FAIRMONT-On a few occasions during the 21-year history of Fairmont General Hospital’s every-other-week multiphasic blood program, some simple blood work has alerted a patient to a disease such as leukemia or colon can­cer early on. -more-

CHARLESTON-In-home care programs for West Virginia seniors at the state and county levels all have waiting lists -- and those lists are growing longer, the new commissioner of the Bureau of Senior Services said Thursday. -more-

CHARLESTON-West Virginia's new law extending health care coverage to children with autism may not do what its supporters intended, and a fight is brewing with insurers over pending legislation on the subject. -more-

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WASHINGTON, DC-The Susan G. Komen Foundation has reversed its decision to cut funding for Planned Parenthood and apologized "to the American public," the Associated Press reports. -more-

MARLINTON-December numbers and plans to improve the PMH Clinic set a positive tone for the Pocahontas Memorial Hospital board of directors meeting on Thursday night. -more-

PARKERSBURG-A parents organization is asking the state Legislature to allow more exemptions for families who choose not to inoculate their children, a move supported by several local state representatives. -more-

CHARLESTON-A Kanawha County legislator says the Obama administration wants his church to either turn its back on one of its fundamental beliefs or turn away people in need. -more-

WASHINGTON, DC-The labor market perked up far more than expected in January as employers added 243,000 jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3% from 8.5% in December, the Labor Department said. -more-

CHARLESTON-It took only one day to pass the Senate, but Senate Education Chairman Robert Plymale, D-Wayne, noted Wednesday that the plan for paying down the state's massive liability for future health insurance costs for retired state and public school employees has been in the works for years. -more-

WASHINGTON, DC-Premiums for the Medicare program that allows recipients to choose private insurance have dropped an average of 7% while enrollment has grown by 10%, according to Department of Health and Human Services statistics to be released today. -more-

NEW YORK, Ny.-Glimmers of economic optimism. Deep concerns about jobs and health care costs. These are among the recurring themes as governors across the nation deliver their annual State of the State addresses. And the speeches have this in common, too: a striking absence of grand and costly proposals. -more-

CHARLESTON-A second effort to put 15 common cold and allergy medications on a prescription-only basis in West Virginia appears to be in deep trouble already in the Senate. -more-

MORGANTOWN-WVU filed its Certificate of Need application and included new details about its plan to construct a 10-story tower at Ruby Memorial Hospital. -more-

CHARLESTON-Lingering tax payments from strong December retail sales helped the state finish January with a $5.4 million general revenue surplus, bringing the total surplus for the fiscal year so far to $61 million. -more-

CHARLESTON-If some state lawmakers have their way, buying a package of Sudafed for a stuffy nose could soon be a lot more difficult. -more-

CHARLESTON-As a West Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee studies the reasons behind the state's dramatic increase in teen birth rates, State Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple said ensuring student self-esteem is key. -more-

CHARLESTON-Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin submitted legislation Tuesday to provide the final piece of the puzzle to pay down the state's massive liability for future health-care benefits for retired state and public school employees, also known as the OPEB liability. -more-

CHARLESTON-It didn't take long for the question-and-answer session at Tuesday evening's University of Charleston lecture on patients' rights to steer inevitably down the path of universal health care. -more-

PRINCETON-Redrawn House and Senate boundaries have created crowded ballots for the May 8 primary. -more-

CHARLESTON-Several different attacks on West Virginia's substance abuse problem are already under way at this year's session of the state Legislature. -more-

CHARLESTON-Told texting while driving is far more dangerous than drunken driving, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday endorsed a bill that would make it a primary offense. -more-

CHARLESTON-After a years-long court battle, West Virginia residents will be able to enroll in the state's new Medicaid waiver program for people with traumatic brain injuries. -more-

CHARLESTON-An Armenian man will spend six years in federal prison for his part in a Charleston-based Medicare fraud scheme that threatened to cost the government more than $4 million in false health-care claims. -more-

ST. GEORGE, Utah-If private health insurers can add a surcharge for smokers, why not Medicaid? -more-

HUNTINGTON-The new leader of the West Virginia Mutu­al Insurance Co. said the medical malpractice insurance climate in West Virginia has made signifi­cant strides since 2004, when the state Legislature passed sweeping civil justice reforms. -more-

