HAMBURG, Germany -- Researchers around the world hail Germany for its robust health care system: universal coverage, plentiful primary care, low drug prices and minimal out-of-pocket costs for residents.

Unlike in the U.S., the prospect of a large medical bill doesn't stand in the way of anyone's treatment. "Money is a problem in (their lives),...Read more

WASHINGTON -- Elizabeth Warren took a lot of flak at this week's Democratic presidential debate for being evasive about the taxes needed to pay for the $30 trillion Medicare for All plan she champions. There's a reason for being vague: Her team hasn't yet figured out how to pay for it.

"Her taxes as they currently exist are not enough yet to ...Read more

When Miguel Villarreal addresses a crowded education conference, a group of school district administrators or a room full of curious parents, he often holds aloft a foil-wrapped package of Pop-Tarts -- the heavily processed, high-sugar snack routinely sold on school campuses.

Villarreal, who oversees nutrition for the San Ramon Valley Unified ...Read more

It was early afternoon on the first day of October at the Holtz Children's Hospital in Miami, and Elizabeth Foley's room was quiet.

Amy Foley, Elizabeth's mom, leaned over her 2-year-old daughter's crib-like hospital bed.

"We're gonna do some music," she said. "And then you're going to be in a great mood."

The prospect of a "great mood" ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO -- Sutter Health has reached a preliminary settlement agreement in a closely watched antitrust case brought by self-funded employers, and later joined by the California Attorney General's Office. The agreement was announced in San Francisco Superior Court Wednesday morning, just before opening arguments were expected to begin.

...Read more

A colleague had been on an airplane -- and he felt a cold coming on. With watery eyes and a red nose, he asked, "Have you written about how to stay healthy on flights?"

It seems like it's time to do so again, especially because flu season is on the runway.

Getting sick after a flight is a common complaint for a few reasons. Flyers are squeezed...Read more

Call it what you will: beer belly, love handles, gut, spare tire, or anything else. Whatever the words, they're all referring to the same thing: belly fat, which is one of the most common types of fat for men. As you've no doubt noticed, as we gain weight, our thighs, legs, and arms usually don't change much. Instead, our fat tends to accumulate...Read more

Dear Mayo Clinic: I recently was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, but I don't currently have symptoms. What causes sarcoidosis? Could it go away on its own? What should I be on the lookout for as far as symptoms that may develop?

A: Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of tiny collections of inflammatory cells called...Read more

When Miguel Cervantes and his wife, Kelly, first found out something was wrong with their daughter, they "started Googling around about infantile spasms, and it was just terrifying," Miguel Cervantes told People magazine.

That's likely how most parents would react when hearing the phrase "infantile spasms," since it's not a common infant ...Read more

Sen. Bernie Sanders, in his first major public appearance since suffering a heart attack this month, raised the issue as he tried to insert himself into a debate question about the opioid epidemic.

"I'm healthy, I'm feeling great," the Vermont independent said, leading moderator Erin Burnett to ask the 78-year-old how he would reassure the ...Read more

Shares of UnitedHealth Group jumped more than 5% in early trading Tuesday after the company reported third quarter results that beat expectations for profit and revenue while putting a focus on the company's expanding business running outpatient medical centers.

David Wichmann, the UnitedHealth Group chief executive, told investors during a ...Read more

Mammography screening for breast cancer saves lives. But another test may be better for women with dense breasts. Dr. Deborah Rhodes, an internal medicine specialist from the Breast Diagnostic Clinic at Mayo Clinic, says that data from a study being done at Mayo Clinic and other centers across the country suggest that molecular breast imaging ...Read more

UnitedHealthcare is facing enrollment restrictions next year in one of its Medicare Advantage health plan contracts, regulators say, because the insurer hasn't been spending a large enough share of revenue on the health care needs of enrollees.

The sanction from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) applies to just one of United'...Read more

WASHINGTON -- As hundreds of people gathered for a recent Elizabeth Warren rally in Rock Hill, S.C., the heat built so much that one woman in the crowd passed out before the event started.

The 90-degree day did not appear to slow Warren: She bounded up the steps to the stage and gave a kinetic, full-body wave to the crowd.

Without saying a ...Read more

Dear Mayo Clinic: Is it common for someone in their 50s to develop an eating disorder?

A: Although eating disorders are most common in adolescents or young adults, they can affect people of all ages -- even into older adulthood. Eating disorders are serious conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that affect heath, emotions and ...Read more

A colleague had been on an airplane -- and he felt a cold coming on. With watery eyes and a red nose, he asked, "Have you written about how to stay healthy on flights?"

It seems like it's time to do so again, especially because flu season is on the runway.

Getting sick after a flight is a common complaint for a few reasons. Fliers are squeezed...Read more

DENVER -- Every day that Janet van der Laak drives between car dealerships in her sales job, she keeps size 12 shoes, some clothes and a packed lunch -- a PB&J sandwich, fruit and a granola bar -- beside her in case she sees her 27-year-old son on the streets.

" 'Jito, come home," she always tells him, using a Spanish endearment. There he can ...Read more

WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration on Wednesday unveiled plans to loosen two anti-corruption laws for doctors, in a bid to promote new ways of delivering coordinated health care while attempting to preserve the laws' core aim of combating fraud and abuse.

Physician groups have long sought changes to the anti-kickback law and the Stark self-...Read more