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

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

If you've been diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes or heart disease, getting enough sleep at night is imperative, according to a new report.

Researchers from the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine recently conducted a study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, to explore the association between lack of sleep and ...Read more

When Paul Bagga was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer that soon spread to his brain, the nonsmoker was devastated and terrified.

More than five years later, the Flourtown retiree, 67, is going strong, thanks to participating in clinical testing of a targeted drug developed by Pfizer. Lorbrena was approved last November, and it is still ...Read more

Dear Mayo Clinic: I have brown spots over the top half of my body, which my doctor says are seborrheic keratoses and are harmless. What causes them, and is there a way to prevent more from appearing?

A: Seborrheic keratoses are a common skin issue, particularly in older adults. Although they don't pose any health risks, these skin growths can ...Read more

A new California law that reclassifies some independent contractors as employees, requiring they be offered a range of benefits and worker protections, will likely expand health insurance coverage in the state, health policy experts say.

But it might end up harming some workers.

That's in part because the law, which takes effect Jan. 1, could ...Read more

WASHINGTON -- Elizabeth Warren has a plan for everything -- but on the crucial 2020 issue of health care, she's borrowing from a rival and fellow progressive -- Bernie Sanders.

The presidential candidate who made a mark with her signature "I have a plan for that!" is the only one of the five top-polling Democrats without a sweeping proposal of ...Read more

Len Meyer knows what it's like to fight a health insurance company for coverage.

Meyer, who is nonbinary and transgender, spent more than six months battling an insurance company to cover a double mastectomy. The company claimed the procedure wasn't medically necessary, and denied it three times before the insurer agreed to cover it in 2015, ...Read more

Testosterone has taken a beating lately. We all know that it's the hormone that makes guys, well, guys. It's also associated with ultra-macho, boorish behavior, excessive body hair, and other unwanted things. That said, it's still an essential hormone for men (and for women too, believe it or not), and if you don't have enough of it, you could ...Read more

Dear Healthy Men: How much do you think that masculinity could be hurting men?

A: A lot. But I'd argue that it's less masculinity itself and more the pressure to be a "real man"-- which, thanks to phrases like "Man up," "Play through it," and "Big boys don't cry," starts long before we can even stand up -- that's doing the harm.

John and ...Read more

Medicare's fall open enrollment, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, is an opportunity to review your benefits and make changes in time for 2020.

But signing up or reviewing your coverage can seem daunting.

Last year, we asked Philadelphia Inquirer readers what they'd like to know about Medicare, and brought an excellent list of questions ...Read more

For parents and caregivers, it can be hard to tell whether your child's illness requires antibiotics or if there are other ways to effectively treat his or her symptoms. To prevent overuse of these drugs, it's important to know when home remedies can be used instead of antibiotics.

"If your child has an ear infection, consider using over-the-...Read more