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Farmers now owe a lot more for health insurance
Last year was a tough one for farmers. Amid falling prices for commodity crops such as corn and soybeans, rising input costs for supplies like fertilizer and seeds, as well as the Trump tariffs and the dismantling of USAID, many farms weren’t profitable last year.
And now, the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that many Americans, ...Read more
Ask the Pediatrician: Kratom: What parents need to know about this risky substance
You may have seen Kratom products at gas stations, vape shops or online. Marketed as "natural" and often sold in forms such as powders, capsules and gummies, kratom is gaining popularity in the U.S. among teens. But while it comes from a plant, that doesn't make it safe.
Kratom comes from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree, native to ...Read more
Rheumatoid arthritis has no cure – but researchers are homing in on preventing it
More than 18 million people worldwide suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, including nearly 1.5 million Americans.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune, inflammatory form of arthritis, meaning a person’s immune system attacks their joints, causing substantial inflammation. This inflammation can cause pain, stiffness and swelling in ...Read more
Do you have a vagus feeling something is off?
"The human body is the most complex system ever created." Bill Gates is right on. One example of the complexity is the interplay between the vagus nerve and your physical and emotional well-being. When the nerve emerges at the base of the brain, it splits into two strands that go along the left and right sides of your neck and then extend ...Read more
Low-Risk Estradiol Treatment Comes With An Fda-Boxed Warning
DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 70-year-old woman who has suffered with vaginal dryness ever since I went through menopause. My doctor has prescribed a hormone cream, estradiol 0.01%, to help with the symptoms. The side effects and warnings are worrisome, even though my doctor assures me that it's safe to use. I value your opinion and would appreciate ...Read more
Medicaid tries new approach with sickle cell: Companies get paid only if costly gene therapies work
Serenity Cole enjoyed Christmas last month relaxing with her family near her St. Louis home, making crafts and visiting friends.
It was a contrast to how Cole, 18, spent part of the 2024 holiday season. She was in the hospital — a frequent occurrence with sickle cell disease, a genetic condition that damages oxygen-carrying red blood cells ...Read more
HHS pauses, then restores, $5 billion in state health grants
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notified states on Saturday that it would pause public health grants worth about $5 billion, then hours later said it would lift the halt.
The grants were suspended to evaluate whether activities were in “alignment with administration and agency priorities,” according to an email viewed by ...Read more
Your brain can be trained, much like your muscles – a neurologist explains how to boost your brain health
If you have ever lifted a weight, you know the routine: challenge the muscle, give it rest, feed it and repeat. Over time, it grows stronger.
Of course, muscles only grow when the challenge increases over time. Continually lifting the same weight the same way stops working.
It might come as a surprise to learn that the brain ...Read more
Justice Department drops demand for records naming transgender kids treated at Children's Hospital LA
LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Department of Justice has agreed to stop demanding medical records that identify young patients who received gender-affirming care from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, ending a legal standoff with families who sued to block a subpoena that some feared would be used to criminally prosecute the parents of transgender ...Read more
California's largest pediatric health care system to halt transgender care amid Trump admin threats
The largest pediatric health care system in California will stop providing gender-affirming medical care to transgender youth next month amid increasing pressure from the federal government.
Rady Children's Health, encompasses Children's Hospital of Orange County, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego and Rady Children's in Riverside County, said ...Read more
In WA, thousands are forgoing health insurance this year. Here's why
Ambrose Bittner, 63, didn’t want to go uninsured. But the self-employed travel planner has been without health coverage since the beginning of the year.
Bittner, who lives in Issaquah, is one of thousands of Washington state residents who decided to disenroll from health insurance, following the expiration of subsidies that helped millions of...Read more
Flu cases are already high in SC but they may spike even higher soon. Here's why
A winter storm is not the only thing to worry about in South Carolina.
While flu cases have decreased since the first week of 2026, the state is still on alert for widespread flu activity.
Latest data from the South Carolina Department of Public Health shows that the influenza-like illness activity level is high and 6.4% of patient visits to ...Read more
Sure, Phil Collins has health problems. But maybe that 24/7 nurse could come out on tour with him?
There may still be life in the old dog. So says Phil Collins, after discussing some of the health challenges he has faced and taking a stroll down memory lane through his years with Genesis and as a solo performer.
Yes, he has a 24-hour live-in nurse, he says in a new interview, to make sure he takes his medicines on time. But he also has some ...Read more
Weighing Whether or Not To Add a 'Do Not Resuscitate' Clause
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 80-year-old man in reasonably good health. The only medications that I take are Eliquis for atrial fibrillation, omeprazole for gastroesophageal reflux disease, and terazosin and finasteride for benign prostatic hyperplasia. I exercise and remain active and independent.
My primary care provider told me on my last visit ...Read more
Gov. Moore announces $164 million to address flu, other respiratory illness surge in Maryland
LARGO, Md. — Gov. Wes Moore on Thursday announced a $164.6 million investment to combat an epidemic of respiratory illness in Maryland. Since September, 41 adults have died from influenza, and over 4,200 individuals have been hospitalized, according to data from the Maryland Department of Health.
The number of individuals receiving COVID-19 ...Read more
As US is poised to lose measles-free status, RFK Jr.'s new CDC deputy downplays its significance
After a year of ongoing measles outbreaks that have sickened more than 2,400 people, the United States is poised to lose its status as a measles-free country. However, the newly appointed principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ralph Abraham, said he was unbothered by the prospect at a briefing for ...Read more
A measles resurgence has put the US at risk of losing its 'elimination' status
One year ago this week, a case of measles was recorded in Gaines County, Texas.
It was the start of an outbreak that killed two children and sickened at least 760 people. Thousands more in the U.S. have contracted measles since.
In April, the Pan American Health Organization, an offshoot of the World Health Organization, will determine whether...Read more
GOP promotes MAHA agenda in bid to avert midterm losses. Dems point to contradictions
When a “Make America Healthy Again” summit was held at the posh Waldorf Astoria in Washington, the line of attendees stretched down the block.
The daylong, invitation-only event in November featured a who’s who of MAHA luminaries. Vice President JD Vance attended, as did Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the ...Read more
Hallucinogenic Symptoms In Man Point To Parkinson's Disease
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 88-year-old widower. My wife died six years ago. I live alone, care for myself, drive, and consider myself healthy. I take five prescription meds and seven over-the-counter meds, three of which were strongly recommended by doctors. I go to a 1-hour seniors' exercise class twice a week and attend church and home Bible ...Read more
C the difference in your skin
Americans spend hundreds of dollars annually on products to protect and improve their appearance. Around 30% of that is specifically for skincare. Well, a new study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology may help you save big bucks and improve your skin's health. Turns out, while all the popular, vitamin C-loaded creams and treatments you ...Read more
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