It's not hard to explain why business is booming for telehealth companies

Florida is experiencing one of its worst surges of dengue in decades, and the toll now includes a death

West African laboratory scientists are urging governments to strengthen their capacity to detect disease outbreaks to prevent another major crisis

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tells anti-vaccine activists from an organization he once chaired that they have a friend in the White House

The World Health Organization reports encouraging signs in the fight against an Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo

A radiologist who's a former Fox News contributor will be facing lawmakers as President Donald Trump’s third nominee for surgeon general

Learning to ride a bike, a classic childhood milestone, is now happening in school gyms and playgrounds

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is proposing free home visits from nurses for every new parent in the state and expanded mental health screenings for new mothers

An English judge has issued a scathing report blaming dysfunctional management for failing to protect babies at the hospital where nurse Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering seven infants

Chile has become the first South American country to eliminate dog-transmitted rabies to humans, according to the World Health Organization

New blood tests are helping doctors diagnose whether Alzheimer’s or something else is causing a patient’s memory problems

The Trump administration is promising $500 rebate checks to about 1 million ACA enrollees across 30 states

Lindsay Clancy’s attorney is asking a Massachusetts judge to acquit her of charges that she killed her three young children

The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo is spreading rapidly beyond its epicenter, according to Africa's top health body

A California couple’s surrogate who refused their wishes to have an abortion is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a custody dispute over the 4-week-old child who was born with a serious heart defect

A Pennsylvania coroner confirms that the two measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania last month involved infants, and the virus itself caused one of the deaths

A 43-day nurses’ strike in Kenya that paralyzed public hospitals has ended after the government and the nurses’ union signed a return-to-work agreement

The Australian Broadcasting Corp. says a study has found that 31 rugby league players have been diagnosed with the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

Doctors in Kenya have threatened to join a strike by nurses that has entered a sixth week, citing an increased workload in hospitals as they cover for the impact of the industrial action

Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan's husband has died while undergoing treatment in Zanzibar

The burial of a young chorister in Bunia highlights the ongoing Ebola crisis in Congo

This is a MedPage Today story. HAVANA, Fla. -- For a rural community, this town of 1,750 people has been more fortunate than most. A family doctor has practiced here for the last 30 years. But that ended in December when Mark Newberry, MD, retired. To attract a new doctor, Havana leaders took out want ads in local newspapers, posted notices on social media, and sweetened the pot with a rent-free medical office equipped with an x-ray, an ultrasound machine, and a bone density scanner -- all owned by the town. Local leaders hope the recruitment campaign will help attract candidates amid a nationwide shortage of doctors. "This is important for our community," said Kendrah Wilkerson, Havana's town manager, "in the same way that parks are important and good future planning is important." According to a Florida Department of Health report, doctor shortages affect all or part of nearly every county, but less populous counties, such as Gadsden, where Havana is located, have the...

This is a MedPage Today story. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s statements before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday revealed a concerning lack of knowledge about the major health programs he'd oversee, should he be confirmed as HHS secretary. On several occasions during the 3.5-hour hearing, Kennedy seemed to conflate Medicare, Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage, and appeared to mistakenly refer to the Affordable Care Act health exchanges. "Medicaid is not working for Americans, and it's specifically not working for the target population," he said in response to questions from Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.), a physician, who asked him in what ways he would improve the healthcare delivery system. "I'm on Medicare Advantage and I'm very happy with it," Kennedy replied. "Most people who are on Medicaid are not happy. The premiums are too high, the deductibles are too high, the networks are narrow." In fact, Medicaid plans generally do not have premiums, or if they do, under federal law...

This is a MedPage Today story. Luigi Mangione, the person charged with murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, reportedly had spinal surgery for chronic back pain caused by spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis occurs when a vertebra slips forward out of place onto the vertebra below, explained Jessica Stark, MD, spine surgeon at UTHealth Houston. This slippage, a sequela of arthritis, happens most often in the lumbar spine and can put pressure on the nerves around the spine. "Really arthritic backs can have varying degrees of spondylolisthesis throughout the spine, just because the joints have become overgrown and slipped at different spots," Stark told MedPage Today. Pain levels depend on the degree of slip and how the spondylolisthesis came to be. When patients come in with the condition, Stark begins by assessing the grade of severity and how much the condition is affecting the patient's life. Many report having back and leg pain or numbness. "I always tell patients...

This is a MedPage Today story. A western New York health insurance provider for seniors and the CEO of its medical analytics arm have agreed to pay a total of up to $100 million to settle Justice Department allegations of fraudulent billing for health conditions that were exaggerated or didn't exist. Independent Health Association of Buffalo, which operates two Medicare Advantage plans, will pay up to $98 million. Betsy Gaffney, CEO of medical records review company DxID, will pay $2 million, according to the settlement agreement. Neither admitted wrongdoing. "Today's result sends a clear message to the Medicare Advantage community that the United States will take appropriate action against those who knowingly submit inflated claims for reimbursement," Michael Granston, a Department of Justice (DOJ) deputy assistant attorney general, said in announcing the settlement on December 20. Frank Sava, a spokesperson for Independent Health, said in a statement: "The assertions by the DOJ...