In announcing its “Great Healthcare Plan” in January 2026, the Trump administration became the latest in a long history of efforts by the U.S. government to rein in the soaring cost of health care.

As a physician and professor studying the intersection of business and health, I know that the challenges in reforming the sprawling U...Read more

Plantains look like bananas but are bigger, with a neutral flavor and starchy texture similar to a potato. They’re typically cooked, steamed, boiled, and fried, rather than eaten raw.

The folklore

Plantains are thought to have originated in Southeast Asia, traced as far back as 500 B.C. Plantains are less common in American cooking, but that...Read more

An apple a day alone won’t save you a trip to the doctor, but it may be a good start toward better health. The phrase “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” comes from an old Welsh saying that encouraged eating apples at bedtime to ward off illness. While they’re not quite the medical miracle the saying makes them sound like, apples do ...Read more

Q: My sister went to the emergency room because she thought she was having a heart attack, but she ended up being diagnosed with costochondritis. What is that?

A: Costochondritis refers to inflammation of the costosternal joints, the cartilage between the ribs and the breastbone (sternum). It’s one of the most common causes of chest pain and ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have high blood pressure and was just diagnosed as having chronic kidney disease. I am disheartened by this news, but I also am determined to do more to improve my health. I know I may not be able to reverse my condition, but I am hoping to avoid dialysis or a kidney transplant for as long as possible.

ANSWER: Your ...Read more

The National Cancer Institute, the federal research agency charged with leading the war against the nation’s second-largest killer, is studying ivermectin as a potential cancer treatment, according to its top official.

“There are enough reports of it, enough interest in it, that we actually did — ivermectin, in particular — did engage ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My husband has been diagnosed with cancer. I know his treatment will be hard on him, and I want to help in any way with his diet. What do you recommend for us?

ANSWER: Cancer treatments can take a toll on a person's body. Your husband's treatment may cause nausea, changes in appetite, taste and smell, diarrhea or constipation,...Read more

In most industries, leaders can respond quickly when market conditions change. Within months, companies can shrink or expand their workforces, adopt innovative technologies, and reconfigure operations.

Health care lacks such flexibility. It takes a decade to train new physicians. Hospitals take years to plan, fund, and build — years longer ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — L.A. County voters will be asked this June to hike the sales tax rate by a half-cent to soften the blow of federal funding cuts on the region's public health system.

The county Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 Tuesday to put the sales tax on the ballot. County officials estimate it would generate $1 billion per year to ...Read more

​WASHINGTON — The EPA said Tuesday it would rescind the agency’s 2009 endangerment finding and all regulations based on its determination that greenhouse gas emissions are a threat to public health requiring regulation under the Clean Air Act.

The final rule is still under interagency review and hasn’t been made public or signed by ...Read more

California reported its first confirmed measles outbreak since 2020 on Tuesday.

The highly contagious disease infected 2,276 people nationwide in 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So far in 2026, the U.S. has confirmed 733 cases, and 93% of those infected were unvaccinated.

The heightened spread of the disease ...Read more

U.S. regulators have refused to review Moderna Inc.’s novel mRNA flu vaccine, dealing a major blow to the company as it seeks more products beyond its COVID shot.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected the company’s application, which was submitted in December, saying the studies conducted in support of the application didn’t ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Public health experts warned Tuesday that $600 million in cuts to federal public health funding announced by the Trump administration would endanger one of California’s main early-warning systems for HIV outbreaks, leaving communities vulnerable to undetected disease spread.

The grant terminations affect funding for a number ...Read more

​WASHINGTON — The EPA said Tuesday it would rescind the agency’s 2009 endangerment finding and all regulations based on its determination that greenhouse gas emissions are a threat to public health requiring regulation under the Clean Air Act.

The final rule is still under interagency review and hasn’t been made public or signed by ...Read more

NEW ORLEANS — Sarah Hess started taking her toddler, Josie, to Mickey Markey Playground in 2010 because she thought it would offer a refuge from lead.

After a routine doctor visit revealed Josie had lead poisoning, Hess quickly traced the source to the crumbling paint in her family’s century-old home in the Bayou St. John neighborhood. ...Read more

Barbara Tuszynski was concerned about her vision but confident in her insurance coverage when she went to an eye clinic last May.

The retiree, 70, was diagnosed with glaucoma in her right eye in 2019. She had a laser procedure to treat it in 2022, and she uses medicated drops in both eyes to prevent more damage. She is supposed to be checked ...Read more

Roughly 1-in-5 Pennsylvania Obamacare plan enrollees dropped health coverage for 2026 due to "unprecedented cost increases," the state's online health insurance marketplace reported Monday.

Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act health insurance plans, also called Obamacare, totaled about 486,000 for 2026, with about 92,000 dropping their health...Read more

Do you remember the first time you looked at a classmate and your heart pounded just a little bit harder? For most people, that moment comes during the teen years, but for some children, feelings or romantic interest can begin well before puberty. While this may catch parents by surprise, it is a normal part of social and emotional development. ...Read more

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is eyeing a presidential bid, has incensed both Democrats and Republicans over immigrant health care in his home state, underscoring the delicate political path ahead.

For a second year, the Democrat has asked state lawmakers to roll back coverage for some immigrants in the face of federal Medicaid spending ...Read more