A cluster of serious birth defects in central Washington state has led health officials on a search for the cause. Experts believe a lack of folic acid may be partly to blame, but efforts to fortify common Hispanic foods such as corn masa have languished. Fellow JoNel Aleccia investigates.
Tradeoffs are a recurring theme when it comes to Obamacare plans — lower premiums often come with a smaller range of doctors to choose from, as a new database bears out. But as earlier research has shown, the relation between the size of physician networks and quality of care is, well, complicated.
The emergence of new online tools — built by journalists, for journalists — has made it easier than ever to visualize health care data. With the power to build charts comes the responsibility to portray information accurately and in a way that enhances the story for your readers.
Last year, California embarked on a bold new experiment to improve how care is coordinated among patients enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare. But the progress has been anything but smooth for a host of reasons, as UCLA health researcher Kathryn Kietzman explains in this overview.
At first, Virginia's announcement that it was digitizing millions of vital records seemed like a win. But a closer look reveals that the effort has placed the records behind a paywall that effectively hinders access. That's a shame, given the public health benefits that come with freer access.
As a new series in Consumer Reports makes clear, antibiotic-resistant infections are becoming more prevalent. The report should be a wake-up call for prescribers and patients to be more thoughtful about how they use antibiotics.
Health care's "super-utilizers" are very much in the news these days, as policymakers seek ways to curb spending. But programs that deliver durable results that save money are scarce, in part because many 'frequent fliers' suffer from an incredibly complex web of issues, often tied to early trauma.
The U.S. Supreme Court voted to uphold the Affordable Care Act’s premium subsidies in a 6-3 ruling that prompted President Barack Obama to say the health law “is here to stay.” Here's what some leading experts and voices in the media had to say about the critical decision.
In southern Nevada, waiting lists to see a psychologist stretch into the months, and residential treatment centers fill up fast. Jackie Valley of the Las Vegas Sun is embarking on a reporting project looking at the plight of children with mental illness, and what more might be done.
While states such as Texas and Florida have repeatedly rejected efforts to expand Medicaid in the first place, California is on the verge of expanding public health coverage to include undocumented children. But will they be able to find access to care in an already crowded Medicaid system?
