Lauren Sausser - KFF Health News

Historically, alcohol has disproportionately affected men. But targeted advertising and changes in societal norms have led to an upsurge in alcohol-related diseases and deaths among women.

Delaying cancer treatment can be deadly — which makes the roadblock-riddled process that health insurers use to approve or deny care particularly daunting for oncology patients.

Prior authorization is a common tool used by health insurers for many tests, procedures and prescriptions. Frustrated by the process some patients and doctors want to elevate their denials for further review.

Hundreds of medical centers along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts face serious risks from even relatively weak storms as climate change accelerates sea-level rise — not to mention big ones like Category 4 Hurricane Ian.

A hospital's cost calculator said her procedure would be $1,400 for patients without insurance. Instead, the bill was almost $18,000 and, her part was more than $5,000 — the balance of her deductible.