Jun 10 Here's how smoking marijuana might affect your life insurance By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News If you smoke marijuana and you’re shopping for life insurance, chances are you can find a company that won’t penalize you for your habit, but you may have to weed out several insurers to find the best policy. Continue reading
Jun 10 Rural doctor shortage spurs states to act By Michael Ollove, Stateline Earlier this month, dignitaries gathered at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro to cut the ribbon on a new medical school, only the second in a state with a dire shortage of doctors. Continue reading
Jun 09 Watch 6:10 World Bank creates new fund to enable faster disaster response By PBS News Hour When the Ebola outbreak struck West Africa in 2014, it took months for international agencies to funnel money into the affected areas. Eventually, more than 11,000 people died and the economic cost topped $10 billion. Now, the World Bank is… Continue watching
Jun 09 If FDA doesn't issue faster food recalls, consumers face danger, watchdog says By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press Despite new legal powers to compel recalls and sophisticated technology to fingerprint pathogens, the Food and Drug Administration allowed some food-safety investigations to drag on, placing consumers in jeopardy of death or serious illness, according to the inspector general's office… Continue reading
Jun 08 'Gene drive' technology could make malaria-proof mosquitoes, but experts say more research is needed By Ike Swetlitz, STAT Research on a genetic engineering technique that allows scientists to quickly modify entire populations of organisms should continue in the laboratory — and potentially in the field, an expert panel said Wednesday. Continue reading
Jun 08 FDA makes it easier for some patients to get experimental drugs By Rachel Bluth, Kaiser Health News The Food and Drug Administration removed an obstacle from of its “compassionate use” policy this month, eliminating some paperwork that physicians must do to obtain experimental drugs for some patients with immediately life-threatening illnesses. Continue reading
Jun 06 Early results of W.Va. town's needle exchange program show progress By Christine Vestal, Stateline HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The high school students who lined up to graduate at the civic center here on a recent afternoon celebrated their bright futures. And for the college students in shorts and flip flops who filled the downtown cafes… Continue reading
Jun 05 Was boxing to blame for Parkinson's disease in Muhammad Ali? By Bob Tedeschi, STAT Muhammad Ali was still boxing professionally when observers first noticed signs of neurological decline, and many have been quick to link his profession to his diagnosis, years later, of Parkinson’s disease. Continue reading
Jun 04 Young people at risk for STDs often don't get tested, study says By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News Although they account for half of all new sexually transmitted infections, most young people between the ages of 15 and 25 have never been tested for those infections. Continue reading
Jun 03 Why are so many white Americans dying young? By Dylan Scott, STAT A 15-year study shows the life expectancy of white Americans seems to have plateaued, while for blacks and Hispanics it keeps rising. Continue reading