Renuka Rayasam - KFF Health News

Pregnant patients are being asked to make large payments months before they deliver, a change from decades of standard practice. Advocates worry that it allows providers to hold "treatment hostage."

The makers of Ozempic and Mounjaro charge charge around $1,000 a month for the drugs, and insurers are reluctant to pick up the tab. Often, low-income patients have to resort to less effective treatments.

The stress of caring for children with mental health conditions can take a physical toll that disrupts parents’ ability to provide care, say psychologists, researchers and advocates for families.

Efforts to improve addiction care in jails and prisons are underway across the country. But a rural Alabama county with one of the nation’s highest overdose rates shows how change is slow.

Doctors rushed a pregnant Winter Haven woman to a surgeon in Coral Gables who charged thousands upfront just to see her. The case reveals a gap in medical billing protections for those with rare, specialized conditions.

Private equity groups are cashing in on rising rates of alcohol and drug addiction in the U.S. But they aren’t necessarily investing in centers with the best treatment standards, and they often cut extra services.

The country is suffering from a severe shortage of affordable housing. But elected officials have done little to fix a problem that puts many Americans at greater risk for sickness and shortens lives.