HUNTINGTON-Ongoing research by two Marshall University scientists has been published in the latest program book for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs' Breast Cancer Research Program. The project was funded by a grant from the Department of Defense in 2010. -more-

MORGANTOWN-Mon General Hospital unveiled its new orthopedic center last week and opened it to patients Jan. 30. The $8.7 million, state-of-the-art center includes new operating rooms and patient rooms all designed for ease of use and comfort. -more-

CHARLESTON-As I sat across the long table from state Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, at a meeting with the Daily Mail editorial board on Monday, one question kept rolling in my mind. -more-

CHARLESTON-The University of Charleston will launch its spring series of lectures and debates Tuesday with a discussion about the future of health care, especially the ethics of health care. -more-

CHARLESTON-Sen. Mike Green is proposing a bill that would prohibit legislators from raising money for their re-election campaigns during the legislative session. -more-

HUNTINGTON-As a practicing physician in rural West Virginia and as a former Paul Ambrose Health Policy Fellow, I feel compelled to respond to the West Virginia Retailers Association (WVRA) guest column in the Dec. 27 edition of The Herald-Dispatch. -more-

HUNTINGTON-The lung specialists at the Comprehensive Lung Nodule Program at Cabell Huntington Hospital and the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center are now offering a low-cost and potentially life-saving opportunity for certain people to be screened for early detection of lung cancer. -more-

MARTINSBURG-A visit this week to Charleston for a West Virginia Press Association event allowed for interesting conversation with members of our Eastern Panhandle delegation and their colleagues in the West Virginia Legislature. -more-

CHARLESTON-West Virginia was the only state in the country to see an increase in teen birth rates in 2009, according to the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership. -more-

FAIRMONT-Fairmont City Council is debating whether to pursue an appeal in a legal case with Fairmont General Hospital. -more-

CHARLESTON- West Virginia contracts with local lawyers to serve as mental hygiene commissioners to decide if a person is ill enough to be involuntarily committed to a mental health facility. -more-

MORGANTOWN-WVU Healthcare has about 400 open positions and is holding an open job-screening Friday to talk with potential employees. -more-

CHARLESTON-Scientists and officials are hoping the bioscience industry will be the next big success of West Virginia science, a state already highly recognized for its successes in the chemical industry. -more-

DAVIS-A bill aiming to reduce the number of babies born with chemical addictions has bipartisan support in the West Virginia House of Delegates, but one lawmaker believes the criminal penalties contained in the proposal may be deleted. -more-

CHARLESTON-Last year, Charleston Area Medical Center saw more new patients diagnosed with childhood cancer than ever before. In West Virginia, treatment facilities for children are located in Huntington, Charleston or Morgantown so for many West Virginians, the trips to treatment are long and expensive. -more-

CHARLESTON-Mildred Mitchell-Bateman, a mental health pioneer and the first black woman named to a high-ranking office in West Virginia, has died, according to media reports. She was 89. -more-

CHARLESTON-The family of a multiple sclerosis patient who died when doctors and nurses at Saint Francis Hospital allegedly misinterpreted signs that his bowel was punctured agreed to an undisclosed settlement in a lawsuit against the hospital. -more-

MORGANTOWN-A new report says most public college graduates in West Virginia's 2010 work force studied subjects that reflect the state's changing needs. -more-

HUNTINGTON-A $50,000 grant awarded Wednesday, Jan. 11, will help fight the most common high-risk problem found among pregnant women — opiate addiction. -more-

CHARLESTON-Surgeons at Thomas Memorial and St. Francis hospitals replaced 1,348 joints in 2011, a figure almost as high as the previous three years' totals combined. -more-

HUNTINGTON-A bill was introduced in the West Virginia House of Delegates on Thursday that would add $20 million to the state's Bucks for Brains Research Trust Fund. -more-

CHARLESTON-Charleston Area Medical Center did well financially last year, though it may not have been enough to avoid a downgrade in its credit rating, the hospital's chief financial officer said Wednesday. -more-

CHARLESTON-Officials with the Higher Education Policy Commission are joining faculty and students from nine schools to celebrate the award of more than $300,000 in scientific research grants. -more-

