Medical Treatments

Preventive care should be free to patients under the Affordable Care Act, but Elizabeth Melville of Sunapee, NH., was charged $2,185 for a colonoscopy in 2021.

Health & Safety

Cancer screenings like colonoscopies are supposed to be free. Hers cost $2,185

5:28pm May 31, 2022

by Michelle Andrews

Preventive care, like screening colonoscopies, is supposed to be free of charge to patients under the Affordable Care Act. But some hospitals haven't gotten the memo.

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People walk past a COVID testing site on May 17 in New York City. New York's health commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, has moved from a "medium" COVID-19 alert level to a "high" alert level in all the five boroughs following a surge in cases.

The real COVID surge is (much) bigger than it looks. But don't panic

8:04pm May 27, 2022

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Thanks to at-home testing, official reports are missing a lot of the COVID cases circulating now. Is the U.S. in the midst of an invisible surge? Here's how to assess the situation where you live.

An HIV drug appears to boost memory in mice, study shows

4:18pm May 25, 2022

by Jon Hamilton

A new study finds that an HIV drug can reverse memory loss in aging mice. This type of memory helps humans do things like associate a name with a face. It typically starts to decline in middle age.

Nancy Rose, right, who contracted COVID-19 in 2021 and continues to exhibit long-haul symptoms including brain fog and fatigue, cooks for her mother, Amy Russell, left, at their home, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, in Port Jefferson, N.Y. Researchers are trying

Health & Safety

What's ailing long COVID patients? A new federal study looks for clues

4:03pm May 24, 2022

by Rob Stein

The first results from an in-depth investigation of long COVID produced provocative results. Researchers don't understand the mechanism behind the lingering symptoms but found a link with anxiety.

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(Left) More than 100 people have been attending weekly anti-abortion prayer vigils outside the site of a future Casper, Wyo., clinic offering abortion and other health care services. (Right) Abortion-rights supporter Rikki Hayes holds up a sign near the s

A new clinic offering abortions is set to open in Wyoming, despite a looming ban

5:00am May 24, 2022

by Arielle Zionts

Aimed at serving a regional "abortion desert," the clinic plans to open, despite the expected overturn of Roe v. Wade. It's become a focal point for abortion debate in the state.

Low-dose COVID vaccine is safe and effective for young kids and babies, Pfizer says

4:10pm May 23, 2022

by Rob Stein

Pfizer and BioNTech say three shots of their low-dose pediatric COVID vaccine appears to safely stimulate the immune systems of babies, toddlers and young children to protect them against omicron.

Health & Safety

Pfizer says children under 5 can get 3 low-dose versions of its COVID-19 vaccine

9:41am May 23, 2022

by Rob Stein

Three shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for kids 6 months to under 5 prompted a strong immune response. Preliminary data suggests the vaccine is effective and safe.

A man uses a safe injection site in New York City in January. A bill in California would allow pilot sites in San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles.

California debates opening supervised sites for people to use drugs

5:01am May 23, 2022

by Lesley McClurg

Advocates of the proposal say it would prevent overdoses, slow the spread of HIV and inspire drug users to seek help, while proponents say safe injection sites would create an "open drug scene."

Coronavirus FAQ: I took Paxlovid. I felt better. Then symptoms rebounded. What's up?

7:16pm May 20, 2022

by Fran Kritz

The antiviral drug is prescribed to those at risk of severe disease. It's been credited with reducing hospitalizations. But then there's the "Paxlovid rebound."

A group of activist clinicians are turning to telehealth to provide abortion pills by mail, available even for patients who aren't yet pregnant and want to keep them on hand in case they want an abortion in the future. This has the potential to drasticall

Telehealth abortion demand is soaring. But access may come down to where you live

5:52pm May 20, 2022

Recent rule changes made it easier for patients to get abortion pills through the mail, using telehealth services. Now there is growing demand for these services – and new legal battles brewing.