The Associated Press reports that Wal-Mart is planning to offer a 90-day supply of certain generic drugs for $10. This will help consumers save even more money on prescriptions they take regularly. Most drugs included in its $4 generic program are also included in their $10 program.

Additionally, Wal-Mart is reducing the cost of some over-the-counter medications to $4 or less. Over 1,000 over-the-counter medications are included in this new program, including some drugs that cost more than $7.

A recent study shows that 51% of Americans are now taking prescription drugs for chronic conditions like diabetes or high cholesterol. According to the Washington Post, this percentage has never been so high in the past.

It is important to note that there are several contributing factors - while more Americans are indeed afflicted with chronic conditions, it is also true that more prescription drugs are available and doctors are more aggressive about treating these conditions. Experts agree that the increase in prescription drug usage is both bad news and good news - bad because Americans may be relying on pills for their health rather than making lifestyle changes, and good because some newer drugs are helping people live longer with diseases like AIDS that used to be considered death sentences.

It was once commonly accepted that emergency rooms nationwide were overflowing with uninsured patients. While it is true that the number of emergency room patients is increasing, the percentage of these patients without insurance is declining. According to the New York Times, more and more insured patients are going to emergency rooms to obtain care they cannot receive elsewhere, or because they cannot make an appointment with their physician right away.

Thus, E.R. overcrowding cannot be blamed on large numbers of uninsured individuals seeking care. It is possible that emergency rooms become overcrowded because hospitals are overcrowded in general, and patients must remain in the E.R. because there are not enough beds for admitted patients.

Most Americans are aware that health care spending is increasing rapidly. A new study commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows us exactly what kind of burden American families must bear. According to the HealthDay News, the cost of family health coverage increased by 30% from 2001 to 2005, but incomes during that same time frame only increased by 3%. Furthermore, in 2007, total health spending rose by 6.9%, which is twice the rate of inflation.

While these study results may sound depressing, some experts point out that health care costs have been rising for a very long time - but we are just noticing it now because premiums today typically include prescription drug coverage, which was not always a benefit in years past.

Tricia Torrey, Guide to Patient Empowerment, offers some great tips on how to save money on your prescriptions. Check it out!

The Government Accountability Office recently found that a federal policy regarding children's health insurance violated federal law and cannot be enforced. According to the New York Times, the Bush Administration set forth this policy last summer to limit the number of middle-class children receiving federal assistance for coverage under the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The Bush Administration felt this policy was necessary to prevent children from wealthier families from receiving benefits intended for poorer children - and to prevent families from relying on government funds when it is possible that they could afford private insurance policies.

The Bush Administration's policy will remain in effect unless and until Congress acts to reject it. In the meantime, several states, including New York and New Jersey have filed a lawsuit opposing the policy. These states are hopeful that one way or another, the new policy will be rescinded.

The Hill reports that Congressional Democrats are not optimistic that either Clinton or Obama will be able to enact their health care reform proposals. These politicians want to lower the public's expectations by emphasizing how difficult it is to enact sweeping reform without bipartisan consensus - something that will be difficult to obtain now that the Democrats and Republicans are polarized on this issue.

Several members of Congress note that there is simply not enough money to implement either Clinton's or Obama's plan. It could take several Congresses to work through the proposals and develop a plan with bipartisan support.

You may have seen advertisements for the new HPV vaccine called Gardasil. This vaccine may prevent cervical cancer in young women.

Will your insurance company cover Gardasil? Although no law requires insurers to cover Gardasil, many insurers do so voluntarily. Read on to find out more about insurance coverage of Gardasil.

A new study commissioned by the Kaiser Family Foundation notes that an increasing number of Americans are deciding to tie the knot so that they can receive health benefits from their spouse. According to the L.A. Times, 7% of Americans reported that someone in their household got married for insurance reasons. These individuals tend to be younger than 35, and most have incomes of less than $50,000 per year.

The study also showed that in general, Americans are very concerned about health care costs. Families are more stressed about paying for health care than housing costs, food costs, or consumer debt. These Americans also believe that addressing the issue of health care costs should take precedence over expanding coverage to the uninsured.

If you live in North Dakota, here are some state-specific resources that may help you get and keep health insurance coverage. Residents of other states should check for their own state-specific resources here.