WASHINGTON, DC-Health care spending grew more slowly in the past two years than it has in over five decades. -more-

WASHINGTON, DC-Consumer groups are scrambling to salvage a popular provision of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul that suddenly seems to be in question. -more-

DAVIS-West Virginia will continue its legacy of being among the national leaders in end-of-life care planning when its statewide database of patients' wishes goes live in March. -more-

MARTINSBURG-WVUH-East City Hospital presented the hospital's expanded Breast Care Center and MRI services to community members and hospital staff in an open house Wednesday. -more-

CHARLESTON-Prior to leaving for Houston this morning in his quest to lure a multi-billion-dollar ethane cracker to the Mountain State, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said he is confident the Legislature will pass a bill by March that lays out a plan for paying the $5 billion the state will owe retired public workers for health care. -more-

CHARLESTON-A conference on the bioscience industry is on tap in Charleston. -more-

CHARLESTON-State Supreme Court Chief Justice Menis Ketchum said his top priority during his coming year as chief justice will be to reign in what he called a "monstrous" judicial system budget. -more-

ORLANDO, Fla.-Two months ago, a small number of doctors in Florida received an unsigned letter from CVS/pharmacy informing them that the company's pharmacists no longer would fill prescriptions they write for painkillers and other powerful, addictive drugs. -more-

HUNTINGTON-In life we all make changes. Sometimes these are carefully thought out, but we also make changes that are not in our best interests, because individuals or groups pressure us to do so. -more-

DAVIS-Having diabetes can create a certain fear: fear of the unknown, fear about how one's life will change and fear about possible life-threatening complications. But living a long, happy and active life with diabetes is possible with the right decisions and information to help you get started on that path. -more-

MARTINSBURG-Hospice of the Panhandle has passed a significant milestone in its journey to build an inpatient facility as the West Virginia Health Care Authority approved Hospice's application for a certificate of need. -more-

PARKERSBURG-Three years into its internal medicine residency program, Camden Clark Medical Center officials are pleased with how the educational program is progressing. -more-

CHARLESTON-Here we go again. Lawmakers in Charleston are once again trying to pass the so-called “Sudafed Bill” at the expense of cold and allergy sufferers across the region. -more-

PARKERSBURG-A new initiative by 130 of the nation’s medical schools could help Veterans who are struggling with military-related health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries (TBI), according to West Virginia Veterans’ disability benefits lawyer Jan Dils. -more-

WASHINGTON, DC-Here's a reality check for President Barack Obama's controversial health overhaul: Three out of four uninsured Americans live in states that have yet to figure out how to deliver on its promise of affordable medical care. -more-

FAIRMONT-Eleven organizations have signed non-disclosure agreements to enter into potential discussions with Fairmont General Hospital about being a strategic partner for the facility. -more-

WEIRTON-A Weirton Medical Center physician is one of the few cardiologists in West Virginia using transradial arterial access for coronary and peripheral procedures as an alternative to the traditional access through the femoral artery in the groin. -more-

CHARLESTON-The physician-owned insurance company that was created during the state's medical malpractice crisis has a new leader. Dr. Austin Wallace has succeeded David Rader as president and chief executive officer of the West Virginia Mutual Insurance Co. -more-

CHARLESTON-A Kanawha County lawmaker working to make a dozen popular cold and allergy remedies available only by prescription said supporters of the idea are engaged in "hand-to-hand combat" with pharmaceutical lobbyists. -more-

CHARLESTON-Seniors can now leave their Medicare Advantage plan for a regular Medicare plan. -more-

CHARLESTON-West Virginia legislators have begun the process of fixing a new law addressing insurance coverage for children with autism. -more-

MORGANTOWN-Mon General Hospital is offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at orthopedic surgery. -more-

CHARLESTON-Thomas Health System's CEO said patients and state leaders "sent a message" that they would not tolerate a health-care company's plans to end coverage for scores of Medicare recipients at Thomas Memorial and Saint Francis hospitals. -more-

CHARLESTON-It's probably just as well that the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay Friday that likely will allow the 2012 Congressional election to proceed under either the seemingly unconstitutional "Mason County flip" plan, or the current and essentially similar plan adopted in 1991, since chances looked hopeless that the Legislature could have reached a consensus and passed a revised plan by the end of this week. -more-

