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To keep Medicaid, mom caring for disabled adult son faces prospect of proving she works

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Four years before Kimberly Gallagher enrolled in Medicaid herself, the public health insurance program’s rules prompted her to make an excruciating choice — to give up guardianship of her son so she could work as his caregiver.

Now, another proposed twist in the rules could mean that, even though Missouri pays her to do that work, she might...Read more

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GOP governors mum as Congress prepares to slash Medicaid spending for their states

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The last time a Republican-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump moved to slash Medicaid spending, in 2017, a key political force stood in their way: GOP governors.

Now, as Congress steamrolls toward passing historic Medicaid cuts of about $1 trillion over 10 years through Trump’s tax and spending legislation, red-state governors are...Read more

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California immigrants weigh health coverage against deportation risk

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

For months, Maria, 55, a caregiver to older adults in California’s Orange County, has been trying not to smile.

If she opens her mouth too wide, she worries, people will see her chipped, plaque-covered front teeth. An immigrant without legal status, Maria doesn’t have health or dental insurance. When her teeth start to throb, she swallows ...Read more

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As mosquito season peaks, officials brace for new normal of dengue cases

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

As summer ushers in peak mosquito season, health and vector control officials are bracing for the possibility of another year of historic rates of dengue. And with climate change, the lack of an effective vaccine, and federal research cuts, they worry the disease will become endemic to a larger swath of North America.

About 3,700 new dengue ...Read more

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'MAHA Report' calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The Trump administration has declared that it will aggressively combat chronic disease in America.

Yet in its feverish purge of federal health programs, it has proposed eliminating the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and its annual funding of $1.4 billion.

That’s one of many disconnects between what the ...Read more

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Mayo Clinic Q&A: It's a new era for knee replacements and other joint surgeries

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I know there's a knee replacement in my not too distant future. I'm wondering if there are new techniques or technologies that will give me a good outcome?

ANSWER: Not so long ago, undergoing a total hip or knee replacement and recovery was a grueling and often painful ordeal. While these are still major surgeries, new ...Read more

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What is thimerosal? Here's a primer on the argued-over vaccine ingredient

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The seven new members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices revived a decades-old debate with a Thursday vote in favor of recommending seasonal flu vaccines — only if they're free of the preservative thimerosal.

It's in relatively few vaccines in the U.S. today, though organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, ...Read more

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Brain chip made by Elon Musk's company put into paralyzed military vet. What to know

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

MIAMI — A paralyzed military veteran is one of seven people in the country to be implanted with an Elon Musk-backed brain chip as part of a clinical trial underway in South Florida.

The goal is to test whether the chip, created by Neuralink, a company co-founded by Musk, can give people who are paralyzed the ability to use their mind to ...Read more

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Rep. Carter, seeking Georgia Senate seat, surrenders Health gavel

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

WASHINGTON — Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter will step down as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, he announced Wednesday.

Carter, a Georgia Republican who is challenging presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Jon Ossoff for Senate in 2026, made the announcement via a press release Wednesday as House Republicans ...Read more

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Health care would be slashed even for immigrants with legal status under massive Senate bill

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Provisions in the new tax and spending bill passed by the U.S. Senate early Tuesday would go even further than the House bill in removing health care and other benefits from immigrants with legal status.

The House version of the massive tax and spending bill penalized states providing health care for some immigrants with legal status as well as...Read more

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Republican megabill will mean higher health costs for many Americans

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” cuts federal spending on Medicaid and Affordable Care Act marketplaces by about $1 trillion over a decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, threatening the physical and financial health of tens of millions of Americans.

The bill, which the Senate passed Tuesday, ...Read more

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Analysis: To cut Medicaid, the GOP's following a path often used to expand health care

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful” budget reconciliation bill would make some of the most sweeping changes in health policy in years, largely affecting Medicaid and Affordable Care Act plans — with reverberations felt throughout the health care system.

With only a few exceptions, the budget reconciliation process — which ...Read more

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Burns and fireworks injuries: What to do when seconds count this July 4th

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – From a barbecue explosion to a severe firework injury, a lot can go wrong when celebrating the Fourth of July.

When it does, minutes – even seconds – can significantly impact the extent of the injury.

“Just know that alcohol impairs your reaction time,” said Dr. Randy Katz, Memorial Healthcare System’s ...Read more

What about those ‘guaranteed’ life insurance ads?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

How many times have you seen a TV commercial or received a letter stating that you can’t be turned down for this life insurance?

“Guaranteed issue” or “guaranteed acceptance” whole life insurance doesn’t require a medical examination or answering medical history questions for approval. In many cases, you must only meet the age ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: Can soft drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks fit into a healthy diet?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

In looking for an alternative to sugar-laden sodas, many turn to sports drinks, energy drinks, and some of the newer “healthy” sodas. But are those beverages actually a better choice to wash down your lunch?

Traditional sports drinks were developed for a college football team practicing all day in the hot sun. They contain sugar, sodium, ...Read more

5 foods to stock up on in July

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

While the gourds of fall and the grassy green shoots of spring have their charm, it’s the summer produce that often brings the most joy. July is one of the best times to enjoy a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and these are some that dietitians recommend stocking up on.

1. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are an excellent example of summer produce ...Read more

Counting steps is good — is combining steps and heart rate better?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Have you met your step goals today? If so, well done! Monitoring your step count can inspire you to bump up activity over time.

But when it comes to assessing fitness or cardiovascular disease risk, counting steps might not be enough. Combining steps and average heart rate (as measured by a smart device) could be a better way for you to assess ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Diabetes and your eyes

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. My health care professional shared that I’ll need to have regular eye exams in addition to keeping my blood sugar well controlled. How does diabetes affect the eyes, and why are routine eye exams so important?

ANSWER: Diabetes is a prevalent condition worldwide, affecting ...Read more

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Mayo Clinic's AI tool identifies 9 dementia types, including Alzheimer's, with one scan

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that helps clinicians identify brain activity patterns linked to nine types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, using a single, widely available scan — a transformative advance in early, accurate diagnosis.

The tool, StateViewer, helped...Read more

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HHS eliminates CDC staff who made sure birth control is safe for women at risk

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

For Brianna Henderson, birth control isn’t just about preventing pregnancy.

The Texas mother of two was diagnosed with a rare and potentially fatal heart condition after having her second child. In addition to avoiding another pregnancy that could be life-threatening, Henderson has to make sure the contraception she uses doesn’t jeopardize ...Read more