You have scheduled an appointment with a health care provider, but no matter how hard you try, no one seems to be able to reliably tell you how much that visit will cost you. Will you have to pay US$20, $1,000 – or even more?

Patients are increasingly on the hook for health care costs through deductibles, co-pays and other fees. As ...Read more

A new federal rule will require water utilities across the country to pull millions of lead drinking water pipes out of the ground and replace them, at a cost of billions of dollars.

States, cities and water utilities agree that the lead pipes need to go to ensure safe water for residents. But they say they may struggle to do so in the 10-year ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I was diagnosed with COPD last year after struggling with multiple symptoms. I quit smoking over 10 years ago, but I'm dealing with the effects of it now. How can I best manage the symptoms and live as fully as possible with this condition?

ANSWER: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a leading cause of ...Read more

It's been two weeks since Donald Trump won the presidential election, but Stacey Lamirand's brain hasn't stopped churning.

"I still think about the election all the time," said the 60-year-old Bay Area resident, who wanted a Kamala Harris victory so badly that she flew to Pennsylvania and knocked on voters' doors in the final days of the ...Read more

In March, newly installed Social Security chief Martin O’Malley criticized agency “injustices” that “shock our shared sense of equity and good conscience as Americans.”

He promised to overhaul the Social Security Administration’s often heavy-handed efforts to claw back money that millions of recipients — including people who are ...Read more

BOSTON — Imagine your doctor prescribing you a shot of vodka or whiskey to bring you some relief.

Well, a new study out of Boston shows the promise of an alcohol-mimicking drug for patients with the debilitating neurological voice disorder, laryngeal dystonia (LD).

The researchers from Mass Eye and Ear found that an oral medication, sodium ...Read more

ATLANTA — A bipartisan panel of Georgia lawmakers on Wednesday endorsed a plan recommending the state spend up to $5 million studying the effects of ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and other mind-altering drugs on mental health treatments for military veterans.

The proposal was one of 16 recommendations from the Senate Study Committee on ...Read more

ATLANTA — By now, it should be a habit for most people: If it’s time to buy a turkey or plan holiday travel, it’s time to think about the uninvited guests: holiday viruses.

The good news this year is that rates of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have been steadily declining to some of the lowest levels of the year. However, flu ...Read more

For many parents of young children, child care represents one of the largest items on their household budget. The average cost of child care was more than $11,500 in 2023, according to an analysis by Child Care Aware, a nationwide network of child care referral agencies. In some high-cost cities, parents are spending more on child care than they...Read more

On a cool morning, a hot breakfast is a cozy way to start the day. But the time to prepare one isn’t always available. Oatmeal and cereal-to-go cups allow for the best of both worlds — steamy breakfast in a matter of minutes. In addition, starting the day with oatmeal can fuel your morning with a head start on your daily fiber, protein, ...Read more

Turkey is a centerpiece for many holiday meals. The turkey, scientifically known as Meleagris gallopavo, is a large bird native to North America. However, its popularity extends worldwide, as its meat is highly nutritious and contains many essential vitamins and minerals.

Turkey provides the amino acids necessary for muscle growth and repair, ...Read more

Drug side effects are common, and often quite troublesome.

Major side effects, such as severe or even life-threatening allergic reactions, require immediate treatment and discontinuation of the drug. More minor symptoms may be tolerable when weighed against drug benefits. And sometimes, these go away on their own as the body gets used to the ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’m a homebuilder and have begun experiencing numbness and tingling in my hands. Sometimes I drop things because I can’t get a good grip. A friend suggested I might have carpal tunnel syndrome. But doesn’t that mostly affect people who use computers all day? Can you explain more about the condition?

ANSWER: Working with ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am in my 30s and overweight, but I thought I was too young to worry about cholesterol. I just learned my cholesterol is high. I know diet and exercise are important. Do I need medication?

ANSWER: Cholesterol is a type of fat in our blood. Our bodies need a small amount of cholesterol to build the structure of cell membranes,...Read more

President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration could try to remove fluoride from drinking water, according to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Kennedy, who was tapped last week by Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, called fluoride an “industrial waste” and linked it to cancer and other diseases and disorders while ...Read more

Hospitals around the country are conserving critical intravenous fluid supplies to cope with a shortage that may last months. Some hospital administrators say they are changing how they think about IV fluid hydration altogether.

Hurricane Helene, which hit North Carolina in September, wrecked a Baxter International facility that produces 60% of...Read more

In April, just 12 weeks into her pregnancy, Kathleen Clark was standing at the receptionist window of her OB-GYN’s office when she was asked to pay $960, the total the office estimated she would owe after she delivered.

Clark, 39, was shocked that she was asked to pay that amount during this second prenatal visit. Normally, patients receive ...Read more

The United States has reported its first confirmed case of the more contagious form of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week issued a health advisory, stating that while the country’s risk for the more severe form of mpox remains low, doctors should be on alert for patients with ...Read more

An outbreak of highly contagious norovirus left 55 passengers and 15 crew members sick during a month-long cruise across the Pacific Ocean.

The Coral Princess, a Princess Cruises vessel, left Singapore on Oct. 17 and headed to Long Beach, Calif. After the outbreak, the healthy crew started enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures with the ...Read more