Buyouts can bring relief from medical debt, but they’re far from a cure

One in 10 Americans carry medical debt, while 2 in 5 are underinsured and at risk of not being able to pay their medical bills. This burden crushes millions of…

Asthma meds have become shockingly unaffordable − but relief may be on the way

The price of asthma medication has soared in the U.S. over the past decade and a half. The jump – in some cases from around a little over US$10 to…

College students with loans more likely to report bad health and skip medicine and care, study finds

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Students who took out loans to pay for college rated their overall health and mental health…

Tuberculosis on the rise for first time in decades after COVID-19 interrupted public health interventions and increased inequality

Before SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spread across the world in 2020, tuberculosis was responsible for more deaths globally than any other infectious disease. But thanks to targeted public…

Migrants often can’t access US health care until they are critically ill – here are some of the barriers they face

“Can you tell me about cancer care for the undocumented?” I asked Henry during an interview. He was a doctor who volunteered his time at a community-based clinic designed exclusively…

Abortion restrictions put hospital ethics committees in the spotlight – but what do they do?

Many states have imposed sweeping restrictions that all but ban abortion since the June 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned the 50-year-old constitutional right to the procedure. These laws have…

What does ending the emergency status of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US mean in practice? 4 questions answered

The COVID-19 pandemic’s public health emergency status in the U.S. expires on May 11, 2023. And on May 5, the World Health Organization declared an end to the COVID-19 public…

Heteronormativity in health care is harmful for LGBTQ+ patients – and a source of tension for queer and trans doctors

Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community have long experienced prejudice in medical settings. This can range from microaggressions, such as comments that a patient doesn’t “look”…

Gender-affirming care has a long history in the US – and not just for transgender people

In 1976, a woman from Roanoke, Virginia, named Rhoda received a prescription for two drugs: estrogen and progestin. Twelve months later, a local reporter noted Rhoda’s surprisingly soft skin and…