Affordable Care Act

When patient and doctor don't speak the same language, it's not enough to have an ad hoc interpreter. You need an adult fluent in both languages — who can also cut through medical jargon.

About 75,000 patients a year die from infections they caught in the hospital. A Kaiser Health News analysis finds that nearly 700 hospitals across the nation have higher than expected infection rates.

New menu items introduced by chain restaurants in 2013 contained 60 fewer calories, on average, than items on the menu in 2012. And that could be enough to make an impact on the obesity epidemic.

A proton beam therapy center in Indiana is closing, and insurers are reluctant to cover the treatment for common cancers. But plans for three new proton therapy centers for the D.C. area are still on.

It has been a year since Obamacare launched with a difficult start. Now, supporters are confident about the program's future. But critics say it's too early to gauge its success.

Part of each hospital's income now hinges on keeping patients with chronic conditions healthier outside the hospital. One medical center has hired nurses and social workers to act as health coaches.

Nobody looks forward to sitting in the waiting room. So some hospitals are trying to improve customer satisfaction by offering online appointments. The pitch: "Wait for the ER from home."