Doctor Radio Reports: The Facts About Swine Flu - Find out what you must know now! Award-winning journalist Perri Peltz convenes a panel of medical experts who dig through what’s being reported on the cable news channels, newspapers and the far reaches of the internet. Learn what’s true and what’s not about the flu vaccination, whether pregnant women or small children should be vaccinated and if there are side effects. It’s an examination of the remedies and the rumors! The scare tactics and the medical truth. Tune in to this one-hour special.

Sunday 12 pm – 1 pm ET
Sunday 9 pm – 10 pm ET

Host Dr. Billy Goldberg talked with Dr. Stephen Rennard, M.D. of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, who took his wife’s family chicken soup recipe into his lab and discovered that it did slow cold symptoms.

Print the Recipe *

*(note from Dr Marc Siegel, M.D, medical director of Doctor Radio: Do not add salt if you have been diagnosed with hypertension or heart disease!)

By Dr. Marc Siegel, M.D., Medical Director, Doctor Radio

1. Injectable H1N1 vaccine will available in just a few weeks. It can NOT give you the flu. It is safe for everyone except those with severe egg allergies.

2. The people who should get it first are pregnant women, young children and people with chronic illness like asthma or diabetes, as well as health care workers. The rest of us should get it in early November.

3. There is a mist inhaled vaccine which is available now. It should not be given to pregnant women or anyone with a chronic condition, especially asthma, and it has not been tested in the elderly. Those people should wait for the injected vaccine. If you who think you’ve already had the H1N1 flu you should still get the vaccine, because you can’t know for sure.

4. Still the best way to help from spreading anything is by washing your hands frequently using soap and water and by sneezing into your sleeve and not into your hands.

5. If you have flu symptoms like a sore throat or muscle aches, stay home until two days after the symptoms are gone.

What does the idea of health care reform mean for those just now coming off their parents insurance plans? Hear Health Care Connect host Andrew Rubin examine the issue with Matt Murray, founder and CEO of the American Association of Young People and Shelby Holliday, graduate reporter for UWire.com.

They Didn’t Know It Was Broken

Expert, non-partisan information on the health care proposals working their way through congress.

By Andrew Rubin, host of Health Care Connect and Vice President of Clinical Affairs, NYU Langone Medical Center.

Q: What if I already have health insurance coverage and I’m happy with my coverage?

A: No, you will not lose your health insurance. However, there are provisions in the various bills that, over time, would require either your employer (who provides you healthcare insurance) or the insurance companies (if you buy insurance directly) to provide a minimum level of coverage and benefits. Meaning, there will be certain healthcare services across the country that will have to be provided for the insurance plan to be considered qualified. This would be phased in and is what is causing confusion with people saying “I would lose my health insurance” — in truth, it will change but it is worth noting that insurance coverage always changes.

Q: What if I don’t have health insurance?

A: The goal of healthcare reform is simple: cover all Americans. While the details of the bills are still be worked out, the plan is to cover everyone. There are concerns people will be left out, but that will depend on what bill is ultimately worked out in congress. Only then will we know the details. It is worth mentioning: People may not want insurance or may not want the minimum levels being mandated by the legislation. People who want the protection, however, should be able to have it in the future.

Q: Can I still obtain health insurance with a preexisting condition?

A: The most consistent piece of language in all the health reform bills from congress is the elimination of preexisting conditions — these words will be most likely be eliminated from the healthcare dictionary.

Q: How will my Medicare benefits be affected?

A: Right now, there is nothing to indicate there would be any changes to Medicare. There is discussion on reducing payments to physicians and hospitals but not levels of service on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries. What is causing confusion and fear is the need to reduce cost from the current Medicare system to be able to pay for all the newly insured Americans. Congress has not drafted the detail plans on how to reduce the costs beyond broad strokes. In the absence of concrete details, people assume services will be cut. Right now, that is not the case.

Q: What is a “death panel” and is it real?

A: “Death Panels” is the new hot phrase created to inject controversy into the healthcare reform debate. There is nothing in any bill or in the plan to create a panel that will decide at what point there will be NO funding available to pay for end of life care — “the death panel.”

The current bills have a new patient/physician visit type, whereby Medicare will now pay for physicians’ time when they discuss end of life care issues with patients. Currently physicians cannot specifically bill for the time he/she spends with a patient discussing this very difficult, yet important, topic. This provision was introduced as a way of facilitating the discussion between doctors and their patients and families on making important decisions on how much intervention they will want at the end of their lives. It doesn’t call for panels or denial of treatments because of a person's age or condition.


Tune in to Health Care Connect Thursdays 12 pm - 2 pm ET & 10 pm - 12 am ET

Oscar winner Sally Field and fitness expert Kathy Kaehler joined Rehabilitative Medicine host Dr. Jonathon Whiteson to share tips, advice and inspiration for healthy bones and healthy living.



Replay, August 23 at 8 pm ET.

How do you pick the right sunscreen? What’s the difference between UVA and UVB rays? What does SPF really mean? Get answers from Doctor Radio’s Dr. Nieca Goldberg interview of Dr. Jennifer Stein, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, NYU School of Medicine.

Dr. Jonathan Whiteson’s Five Rules of Swine Flu:
1. Don't panic! There is no panic in pandemic.

2. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently.

3. Don't put your fingers in your nose or eyes – this keeps potential virus out of your mucus membranes, which is how the flu can be spread.

4. If you come down with symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, fatigue, don't go to work or school – stay home until you feel better.

5. If you do develop symptoms, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, rest, and take Tylenol or aspirin for mild fevers and aches. Don't take antiviral medications (like Tamiflu or Relenza) without talking to your doctor.

Dr. Whiteson Explains his 5 Rules

Is there any medical evidence that acai berry supplements can help you lose weight? Get real information from Doctor Radio’s Nutrition show host Samantha Heller and guest David Schardt, senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, DC.

Doctored Photos

How can truckers eat healthily on the road?

Registered dietician Keri Glassman joined Heart to Heart with host Dr. Fred Feit to unveil a diet that she has put together for truckers. “The Truckers Diet” is not a typical weight-loss plan, but rather a map for healthy eating and living on the road. “The Truckers Diet” includes ideas on which foods to bring along for the ride and healthier alternatives at the truck stop.