We’ve been here before: congressional Democrats and Republicans sparring over the future of the Affordable Care Act.

But this time there’s an extra complication. Though it’s the middle of open enrollment, lawmakers are still debating whether to extend the subsidies that have given consumers extra help paying their health insurance ...Read more

In a recent "Meet the Press" appearance, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., joined a growing number of Republicans who are speaking out against Obamacare. One of his lines of attack: that the Affordable Care Act fueled health care consolidation.

“What Democrats did 15 years ago was they radically changed all health care in America. They moved all ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: In the past few years, my mom passed away, and I lost a dear friend. The holidays were always a special time for us. Since their deaths, the holidays are really hard. Do you have any suggestions for managing this grief?

ANSWER: The holiday season can be especially challenging if you're mourning the death of someone close to ...Read more

Alaska's U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan were among four Republicans who joined the chamber's Democrats to vote in favor of a measure that would have extended health insurance subsidies used by millions of Americans, including thousands in Alaska.

Still, the bill failed to reach the 60-vote threshold to pass amid opposition from most...Read more

WASHINGTON — Health insurance premiums for Obamacare-inspired policies are about to double for Californians, as hope Congress will come to the rescue got a big setback Thursday

COVID-era credits for people with Affordable Care Act marketplace health care policies will expire at the end of this month. That’s likely to mean an increase ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday failed to pass a Democratic measure extending health insurance subsidies that help millions of Americans afford medical coverage.

Four Republicans voted with Democrats in support of the bill to keep the subsidies going for three more years, but that was short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday rejected plans from Republicans and Democrats to ease soaring health care costs, making it more likely many people face health insurance premiums that could double shortly.

COVID-era credits for people with Obamacare-inspired health care policies will expire at the end of this month.

Senate Democrats ...Read more

Florida resident Keith Jones says his Affordable Care Act insurance plan was changed multiple times this year without his permission. Now the 52-year-old is struggling with his health problems while facing large premium bills he says he shouldn’t owe.

The third time, he sought help from an insurance agent, who got Jones on the phone with the ...Read more

A Medicare pilot program will allow private companies to use artificial intelligence to review older Americans’ requests for certain medical care — and will reward the companies when they deny it.

In January, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will launch the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model to ...Read more

As health and human services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wields one of the louder megaphones the federal government has. Yet he insists he doesn’t want to impose his opinions on Americans.

“I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me,” Kennedy told a Democratic congressman in May.

Kennedy once expressed different ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Kelly Wyatt winced as a nurse unwrapped layers of gauze from her left leg, exposing the massive wound beneath.

Yellow and red and gray, weeping plasma and agonizingly painful at the slightest touch, it covered almost the entirety of the end of her leg — the site of the amputation she had undergone four years before.

...Read more

Madison County, tucked in the mountains of western North Carolina, has no hospital and just three ambulances serving its roughly 22,000 people.

The ambulances frequently travel back and forth to Mission Hospital in Asheville, the largest and most central hospital in the region. Trips can take more than two hours, according to Mark Snelson, ...Read more

An Idaho man who died of rabies passed the virus to another man through a kidney transplant, marking the fourth known instance in the country in nearly half a century where rabies was transmitted from an organ donor to a recipient.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday, Dec. 4, that the Idaho man was in an outbuilding...Read more

WASHINGTON — As the Senate tees up a pair of partisan votes on health care Thursday, senators from both sides of the aisle said debate isn’t over regarding enhanced premium tax credits that millions of people rely on.

Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters Wednesday that he wasn’t ruling out finding a way to extend the tax ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., on Wednesday filed a discharge petition to force a vote on a two-year extension of the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, as House GOP leadership eyes a health care vote next week that won’t include such a measure.

The petition had only eight signatures as of Wednesday afternoon, though ...Read more

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is pushing a new “No Taxes on Healthcare Act” that would let households deduct up to $25,000 in out-of-pocket medical costs, including health insurance premiums they pay themselves.

This proposed deduction would be in addition to the standard deduction, which most taxpayers currently claim.

The proposal comes on ...Read more

The holidays are coming up and they almost always involve family gatherings, office parties, neighborhood get-togethers, and special holidays meals, all with lots and lots of food. For most of us, it’s a chance to enjoy food and drink that maybe aren’t a part of our usual fare. But if you have food allergies, these celebrations can literally...Read more

There’s nothing like an energy crash to throw your day for a loop. This can be especially frustrating when you have things to do and places to be — or if you’re just trying to stay awake during the dark afternoons of winter. It may be tempting to grab a caffeinated drink and hope for the best, but it’s not your only option. Food can fuel...Read more

Rosy cheeks might be cute in holiday cartoons, but in real life, the redness can signal a chronic inflammatory skin disease called rosacea. It can spread all over the face, leading to ruddy skin, angry-looking pimples, burning sensations, eye irritation, and even a disfigured nose. Unfortunately, rosacea’s early and middle stages often go ...Read more