A 40-Year-Old Law Requires ERs To Treat Everyone — Unless They Opt Out

For 40 years, U.S. emergency departments have been barred from turning away patients who cannot pay. 

But that protection applies only to hospitals that contract with Medicare, and a growing number of for-profit emergency room (ER) operators are opting out, reports STAT.

One of the largest, Houston-based Nutex Health, r...

From Caffeine To 'Healthy' Labeling, FDA Sets Year-End Agenda For US Food Supply

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the food supply issues it seeks to tackle by year’s end.

The FDA’s Human Food Program aims to prevent foodborne illness, reduce diet-related chronic disease and ensure chemicals in food are safe.

Its proposed agenda, announced June 29, emphasizes more informat...

Major Study Supports Same-Day COVID-19 and Flu Vaccination

One trip to the pharmacy may be all you need to protect yourself from COVID-19 and the flu this fall.

A new study — published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine — found that getting both vaccines at the same visit is no riskier than getting a flu shot alone.

A team led by Yan Xie of the VA St. Louis Health ...

Even Mild Weather Changes Impact Mental Health

Heat domes, soaking rains and savage winter storms have left their mark on people’s minds and moods this year.

And little wonder — even modest, short-term changes in weather can affect a person enough to make them seek therapy, a new study says.

Fluctuations in temperature and levels of sunshine are linked to U.K. residen...

Women With Parkinson's More Likely To Have Brain Changes Related To Alzheimer's

Women with Parkinson’s disease might be more vulnerable than men to Alzheimer’s-related changes in their brains, new research suggests.

Women with Parkinson’s have higher levels of amyloid beta plaques in their brains, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers reported Sunday in Geneva at a meeting of the Europ...

Breastfeeding Might Lower ADHD Risk, Study Finds

Want to protect your child from ADHD?

Breastfeeding might be one way to reduce their risk, a new study says.

Babies fed with breast milk were less likely to develop ADHD symptoms as preschoolers and elementary students, researchers reported recently in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

“We found that the longer ...

Nearly 3 in 10 Young Adults Don't Have a Regular Doctor, Survey Finds

Many young adults may be missing important preventive healthcare screenings, according to a national survey.

The poll of more than 1,000 U.S. adults, commissioned by Ohio State University in Columbus, found only 71% of people ages 18 to 29 have a regular doctor, compared with 97% of adults 65 and older.

Even among yo...

Fertility Preservation Often Overlooked In Women's Cancer Care, Review Finds

Infertility is considered one of the most distressing concerns facing girls and young women with cancer.

Despite this, young female cancer patients are offered fertility preservation (FP) procedures at less than half the rate of male patients, a new evidence review has found.

Fertility preservation occurred at very low rates — ...

Sedatives Pose Fall Hazard For Recently Hospitalized Seniors

Family members should keep a close eye on Grandma or Grandpa after they’ve been released from the hospital, a new study suggests.

Seniors sent home with a prescription for a sedative have an increased risk of falls, which can lead to broken bones and impaired function, researchers reported today in the Canadian Medical Associatio...