CHARLESTON-Call it the ultimate fixer-upper: 47,000 square feet, more or less, on four floors -- not counting the morgue in the basement. -more-

NEW YORK, Ny.-Strong corporate earnings reports and the lowest unemployment claims in almost four years gave investors more reasons Thursday to take risks on stocks, and the market continued its quiet but solid January climb. -more-

ST. LOUIS, Mo.-A crude new method of making methamphetamine poses a risk even to Americans who never get anywhere near the drug: It is filling hospitals with thousands of uninsured burn patients requiring millions of dollars in advanced treatment — a burden so costly that it's contributing to the closure of some burn units. -more-

PRINCETON-Sen. Mark Wills, D-Mercer, is seeking help from the White House with the creation of a satellite-based veterans clinic at Princeton Community Hospital. -more-

CHARLESTON-Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's substance abuse plan will step up state efforts to track down drug abusers and methamphetamine makers. -more-

CLARKSBURG-While much of the ongoing legislative session has involved a great deal of information-gathering, according to area awmakers, some trends are developing. -more-

BECKLEY-The Mountain State University Board of Trustees has fired MSU President Charles Polk. -more-

FAIRMONT-The Fairmont General Hospital Foundation announced today that the hospital has received a large donations from a local radiology group for their Improving Women's Health Campaign. -more-

MORGANTOWN-West Virginia University doctors at the School of Medicine have been traveling to areas across southern and rural West Virginia to provide care to underserved residents. -more-

BECKLEY-The West Virginia State Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses posted their most recent findings regarding the Mountain State University School of Nursing Wednesday, including the assertion that the university has disregarded past mandates. -more-

CHARLESTON-For the first time in its history, Charleston Area Medical Center is turning to the public to help raise money for a new hospital building. -more-

CHARLESTON-The president of the Kanawha-Charleston Board of Health said Thursday state officials are not doing enough to get the word out about new vaccine requirements. -more-

CHARLESTON-State lawmakers will once again debate a bill designed to curb methamphetamine production in West Virginia. -more-

CHARLESTON-West Virginia veterans returning from overseas duty have a new resource to help them re-enter civilian life. -more-

CHARLESTON-Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin filed candidacy papers on Wednesday to run for a full six-term, setting up a potential rematch with 2010 special general election opponent John Raese. -more-

MORGANTOWN-The West Virginia University Division of Human Resources Employee Wellness Program has been nationally recognized by the American Heart Association as a Start! Fit-Friendly Company. -more-

CHARLESTON-One of West Virginia's growing business sectors sometimes gets overlooked in a time when the majority of lawmakers' attention seems to be focused on energy issues, landing an ethane cracker and maintaining a balanced budget. -more-

NEW YORK-U.S. stocks edged higher in early trading Thursday following strong bank earnings and a decline in applications for unemployment benefits. -more-

HUNTINGTON-When bullets and blood are flying, nothing is more important than stopping both. -more-

CHARLESTON-Thomas Memorial and St. Francis hospitals are back in Humana's coverage network for the rest of 2012, according to a letter sent by the Medicare provider on Tuesday. -more-

CHARLESTON-The new year brings with it another legislative session, and as state lawmakers begin to deal with a variety of issues facing our state, creating jobs and reducing unemployment will likely dominate the discussion. -more-

DAVIS-Employees at Davis Health System are getting healthier thanks to an extensive employee wellness campaign that has received top awards at the both national and state levels. -more-

CHARLESTON-A bill approved by the House of Delegates Health and Human Resources Committee would give minors older than 14 the right to refuse to consent to treatment in mental health facilities. -more-

CHARLESTON-The U.S. Supreme Court may signal as soon as today how West Virginia officials ought to proceed with this year's congressional elections, according to those involved with the case. -more-

CHARLESTON-West Virginia's budget-busting Medicaid problem could be lessened if people made healthier life choices, the Secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Resources told lawmakers Tuesday. -more-

CHARLESTON-For each 1 percent drop in federal matching funds for Medicaid, the state's share of funding has to increase by $29 million, state Health and Human Resources Secretary Michael Lewis said Tuesday. -more-

