health care

State Laws Build Momentum For First National Paid Family Leave Program

4:32pm October 07, 2016

Since California passed a statewide paid parental leave law, New Jersey, Rhode Island and New York have followed suit. Other laws are in the works elsewhere around the country, and economist Aparna Mathur of the conservative American Enterprise Institute is among those who think these state laws could be a model for a national paid leave policy.

Shela Bryan of Hull, Ga., is looking for a new health insurance policy but has been stunned by the prices.

Rising Premiums Rankle People Paying Full Price For Health Insurance

2:17pm October 07, 2016

by Virginia Anderson

Customers for individual insurance policies who don't qualify for federal subsidies are facing double-digit premium increases in many places this year. The cost is forcing hard choices about coverage.

(Left) Edith Einarsson, Kristina Ingemarsdotter Persson, Samuel Einarsson and Per Einarsson. (Center) Yao Zhang, Shanshan Zhang and Rachel Meng. (Right) Lama Dossary and her daughter Leila.

Countries Around The World Beat The U.S. On Paid Parental Leave

10:23am October 07, 2016

by Jessica Deahl

Out of 193 countries in the United Nations, the U.S. is one of a small handful that do not have a national paid parental leave law. Most of the world reached a standard on this issue decades ago.

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Florida Department of Health workers at a temporary clinic set up in Miami Beach in September package up a urine sample to be tested for the Zika virus. Pregnant women in Texas and Florida have complained it can take as long as a month or more to get thei

Public Health Labs Hope Federal Funds Will Speed Zika Test Results

2:01pm October 06, 2016

by Shefali Luthra

But they'll have to wait a while. The portion of the $394 million Congress allocated to help pregnant women find out more quickly if they have Zika isn't expected to get to strained labs until 2017.

A number of states recently have dedicated more money to educating women and health care providers about the 99 percent effectiveness of long-acting, reversible forms of contraception, like the intrauterine device, or IUD — shown here.

Long-Term, Reversible Contraception Gains Traction With Young Women

10:28am October 06, 2016

by Michael Tomsic

Implants and intrauterine devices are endorsed by pediatricians, OB-GYNs and health officials as a way to help girls and women space their pregnancies and reduce the risk of having a premature baby.

Episode 521: The Town That Loves Death

4:38pm October 05, 2016

On today's episode, we'll take you to a place where dying has become acceptable dinner conversation. A place that also happens to have the lowest healthcare spending of any region in the country.

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Many preventive services used by both men and woman are now available at no cost to insured consumers.

Under Health Law, Many Preventive Services For Men Are Covered, Too

2:23pm October 04, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

A number of preventive services used by both men and women are available at no cost to insured consumers under the Affordable Care Act.

Nurses teach patients how to use equipment and do peritoneal dialysis at home.

Feds Say More People Should Try Dialysis At Home

5:00am October 04, 2016

by Eric Whitney

Nationwide, fewer than 10 percent of people who need kidney dialysis do it at home. But close to 40 percent of patients of a Montana doctor do it at home. Medicare is hoping that becomes a trend.

Vivian Guzofsky, 88, holds a baby doll at Sunrise Senior Living in Beverly Hills, Calif. Guzofsky, who has Alzheimer's disease, is calm when taking care of the dolls.

Doll Therapy May Help Calm People With Dementia, But It Has Critics

8:50am October 03, 2016

by Anna Gorman

Hugging a doll can soothe an upset toddler, and some say it can do the same for people with dementia. But critics say this form of therapy infantilizes adults.

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Grace Hospital in Morganton, N.C., was funded in part by the Hill-Burton Act. Construction began in 1969.

A Bygone Era: When Bipartisanship Led To Health Care Transformation

6:00am October 02, 2016

by John Henning Schumann

A federal law enacted shortly after the end of World War II provided grants and loans to fund hospital construction that have left a lasting legacy.