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'Chaotic and deeply frightening': Once a global gold standard, US government health guidance is falling apart
LOS ANGELES — Weeks after President Donald Trump took office, multiple government webpages referencing gender and sexual orientation abruptly disappeared from the internet.
Many returned after a February court order. But they came with an unusual addition: a disclaimer from the Department of Health and Human Services denying facts provided by...Read more
Man's PSA Level Skyrockets, Making Cancer Recurrence Likely
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a healthy 89-year-old United States Army veteran. In August 2017, I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and was treated with Lupron and radiation. These treatments have given me new life with my PSA level initially being undetectable, but my PSA slowly rose in 2023 and 2024. Then on April 28, it elevated to 29.3 ng/...Read more
Managing magnesium
Around half of Americans get less than the recommended amount of magnesium from food and beverages. And that's not good, because the mineral is an essential component of energy production, muscle and nerve function, DNA production, and absorption of other minerals. It's also an important component of treating and managing migraine, heart disease...Read more

To keep Medicaid, mom caring for disabled adult son faces prospect of proving she works
Four years before Kimberly Gallagher enrolled in Medicaid herself, the public health insurance program’s rules prompted her to make an excruciating choice — to give up guardianship of her son so she could work as his caregiver.
Now, another proposed twist in the rules could mean that, even though Missouri pays her to do that work, she might...Read more

GOP governors mum as Congress prepares to slash Medicaid spending for their states
The last time a Republican-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump moved to slash Medicaid spending, in 2017, a key political force stood in their way: GOP governors.
Now, as Congress steamrolls toward passing historic Medicaid cuts of about $1 trillion over 10 years through Trump’s tax and spending legislation, red-state governors are...Read more

California immigrants weigh health coverage against deportation risk
For months, Maria, 55, a caregiver to older adults in California’s Orange County, has been trying not to smile.
If she opens her mouth too wide, she worries, people will see her chipped, plaque-covered front teeth. An immigrant without legal status, Maria doesn’t have health or dental insurance. When her teeth start to throb, she swallows ...Read more

As mosquito season peaks, officials brace for new normal of dengue cases
As summer ushers in peak mosquito season, health and vector control officials are bracing for the possibility of another year of historic rates of dengue. And with climate change, the lack of an effective vaccine, and federal research cuts, they worry the disease will become endemic to a larger swath of North America.
About 3,700 new dengue ...Read more

'MAHA Report' calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding
The Trump administration has declared that it will aggressively combat chronic disease in America.
Yet in its feverish purge of federal health programs, it has proposed eliminating the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and its annual funding of $1.4 billion.
That’s one of many disconnects between what the ...Read more

Mayo Clinic Q&A: It's a new era for knee replacements and other joint surgeries
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I know there's a knee replacement in my not too distant future. I'm wondering if there are new techniques or technologies that will give me a good outcome?
ANSWER: Not so long ago, undergoing a total hip or knee replacement and recovery was a grueling and often painful ordeal. While these are still major surgeries, new ...Read more

On Nutrition: The battle against MS
We just returned from a reunion in Idaho with some of my closest cousins and their families. One especially poignant visit was with my cousin who is fighting a rare form of multiple sclerosis called “progressive MS.” In spite of it all, she remains as beautiful and spunky as she was in our younger years.
While there is currently no cure for...Read more
Woman Needs Reassurance After A Letter About Her Mammogram
DEAR DR. ROACH: Following my last 3-D mammogram, I received a warning letter from the mammography center regarding the possible shortfall of mammograms for dense breast tissue. I've never received this letter in the past, but I've been told that it is a new requirement by insurance companies.
After doing a little research, I am very confused ...Read more
Cool it!
Hot flashes affect three-quarters of women before and after menopause -- and somewhere around 10% of women experience them for the rest of their lives. The sudden rush of heat concentrated in the chest, neck and face can occur up to 10 or more times a day, drenching clothes and sheets. But discomfort and disturbed sleep aren't the only problems ...Read more

What is thimerosal? Here's a primer on the argued-over vaccine ingredient
The seven new members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices revived a decades-old debate with a Thursday vote in favor of recommending seasonal flu vaccines — only if they're free of the preservative thimerosal.
It's in relatively few vaccines in the U.S. today, though organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, ...Read more

Brain chip made by Elon Musk's company put into paralyzed military vet. What to know
MIAMI — A paralyzed military veteran is one of seven people in the country to be implanted with an Elon Musk-backed brain chip as part of a clinical trial underway in South Florida.
The goal is to test whether the chip, created by Neuralink, a company co-founded by Musk, can give people who are paralyzed the ability to use their mind to ...Read more

Rep. Carter, seeking Georgia Senate seat, surrenders Health gavel
WASHINGTON — Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter will step down as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, he announced Wednesday.
Carter, a Georgia Republican who is challenging presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Jon Ossoff for Senate in 2026, made the announcement via a press release Wednesday as House Republicans ...Read more

Health care would be slashed even for immigrants with legal status under massive Senate bill
Provisions in the new tax and spending bill passed by the U.S. Senate early Tuesday would go even further than the House bill in removing health care and other benefits from immigrants with legal status.
The House version of the massive tax and spending bill penalized states providing health care for some immigrants with legal status as well as...Read more

Republican megabill will mean higher health costs for many Americans
President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” cuts federal spending on Medicaid and Affordable Care Act marketplaces by about $1 trillion over a decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, threatening the physical and financial health of tens of millions of Americans.
The bill, which the Senate passed Tuesday, ...Read more

Analysis: To cut Medicaid, the GOP's following a path often used to expand health care
President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful” budget reconciliation bill would make some of the most sweeping changes in health policy in years, largely affecting Medicaid and Affordable Care Act plans — with reverberations felt throughout the health care system.
With only a few exceptions, the budget reconciliation process — which ...Read more

Burns and fireworks injuries: What to do when seconds count this July 4th
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – From a barbecue explosion to a severe firework injury, a lot can go wrong when celebrating the Fourth of July.
When it does, minutes – even seconds – can significantly impact the extent of the injury.
“Just know that alcohol impairs your reaction time,” said Dr. Randy Katz, Memorial Healthcare System’s ...Read more

What about those ‘guaranteed’ life insurance ads?
How many times have you seen a TV commercial or received a letter stating that you can’t be turned down for this life insurance?
“Guaranteed issue” or “guaranteed acceptance” whole life insurance doesn’t require a medical examination or answering medical history questions for approval. In many cases, you must only meet the age ...Read more
Inside Health Advice
Popular Stories
- Mayo Clinic Q&A: It's a new era for knee replacements and other joint surgeries
- Republican megabill will mean higher health costs for many Americans
- California immigrants weigh health coverage against deportation risk
- 'MAHA Report' calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding
- Brain chip made by Elon Musk's company put into paralyzed military vet. What to know