The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
An Arm and a Leg launches its 鈥101鈥 series with the story of Alfred Engelberg, a lawyer who鈥檚 been crusading to improve access to generic drugs by fixing loopholes in a law he helped draft more than 40 years ago.
Physicians, dentists, and other nonhospital providers account for more than 80% of health care debt collection cases in Connecticut courts, a CT Mirror-吃瓜不打烊 investigation finds.
吃瓜不打烊 journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.
As artificial intelligence embeds itself into health care, some physicians and patient advocates worry it could be used by insurance companies to refuse payment for care. Maryland passed one law banning AI from acting alone on a denial. Meanwhile, Virginia鈥檚 then-governor vetoed that state鈥檚 attempt at regulating AI in health insurance.
With high demand for mental health care, a wave of artificial intelligence-powered chatbots are being marketed as therapy apps 鈥 with little evidence they work and few regulations.
Starting next year, about 18.5 million adults will be subject to new Medicaid work rules in 42 states and Washington, D.C. Applicants must show they鈥檝e been working for at least a month before receiving benefits. Some Republican-controlled states want to triple the required work period.
A funding notice for Title X shifts the program鈥檚 emphasis from contraception to fertility, family formation, and addressing conditions that could cause infertility, including endometriosis. Experts say these priorities overlook key demographic trends, epidemiology, prevention of unwanted pregnancies, and the nation’s high maternal mortality.
A rural Nebraska dialysis unit that was hemorrhaging money closed, upending patients鈥 lives. That鈥檚 despite a federal rural health program that granted the state more than $200 million this year to improve health care in rural communities.
A 吃瓜不打烊 analysis found Medi-Cal lost almost 100,000 immigrants without legal status in the second half of 2025. California officials say it鈥檚 not clear if immigrants are losing coverage faster than other populations, but researchers said the most obvious driver is fear of the Trump administration鈥檚 immigration policies.
As President Donald Trump鈥檚 heightened immigration enforcement continues across the country, some states are updating temporary guardianship laws to keep the children of detained and deported immigrants out of state custody.
New Orleans鈥 mayor signed an executive order, and the city is requesting $5 million in federal funds to address lead in playgrounds.
Lower premiums often mean higher costs when you get sick and need care. Among the ways to plan ahead and soften the financial hit: health savings accounts, which act like a medical piggy bank.
Even as the Trump administration publicly embraces the Make America Healthy Again movement and its ideals about reducing corporate harm to the environment, it has taken steps to stall environmental protections that MAHA followers hold dear.
吃瓜不打烊 chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner recently made the radio rounds to discuss topical stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of her appearances.
Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.
A long stay in intensive care can bring physical, cognitive, and mental health challenges that can take months or longer to resolve.
Major health insurers and even Medicare are using artificial intelligence to make coverage decisions. But class action lawsuits have accused insurers of using AI to wrongfully withhold treatment, and new research illuminates the risks.
This week, the Trump administration won a court battle to delay a ruling on access to the abortion pill mifepristone, angering its own anti-abortion allies. Meanwhile, the president鈥檚 budget arrived on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are unlikely to agree to its proposed cuts to Health and Human Services programs. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Maya Goldman of Axios join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
