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U.S. Vice President JD Vance listens as Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, speaks about healthcare fraud. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Trump’s Medicaid fraud crackdown may sound sensible, but it could harm Americans who require long-term care

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Mehmet Oz, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator, is ordering all states to step up their efforts to crack down on Medicaid fraud.

His April 21, 2026, announcement expanded on the Trump administration’s related enforcement actions, such as withholding Medicaid funds from Minnesota and threatening to do that ...Read more

The new federal classification of marijuana regulates only medical use; recreational use is still determined by state laws. tvirbickis/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Reclassification of marijuana opens doors for much-needed medical research into the benefits and risks of the drug

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When the U.S. Department of Justice moved to reclassify medical marijuana to a Schedule III drug on April 23, 2026, it set the stage for a vast amount of medical research that has been hobbled for decades by its more restrictive Schedule I classification.

The Justice Department also called for an expedited federal rescheduling process...Read more

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Trump's Medicaid work mandate debuting in Nebraska to much dismay

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Schmeeka Simpson of Omaha works as a patient navigator for the American Civil Liberties Union and an administrative assistant at Nebraskans for Peace, plus picks up shifts at a Dunkin' shop.

Still, even with three jobs, she worries about losing her health coverage when Nebraska, on May 1, becomes the first state to require certain Medicaid ...Read more

The caregiver penalty: What women need to know before hitting pause on their career

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Stepping away from work to take care of a loved one is a selfless act, but even a temporary pause can bring long-term financial consequences.

Whether it’s raising children, caring for elderly parents or taking care of a spouse who is sick, that responsibility often falls on women. In 2025, 61% of family caregivers were women, compared to 38% ...Read more

Environmental Nutrition: Understanding the concept of ‘seed cycling’

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Proponents of seed cycling claim that eating certain types of seeds during different phases of the menstrual cycle can help regulate hormone levels and support reproductive health.

Seed cycling divides the menstrual cycle into two halves. During the first two weeks (the follicular phase), flax and pumpkin seeds are eaten daily. In the second ...Read more

7 common mistakes to avoid when making oatmeal

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Oatmeal is a hearty, whole-grain food that can benefit your health in many ways. However, a few common oatmeal habits can derail your health goals.

1. Eating the wrong portion size

A typical serving of oatmeal is equal to about 1 cup of cooked oats. However, many people eat more than one serving at a time. This can quickly increase your ...Read more

Red light therapy for skin care

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It’s getting hard to escape the barrage of advertisements, signs, and social media posts touting red light therapy. Many of them trumpet big claims, including firmer, clearer, younger-looking skin. But is it all hype - or can red light therapy deliver?

It really can, says Dr. Rachel Reynolds, interim chair of the Department of Dermatology at ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Relieving wrist pain from swing sports

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DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve been trying to brush up my golf game by regularly hitting the driving range and playing more often. But lately, I’ve noticed a pretty painful twinge in my right wrist during my swing. What might be going on?

ANSWER: Summer is a great time to get out on the course and take your golf game to the next level. Wrist ...Read more

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New research suggests skipping this vitamin if you have cancer

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Vitamins are supposedly good for you, but some might also be good for cancer, Swiss researchers at the University of Lausanne found.

Cancer cells have a weakness. They depend on the protein glutamine to produce the energy needed to divide and grow. The Swiss researchers found that cancer cells can escape this weakness with the help of Vitamin ...Read more

Oona Zenda/KFF Health News/TNS

Your new therapist: Chatty, leaky, and hardly human

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If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting “988.”

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Vince Lahey of Carefree, Arizona, embraces chatbots. From Big Tech products to “shady” ones, they offer “someone that I could share more secrets with than my therapist.”

He especially...Read more

Evgenyatamanenko/Dreamstime/TNS

Florida delays children's health insurance expansion as uninsured rate rises

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Like many parents, Tatiana Lafortune wants her children to get a good education, eat nutritious food, and see a doctor when they’re not feeling well.

