Health & Safety

Jane Garcia, CEO of La Clinica de la Raza, which serves 25,000 patients in Contra Costa County, Calif., addresses supporters of expanding health care for undocumented adults.

California Counties Add Health Care For Immigrant Adults

12:38pm September 24, 2015

by Farida Jhabvala Romero

Local governments say the move to cover preventive health care for people who are in the country illegally will save money overall by reducing the high cost of emergency room visits.

Note: Bars represent the average family premium for employer-based insurance. They are the total paid and reflect contributions by employers and workers.

Health & Safety

Rising Health Deductibles Take Bigger Bite Out Of Family Budgets

8:14am September 24, 2015

by Alison Kodjak

More companies are adding deductibles to the insurance plans they offer their employees. And for people who already had to pay deductibles, the out-of-pocket outlays are growing.

What, Really, Does 'Sustainable' Mean?

2:33pm September 23, 2015

by Marc Silver

A version of the word sustainable appears at least 75 times in the sustainable development goals the U.N. will endorse this weekend. We asked some analysts to tell us what, exactly, it means.

California Approves Physician-Assisted Suicide; Bill Heads To Governor's Desk

2:30pm September 23, 2015

by April Dembosky

The California Senate passed a bill to legalize physician-assisted suicide in some cases. But Gov. Jerry Brown hasn't indicated whether he'll sign it.

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Wherever You Go, Your Personal Cloud Of Microbes Follows

8:38pm September 22, 2015

by Rob Stein

You're not just shedding microbes on every surface you touch. Research suggests you're actually walking around in an airborne plume of bacteria and other microscopic organisms that's unique to you.

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Errors in diagnosis, such as inaccuracies or delays in making the information available, account for an estimated 10 percent of patient deaths, a blue-ribbon report says.

Health & Safety

Report: Errors In Diagnosis Are Common And Will Take Teamwork To Fix

8:03pm September 22, 2015

by Julie Appleby

Mistakes in diagnosis are a factor in 10 percent of patient deaths, the Institute of Medicine says. Better training, computer systems and coordination of care are needed to curb the problem.

Former Peanut Company Executive Sentenced To 28 Years In Prison

6:55pm September 22, 2015

by Carrie Johnson

A former peanut company executive has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for his role in a salmonella outbreak that killed nine people and sickened dozens more.

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Doris Keene (right) talks with her acupuncturist before a treatment at Portland's Quest Center for Integrative Health. Keene says the treatments have eased her chronic back pain at least as effectively as the Vicodin and muscle relaxants she once relied o

To Curb Pain Without Opioids, Oregon Looks To Alternative Treatments

4:45pm September 22, 2015

by Kristian Foden-Vencil

Acupuncture and massage haven't been proven to ease pain better than drugs — and may cost more. But Oregon hopes these sorts of alternatives to pills will reduce the societal costs of opioid abuse.

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Texting gentle reminders on heart-healthy habits helped people make real changes.

Text Reminders Help People Lower Cholesterol, Blood Pressure

4:45pm September 22, 2015

by Lynne Shallcross

Plain old text messages — you know, the ones you don't need a smartphone to receive — helped people with heart disease make changes like smoking less and exercising more.

The People Of Nauru Want To Get Healthy — So Why Can't They Succeed?

4:19pm September 22, 2015

by Vicky Hallett

The Pacific island nation is a symbol of just how hard it is to deal with obesity and diabetes. They're part of a new report on how countries of every income level struggle with these health issue.