health care

Gov. Jerry Brown vetoes a bill that would have guaranteed that employees of small businesses can keep their jobs if they take parental leave to bond with a new child.

California Fails To Extend Family Leave Rights For Parents At Small Businesses

3:54pm October 11, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Gov. Jerry Brown vetoes a bill that would have required small businesses to guarantee that employees' jobs would be there for them after they take parental leave.

Rethinking Automatic Insurance Coverage For Preventive Health Care

5:32pm October 10, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

Three former leaders of an influential task force that issues guidelines for preventive care says insurance coverage for highly rated tests and services shouldn't be mandatory.

Queue Listen Now

Some people are born unable to smell anything, while others lose the sense of smell due to injury or increasing age.

With No Sense Of Smell, The World Can Be A Grayer, Scarier Place

7:59am October 10, 2016

by Annette Heist

Some people are born with anosmia — the inability to smell. Others lose their sense of smell later in life. That makes it hard to taste food, detect threats, or even savor memories.

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The study looked at the relationship between women who used hormonal birth control, and antidepressant use, and diagnoses of serious depression.

Does Some Birth Control Raise Depression Risk? That's Complicated

2:38pm October 09, 2016

by Tara Haelle

A study finding that using hormonal birth control raises women's risk of depression raised a lot of eyebrows, but also shows how much we still don't know about women's health.

The federal Medicaid program had accused Mylan of underpaying required rebates for the EpiPen, which is used to reverse serious allergic reactions.

Health & Safety

EpiPen-Maker Mylan Settles For $465 Million In Medicaid Dispute

10:06pm October 07, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

The federal Medicaid program had accused Mylan of underpaying required rebates for the EpiPen, which is used to reverse serious allergic reactions. The company said it committed no wrongdoing.

State Laws Build Momentum For First National Paid Family Leave Program

4:32pm October 07, 2016

Since California passed a statewide paid parental leave law, New Jersey, Rhode Island and New York have followed suit. Other laws are in the works elsewhere around the country, and economist Aparna Mathur of the conservative American Enterprise Institute is among those who think these state laws could be a model for a national paid leave policy.

Shela Bryan of Hull, Ga., is looking for a new health insurance policy but has been stunned by the prices.

Rising Premiums Rankle People Paying Full Price For Health Insurance

2:17pm October 07, 2016

by Virginia Anderson

Customers for individual insurance policies who don't qualify for federal subsidies are facing double-digit premium increases in many places this year. The cost is forcing hard choices about coverage.

(Left) Edith Einarsson, Kristina Ingemarsdotter Persson, Samuel Einarsson and Per Einarsson. (Center) Yao Zhang, Shanshan Zhang and Rachel Meng. (Right) Lama Dossary and her daughter Leila.

Countries Around The World Beat The U.S. On Paid Parental Leave

10:23am October 07, 2016

by Jessica Deahl

Out of 193 countries in the United Nations, the U.S. is one of a small handful that do not have a national paid parental leave law. Most of the world reached a standard on this issue decades ago.

Queue Listen Now

Florida Department of Health workers at a temporary clinic set up in Miami Beach in September package up a urine sample to be tested for the Zika virus. Pregnant women in Texas and Florida have complained it can take as long as a month or more to get thei

Public Health Labs Hope Federal Funds Will Speed Zika Test Results

2:01pm October 06, 2016

by Shefali Luthra

But they'll have to wait a while. The portion of the $394 million Congress allocated to help pregnant women find out more quickly if they have Zika isn't expected to get to strained labs until 2017.

A number of states recently have dedicated more money to educating women and health care providers about the 99 percent effectiveness of long-acting, reversible forms of contraception, like the intrauterine device, or IUD — shown here.

Long-Term, Reversible Contraception Gains Traction With Young Women

10:28am October 06, 2016

by Michael Tomsic

Implants and intrauterine devices are endorsed by pediatricians, OB-GYNs and health officials as a way to help girls and women space their pregnancies and reduce the risk of having a premature baby.