CHARLESTON-West Virginia has seen a dramatic decline in overall state funding for its major public research universities, with policymakers slashing funding by 30.4 percent between 2002 and 2010, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Science Board. -more-

CHARLESTON-Jurors were chosen Tuesday for a medical malpractice trial involving St. Francis Hospital and some of its physicians and the 2007 death of a 67-year-old Charleston man. -more-

CLARKSBURG-West Virginia smokers can breathe a sigh of relief with the next exhale of their cigarettes. -more-

MORGANTOWN-From aiding in early disease detection to improvements in drug therapy, advances in genomic research are improving care across the board. A West Virginia University School of Nursing professor has been awarded $300,000 to try to boost nursing professionals' awareness of genetics' role in patient care. -more-

MORGANTOWN-Mon General Hospital will be filing a Certificate of Need (CON) application with the West Virginia Health Care Authority seeking approval of plans to renovate and expand the hospital’s Hazel Ruby McQuain Family Birth Center. -more-

CHARLESTON-In an effort to draw attention to problems at the state's psychiatric hospitals, members of the West Virginia Public Workers Union UE Local 170 rallied Monday outside Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital in Huntington. -more-

HUNTINGTON-A southern West Virginia pharmacist faces potential prison time for his pharmacies' involvement in an alleged pill mill. -more-

HUNTINGTON-Employers and caring citizens throughout West Virginia are rightly concerned about our state's legal and judicial climate. -more-

CHARLESTON-Call it the power of word processing: two letters set off a chain of events last month that still has thousands of state Medicare recipients shaken up, hospital administrators scratching their heads and West Virginia lawmakers fighting mad. -more-

CHARLESTON-West Virginia lawmakers are considering new maps for the state's congressional districts, while the legal fight continues over the one struck down by a panel of federal judges this month as unconstitutional. -more-

CHARLESTON-Public Employees Insurance Agency Executive Director Ted Cheatham made headlines last week when he suggested the reason there had not been an uproar over the PEIA Finance Board's vote to cap state subsidies of retiree premiums is because so many retirees converted unused sick leave into months of free or half-price PEIA coverage. -more-

CHARLESTON-While legislators tackle various health issues, Delegate Meshea Poore, D-Kanawha, wants to ensure the lawmakers themselves are also healthy. -more-

CHARLESTON-Almost three years before Mountain State University was told it was in jeopardy of losing its general accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission if it didn't make big fixes at the school, the HLC told MSU leaders it was concerned with deficiencies in the university's governance, long-term planning, communication with faculty, and program evaluations, according to a 2008 evaluation. -more-

CHARLESTON-Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will try to address the Mountain State's substance-abuse problem without raising taxes -- despite the recommendations of an advisory council, appointed by Tomblin, that said raising taxes could help. -more-

HUNTINGTON-The West Virginia Legislature has a unique opportunity to improve access to needed psychological health care services and bring the educational requirements for psychologists in line with those required by the rest of the country. It is an important and timely issue, and the Legislature should act now. -more-

CHARLESTON-For the past few legislative sessions, Delegate Nancy Guthrie has been on a mission to take cell phones out of the hands of motorists. -more-

MORGANTOWN, WV-Officials with WVU Hospitals will soon offer more detail about their plans for a $248 million expansion project that will involve several facilities. -more-

CHARLESTON, WV-West Virginia's Medicaid cost projections for the next few years are dire even though they do not yet include the more than 120,000 people expected to enroll in the program as part of the federal health care overhaul. -more-

CHARLESTON, WV-The fiscal forecast was presented to the House Finance Committee Thursday morning. -more-

CHARLESTON, WV-As West Virginia's lawmakers begin their 60-day regular session this week, there seems to be a growing recognition that aggressive action is needed to counteract the ravages of prescription drug abuse. -more-

MORGANTONWN, WV-John Raese surprised even some Republicans with his filing Thursday to run for U.S. Senate in 2012. -more-

CHARLESTON, WV-For the second time in less than 18 months, Morgantown businessman John Raese has filed to run for U.S. Senate. -more-

CHARLESTON, WV-The Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee says now is a fragile time for West Virginia's economy. -more-

