LOS ANGELES — Californians renewing their public health plans or who plan to sign up for the first time will be in for sticker shock when open enrollment begins on Saturday. Monthly premiums for federally subsidized plans available on the Covered California exchange — often referred to as Obamacare — will soar by 97% on average for 2026.

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ROCHESTER, Minn. — When it comes to treating disease, one promising avenue is addressing the presence of senescent cells. These cells — also known as "zombie cells" — stop dividing but don't die off as cells typically do. They turn up in numerous diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer's disease, and in the process of aging. While ...Read more

A measles outbreak in parts of Utah and Arizona not far from Las Vegas has grown to over 130 cases, according to public health officials in both states.

David Heaton, a public information officer for the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, said there have been 43 measles cases recently confirmed in a five-county area. Those counties ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — Scripps Research in La Jolla announced a new clinical trial Thursday that will assess the effectiveness of using drugs approved for diabetes treatment and weight loss to treat long COVID-19, the debilitating chronic condition diagnosed in an estimated 20 million Americans and about 400 million people worldwide.

Developed to help ...Read more

Physician Lauren Hughes was heading to see patients at a clinic about 20 miles from her Denver home in February when another driver T-boned her Subaru, totaling it. She was taken by ambulance to the closest hospital, Platte Valley Hospital.

A shaken Hughes was examined in the emergency room, where she was diagnosed with bruising, a deep cut on ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A wave of the highly contagious respiratory syncytial virus is beginning to wash over the United States — sending greater numbers of babies and toddlers to the hospital, recent data show.

The onset of RSV comes as the country heads into the wider fall-and-winter respiratory virus season, also typically marked by increased ...Read more

California secured a court order temporarily blocking the Trump administration from discontinuing roughly $200 million in school mental health grant funding awarded to dozens of schools and universities in California, including the Santa Clara County Office of Education and California State University East Bay.

Congress created the Mental ...Read more

SARASOTA, Fla. — Florida plans to end nearly a half-century of required childhood immunizations against diseases that have killed and maimed millions of children. Many critics of the decision, including doctors, are afraid to speak up against it.

With the support of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo on Sept. 3 ...Read more

When it comes to key numbers that give you insight into health status, things such as blood pressure and BMI probably come to mind.

There's another number, however, that can give you unexpected insight into serious health risks, including your chances of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

You can find out this number with a simple...Read more

There’s a certain logic to the idea that eating high-fat foods — even nutritious foods such as avocados, nuts and olive oil — can lead to weight gain. After all, one gram of fat contains nine calories, while one gram of protein or carbohydrate contains only four calories. But just as science has debunked the idea that weight loss or weight...Read more

If you eat meat, it’s hard to talk about protein without bringing up chicken breast. The ingredient offers 25 grams of protein per 3-ounce serving — which, compared to other protein sources, is hard to beat by weight, according to registered dietitian nutritionist Maddie Pasquariello, MS, RDN. Chicken breast is also lean, versatile, ...Read more

Q: Over the years, I occasionally experience a streak of light across my vision, which goes away quickly. However, I have recently noticed a persistent small black spot when looking out of my right eye. Otherwise, my vision seems fine. Do I need to worry?

A: What you describe sounds like flashes and floaters. Both commonly happen as we get ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is breathing from your belly beneficial? If so, can you explain why and how to do it?

ANSWER: From the day you’re born, you know how to breathe correctly. That means letting the diaphragm — the large, thin muscle just below the rib cage — do the work of drawing air into the lungs and letting it out. It’s known as ...Read more

One family in Virginia Beach, Virginia, just found out their health plan’s deductible will jump from $800 to $20,000 next year. About 200 miles north, in Maryland, another household learned they’ll pay $500 more monthly to insure their brood in 2026. And thousands of people in Idaho were greeted with insurance rates that’ll cost, on ...Read more

I’m old enough to remember when there was no annual open enrollment. You got health insurance through your employer, and unless you changed jobs or had a major life event, you kept the same plan. Year after year. Simple. Stable. Sane.

Today, we’ve built a multibillion-dollar theater production called “open enrollment” that costs more to...Read more

Radiation therapy is a common component of breast cancer treatment for patients. The high-powered beams of intense energy kill cancer cells and reduce the risk of the cancer recurring.

Dr. Laura Vallow, chair of the Radiation Oncology Department at Mayo Clinic in Florida, explains how innovation is transforming radiation treatments.

Patients ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Gov. Josh Shapiro has entered the legal fight between Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and President Donald Trump’s administration over a federal subpoena seeking the private medical records of transgender youth.

In a new court filing, Shapiro argues that states — not the federal government — are legally empowered to...Read more

Kitty Grutzmacher had contended with poor hearing for a decade, but the problem had worsened over the past year. Even with her hearing aids, “there was little or no sound,” she said.

“I was avoiding going out in groups. I stopped playing cards, stopped going to Bible study, even going to church.”

Her audiologist was unable to offer ...Read more

Just as the political health of a nation requires trust in elected officials, the physical and mental health of Americans depends on the trust embedded in the doctor-patient relationship.

For most of the past century, that bond was ironclad. Now, that relationship is fraying.

Gallup polling shows just 44% of Americans rate the quality of care ...Read more

DENVER -- Everything in moderation. Including moderation.

That’s the idea behind the Colorado sober movement, an unofficial yet growing trend away from alcohol, and toward plant-based and psychedelic drugs.

But how can one be considered sober while, for example, smoking pot and taking LSD?

Because “Colorado sober” — a spin-off of the ...Read more