During Recession, Millions of Americans Flocked to Medicaid

Medicaid: The 2007-2009 recession drove millions of Americans to apply for Medicaid, the federal health program for the poor, according to a new report. Medicaid grew to $400 billion in 2010 from $330 billion in 2007, Reuters reports.

Tattoos: Starting in July, a new state law will require regular health and safety inspections of California tattoo parlors, Kurtis Alexander reports for the Fresno Bee.

Retiree Health: Older workers vastly underestimate how much money they'll need for health care in retirement, guessing they'll only need about half of what studies estimate is nearly $11,000 in annual out-of-pocket costs for the average retiree, Christine Dugas reports for USA Today.

Alzheimer's Disease: The Associated Press' Lauran Neergaard reports on the challenges faced by people with Alzheimer's disease who are living alone – more than 800,000 in the United States. Many are able to live with some help during the early stages of the devastating neurological disease.

Health Workforce: A doctor-turned-public health professor argues in the Atlantic that nurses with advanced skills need more authority to help save on health care costs and provide speedier access to care as formerly uninsured people flood the health care system.

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