HUNTINGTON, WV-A planned treatment center in Huntington for substance abusers who are pregnant has received a grant to help with startup costs. -more-

CHARLESTON, WV-Calling on legislators to help build a "better, stronger and more vibrant West Virginia," Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's second State of the State address emphasized efforts to grow jobs, improve public education and mine safety, deal with statewide drug abuse issues, and to pay down the state's multi-billion-dollar long-term liability for health care for retired state and public school employees. -more-

CHARLESTON, WV-Business and labor leaders said they liked many of the proposals they heard in Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's State of the State address. -more-

BLUEFIELD, WV-The time has come for West Virginia lawmakers to pass a good, common-sense measure that would ban texting while driving. -more-

CHARLESTON-West Virginia lawmakers now have breathing room to come up with a new congressional redistricting plan or take their case to the U.S. Supreme Court. -more-

MORGANTOWN-Monongalia County's Board of Health has banned smoking in bars, restaurants and workplaces. -more-

CHARLESTON-Reopening enrollment in a program that allows West Virginia's elderly and disabled residents to receive care in their homes would cost the state an additional $26 million next year, a state Medicaid official told lawmakers Tuesday. -more-

HUNTINGTON-More than half of the workforce in the United States is comprised of people who not only work their day job, but also serve as caregivers to their aging parents, according to Jane Marks, the executive director of the West Virginia Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. -more-

CHARLESTON-House Republicans called for deeper tax cuts in business and among individuals Tuesday to spur economic growth, but West Virginia’s burgeoning drug abuse crisis grabbed most of the spotlight at a pre-session news briefing. -more-

CHARLESTON-It's a case of Commerce Clause rights versus individual rights with challenges brought against President Barack Obama's health care plan, which is set for a March hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court justices. -more-

WASHINGTON, D.C.-The federal government could save $148 billion over 10 years by increasing Medicare eligibility two years to age 67, the Congressional Budget Office reported on Tuesday. -more-

CHARLESTON-West Virginia would unite its panhandles in the same congressional district under a plan submitted in a pending challenge of the redistricting process. -more-

CHARLESTON-West Virginia has gotten failing grades for behavioral health care from advocates for people with mental illness, but the people who provide that care disagree over whether an upcoming legislative proposal will make that situation better or worse. -more-

WHEELING-We West Virginians have done a reasonably good job of getting our financial house in order after decades of what amounts to malfeasance. But now, we are in danger of drowning in a new sea of debt - because of irresponsible, political actions by the federal government. -more-

ASHLAND, Kan.-The hospital had lost the last doctor in a succession of those who came to the remote Kansas town and left again. A sole physician assistant kept watch over the 24-bed facility and its adjacent nursing home. It was on the verge of closing. -more-

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio-A patient at Trinity Health System was the first in Ohio, and just the fifth in the U.S., to have the world's smallest and thinnest cardioverter defibrillator implanted in him. -more-

MARTINSBURG-The City Hospital Auxiliary recently announced that applications for the 2012 Landis Health Professions Scholarship Program are now available. -more-

HUNTINGTON-The West Virginia Legislature's first order of business at the 60-day regular 2012 session beginning Wednesday in Charleston is now obvious, thanks to a 2-1 decision by a three-judge federal panel last week. -more-

CHARLESTON-West Virginia might be able to provide better health care if government leadership valued health as it relates to the work force and if health collaborations in the state were more successful. -more-

CHARLESTON-An online database will soon give state doctors access to thousands of West Virginians' end-of-life wishes, no matter their location in the state. -more-

CHARLESTON-A cap on the state's subsidy of Public Employee Insurance Agency premiums for retired state and public school employees won't have an immediate impact on most pre-65 retirees, since nearly 90 percent currently receive free or discounted health coverage, PEIA director Ted Cheatham told legislators Sunday. -more-

CHARLESTON-Humana officials will not say whether or not they will keep Thomas Health System hospitals in their network of preferred hospitals for federal Medicare coverage beginning in 2013. -more-

SOUTH CHARLESTON-Medicaid and the national debt are forcing legislators to make tough choices when it comes to West Virginia’s state budget for 2013-2014. -more-

