson is still first in line when the bloodmobile arrives at his South Carolina retirement home. He's always eager to save lives and keep up the habit he started during his Army career. "I'm sure I've given gallons," says the retired master sergeant. "I don't see any reason to stop."

Tough choice looms on 9/11 health lawsuits

NEW YORK (AP) _ More than 1,600 people who filed lawsuits claiming that their health was ruined by dust and smoke from the collapsed World Trade Center must decide by Jan. 2 whether to keep fighting in court, or drop the litigation and apply for benefits from a government compensation fund. For some, the choice is fraught with risk.

French insurance to file complaint on implants

PARIS (AP) _ France's national health insurance agency will file a criminal complaint in a breast implant scandal, an official said Saturday, after authorities recommended that women with potentially faulty implants have them removed and agreed to pay for the procedure. The agency will file the complaint for deception and fraud in the coming days, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing policy. It will most likely not name specific people or the company behind the implants, though specific targets could be added later.

Arizona coma patient now speaking, walking

PHOENIX (AP) _ It will be a special Christmas for the family of a 21-year-old University of Arizona student who was nearly taken off life support before awaking from a coma. Sam Schmid was walking and speaking Friday at a Phoenix hospital. Dressed in a T-shirt, shorts and sneakers, he was able to use a walker and talk in brief sentences.