Public schools and her church’s pantry help Lafortune accomplish the first two goals. But insurance to cover doctor visits has been the most difficult to secure.

As nursing assistants at a ...Read more

David Guralnick/The Detroit News/TNS

Stellantis employees raise health concerns after 5-day office return

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Michigan health and safety regulators inspected Stellantis NV's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan, earlier this year after getting a report that "dozens" of employees in the tower part of the building were suffering from various ailments after returning to the office, records show.

Reported health issues included nose bleeds, migraines, ...Read more

COPD puts people at risk for many other adverse health conditions. AndreyPopov/iStock via Getty Images Plus

More than 140,000 Americans die from COPD each year – here’s why survival depends on more than avoiding smoking

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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, caused 141,733 deaths in the United States in 2023 – the latest data that has been reported. That number reflects not just the effects of smoking, but a broader set of medical and social factors that shape who survives.

As of early 2026, COPD remains the fifth-leading cause of death ...Read more

Continuous glucose monitors once required a prescription but can now be purchased over the counter.  Jesus Rodriguez/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Wearable glucose monitors offer real-time data, but for healthy people no guidelines exist to interpret the numbers

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Keeping tabs on blood sugar throughout the day used to be the exclusive domain of people with diabetes. But in 2026, anyone can buy a user-friendly wearable device that provides minute-by-minute readouts on how their glucose levels respond to food and movement.

These glucose numbers are increasingly being tracked by people who are ...Read more

Vaccine mandates in the U.S. military are nearly as old as the country itself. jacoblund/iStock via Getty Images Plus

How the concept of ‘medical freedom’ is reshaping the military’s decades-long stance on the flu vaccine mandate − and endangering troops’ readiness

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

For the first time in almost 80 years, U.S. service members will no longer be mandated to receive the annual influenza vaccine.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the change on April 22, 2026. Citing medical autonomy and religious freedom, he described the requirement as “overly broad and not rational,” telling troops that �...Read more

Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/ZUMA Press/TNS

Immigration debate, upfront costs are hurdles for hepatitis C bill

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Despite bipartisan agreement on the need for testing and treatment for the life-threatening liver disease hepatitis C, potentially hundreds of thousands of Americans remain untreated or even unaware they’re infected as efforts to expand access to cures have stalled in Congress.

Legislation introduced last year has struggled to gain traction ...Read more

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Deadly liver disease, rooted out elsewhere, retains grip on US

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​It was hailed as a “triumph of 21st century medicine” — a daily pill that cures a life-threatening liver disease in a matter of weeks with minimal side effects and a success rate of more than 95 percent.

But more than a decade after direct-acting antivirals to cure hepatitis C hit the market, potentially hundreds of thousands of ...Read more

Sarah A. Miller/Idaho Statesman/TNS

After long fight, Idaho Downwinders stricken by cancer can get compensation

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

BOISE, Idaho — Mary Alice Glen was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996. Years earlier, her mother died from ovarian cancer. One of her sisters had breast cancer. A brother had colorectal cancer.

In the early 2000s, when Glen was in remission, people in her community in Boise were having recurrences of breast cancer ...Read more

Katheryn Houghton/KFF Health News/TNS

Montana moves ahead with doula pay but warns Medicaid cuts still may come

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Montana officials said they are moving forward with plans to allow Medicaid to pay doulas, reversing a previous statement that budget problems had prompted them to pause the effort to reimburse the birth workers.

But officials warned that all optional Medicaid services are still under review as the state health department looks for cuts to ...Read more

What to know about Gov. Ron DeSantis' push this week to change Florida's vaccine mandates

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The DeSantis administration’s highly publicized plan to eliminate Florida vaccine requirements has, so far, not materialized.

Even a watered-down proposal from lawmakers to make it easier for parents to opt their children out of immunization requirements died earlier this year after the House refused to take it up.

But ...Read more