Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealthcare announced long-term strategic partnerships this week with two large lab testing companies to develop "value-based programs" like those the health insurer has been pushing with hospitals and clinics.

With the new arrangements, New Jersey-based Quest Diagnostics will become an in-network lab for more than ...Read more

Many people wait around for happiness to find them, when in reality it's sometimes only a positive thought away. Being happy can be a choice you make. There are many small techniques you can try to create a happier and more enjoyable life.

What science says about happiness

"Research has shown you have control over your happiness," explains ...Read more

An American Academy of Pediatrics study published recently revealed that the rate of adolescent exposure to ADHD medication reported to U.S. poison control centers increased 71.2 percent from 2000 to 2011, with a 6.2 percent decrease from 2011 to 2014.

Exposure could include children finding and ingesting the medication, accidental dosage ...Read more

John Murphy had grown accustomed to seeing the age spot on his forehead. He had even had a dermatologist look at it in the past. So he was surprised when a friend and work colleague noticed it.

"After lunch she very quietly, very respectfully said to me, 'John, I think that age spot on your face has changed,'" Murphy says. "And I said, 'Do you ...Read more

"Dear the most highly respected judge and court, I'm writing this because I love my mom. My mom is very important to me. I have no idea what to do without her. Even though my mom's afraid, she's not giving up."

This is the beginning of a plea written by a 13-year-old girl to the Department of Homeland Security. The goal: to get her mother the ...Read more

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- In a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Mayo Clinic researchers identified that an FDA drug approved for myelodysplastic syndrome may be useful to treat triple-negative breast cancer, which is one of the most aggressive and lethal types of breast cancer.

In this study, Mayo investigators ...Read more

If you are a night owl, your natural circadian rhythm is primed to make you feel more alive when the sun goes down. Your eyes shine brighter, your mind feels more alert. The whole world seems to hum.

The bad news is that not being an early bird may be bad for your health, from weight gain to premature death. As Time notes, being a night owl has...Read more

In some ways, Sasha Ottey was lucky.

For many women with polycystic ovary syndrome like her, it can take years and untold doctor visits before they get a correct diagnosis. All too often, doctors end up treating the vast array of symptoms caused by the hormonal disorder. Severe acne. Sleep apnea. Obesity. Or thinning hair and excess hair growth...Read more

Cooking dinner one night in March, Mark Frizzell sliced his pinkie finger while peeling a butternut squash and couldn't stop the bleeding.

The 51-year-old businessman headed to the emergency room at Sutter Health's California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. Sutter charged $1,555 for the 10 minutes it treated him, including $55 for a ...Read more

The battle against opioid addiction in the United States got a new weapon Wednesday, in the form of a pill to help patients manage symptoms of withdrawal.

The Food and Drug Administration said it gave its seal of approval to Lucemyra, a medication that has been used to treat opioid withdrawal in the United Kingdom for more than two decades.

...Read more

WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives, the White House and several states on Wednesday settled a lawsuit over appropriations for the 2010 health law, resolving years of fighting over the balance of powers between the branches of government.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit dismissed an appeal of an earlier ruling, which found...Read more

Every day, a school bus drops off as many as 45 children at a community eye clinic on Chicago's South Side. Many of them are referred to the clinic after failing vision screenings at their public schools.

Clinicians and students from the Illinois College of Optometry give the children comprehensive eye exams, which feature refraction tests to ...Read more

As some insurers angle for hefty premium hikes and concerns grow that more Americans will wind up uninsured, the federal health law is likely -- once again -- to play big in both parties' strategies for the contentious 2018 election.

Candidates are already honing talking points: Is the current dysfunction the result of the law or of GOP ...Read more

The Trump administration is considering a policy change that might discourage immigrants who are seeking permanent residency from using government-supported health care, a scenario that is alarming some doctors, hospitals and patient advocates.

Under the proposed plan, a lawful immigrant holding a visa could be passed over for getting permanent...Read more

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump will propose a sweeping effort to bring down U.S. drug prices Friday, in a long-awaited plan meant to fulfill a promise he has been pushing since his bid for the White House, according to senior administration officials.

The blueprint is called American Patients First, and is meant to increase pharmaceutical...Read more

Opioid medications, commonly called narcotics, are derived from the poppy plant. Some opioids are available as prescription medications. They are regulated as controlled substances by the Drug Enforcement Administration. A health care provider must have a special license to prescribe these opioids. Other opioids, such as heroin, are illegal ...Read more