CLARKSBURG-Averting a pending crisis involving state retirees’ benefits will loom over the 2012 legislative session that begins Wednesday, area lawmakers say. -more-

CHARLESTON-Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin doesn't want a federal court to redraw West Virginia's three congressional districts, Tomblin's top aide said Thursday. -more-

SOUTH CHARLESTON-The head of the Thomas Health System said Thursday he's encouraged by Humana's decision to keep offering Medicare services to patients at Saint Francis and Thomas Memorial hospitals, but said a more permanent solution is needed. -more-

BLUEFIELD-The West Virginia Health Care Authority has announced that the authority has issued a certificate of need to Bluefield Hospital Co., LLC, to develop primary and elective therapeutic cardiac catheterization services at Bluefield Regional Medical Center. -more-

HUNTINGTON-Used to be that when you needed surgery, your biggest worry was the operation itself. -more-

WHEELING-Coming nearly on the heels of reports questioning safety at West Virginia's two state-owned psychiatric hospitals, the suspicious death of a patient at one should raise eyebrows among legislators. -more-

CHARLESTON-West Virginia lawmakers will have to make some tough choices in coming years if they want to keep the state budget balanced without raising taxes, the state's budget director said Thursday. -more-

WASHINGTON, DC-A burst of hiring in December pushed the unemployment rate to its lowest level in nearly three years, giving the economy a boost at the end of 2011. -more-

CHARLESTON-Officials with the insurance company Humana announced late Wednesday that the company will reverse an earlier decision and allow its clients to continue going to Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston and Saint Francis Hospital in Charleston, at least for the rest of this year. -more-

CHARLESTON-Every modern democracy except America provides universal medical care to all citizens as a human right. -more-

MORGANTOWN-First Choice Services has taken over operation of the West Virginia Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline from the West Virginia University School of Medicine. -more-

CHARLESTON-Jim Justice is not alone on The State Journal's list of influential business leaders in the state. -more-

CHARLESTON-Drug abuse is a major societal problem in West Virginia, according to Sen. Roman Prezioso, D-Marion. -more-

CHARLESTON-To appeal the congressional redistricting ruling or not to appeal? -more-

HUNTINGTON-The Cabell Huntington Hospital Foundation is only $1 million short of its $12 million fund-raising goal for its Children's Hospital project. -more-

CHARLESTON-West Virginia Behavioral Healthcare Providers Association has more employers than Walmart, according to the agency's 2011 impact statement. -more-

WASHINGTON, DC-Baby boomers take note: Medicare as your parents have known it is headed for big changes no matter who wins the White House in 2012. You may not like it, but you might have to accept it. -more-

CLARKSBURG-Sharon Dennison refuses to “nurse a computer.” The 41-year Clarksburg registered nurse wanted more time with patients, but saw required computer time trumping patient care and true patient needs. -more-

WHEELING-Delegate Erikka Storch believes 2012 could be the year West Virginia legislators consider establishing an intermediate appellate court that would give losers in Mountain State courtrooms the automatic right of appeal available in most states around the country. -more-

HUNTINGTON, W.Va.-State Police are investigating the death of a patient at a state psychiatric hospital last week. -more-

CHARLESTON, W.Va.-West Virginia consumers and businesses can expect to save a combined $56 million in state general revenue taxes this year, thanks to several new rate cuts, Tomblin administration officials estimate. -more-

WHEELING-The regular session of the West Virginia Legislature starts next week, and at least two local delegates question whether lawmakers should work to create and pass additional laws and regulations for the state. -more-

CHARLESTON-Humana's recent decision to stop paying for medical visits, laboratory tests and hospital care at two Kanawha County hospitals will not affect Medicare beneficiaries who are covered by the state's Public Employees Insurance Agency. -more-

CHARLESTON, W.Va.-A federal panel of judges has voided West Virginia's congressional redistricting plan. -more-

PRINCETON-Mercer County’s newest resident "Cameron Gray Matson" arrived at 3:49 p.m., on Sunday afternoon. -more-

CHARLESTON, W.Va-Humana, a Lexington, Ky.-based company that provides Medicare supplement plans, will no longer pay for medical visits and care at Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston and Saint Francis Hospital in Charleston after Feb. 1. -more-