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Nonadherence to COPD medication increases hospital admissions and mortality

Medication nonadherence among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a result of affordability and lack of knowledge about medications, among other factors, and leads to increased exacerbations and faster lung function decline, according to two new studies.

4 Mar 2026

Lawmakers, health groups resist their states’ rural health fund plans

In the final days of 2025, governors around the country trumpeted the hundreds of millions of federal dollars they won from a new, $50 billion rural health fund.

4 Mar 2026

Despite their successes, some mobile crisis response teams are in crisis

It was a snowy afternoon in Bozeman, a city of nearly 60,000 nestled among the mountains of southern Montana. Temperatures hovered in the mid-30s.

4 Mar 2026

Families defend disability services amid Medicaid cuts

Families of Idahoans with disabilities say their lives could be upended as lawmakers in the state's Republican-dominated legislature mull sweeping cuts.

2 Mar 2026

To avoid care disruptions, know when the clock runs out on your prior authorization

A woman with multiple sclerosis wanted to be able to walk up the stairs at home without losing her balance.

27 Feb 2026

Heart attack deaths increase in young adults, especially women

A new study found that heart attack deaths were up among younger adults with women more likely than men to die after a first heart attack.

26 Feb 2026

‘Kind of morbid’: Health premiums threaten their nest egg. A terminal diagnosis may spare it.

Early on, Jean Franklin got some career advice she followed religiously: "Pay yourself first." So she did, socking away hundreds of thousands of dollars in retirement savings by the time she became a stay-at-home mom at age 41.

26 Feb 2026

Prior COVID infection increases kidney disease risk

Approximately one in seven adults in the United States has kidney disease, where the organs responsible for filtering waste and excess water from the blood are damaged, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

25 Feb 2026

Having “hasslers” in your network linked to faster aging and poorer health

Researchers analyzed a state-representative US sample to examine whether negative social ties, termed “hasslers,” are associated with epigenetic age acceleration and faster biological aging. Each additional hassler was linked to roughly nine months higher biological age and a 1.5% faster pace of aging, with particularly strong associations for mental health outcomes.

25 Feb 2026

Sex differences in coronary plaque burden and cardiovascular event risk revealed

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common cause of death globally. In CAD, plaques composed of cholesterol, fats, calcium and other compounds accumulate and create obstructions in the coronary vessels that supply blood to the heart.

23 Feb 2026

State lawmakers seek restraints on wage garnishment for medical debt

Lawmakers in at least eight states this year are aiming to reel in wage garnishment for unpaid medical bills.

22 Feb 2026

When it comes to health insurance, federal dollars support more than ACA plans

Subsidies. Love 'em or hate them, they dominated the news during the Affordable Care Act's sign-up season, and their reduction is now hitting many enrollees in the pocketbook.

20 Feb 2026

Stereotactic radiation improves quality of life in patients with brain metastases

In a Phase 3 randomized trial, Mass General Brigham researchers found that stereotactic radiation targeting individual tumors led to lower symptom burden, better cognitive outcomes, and better day to day function when compared with whole brain radiation

19 Feb 2026

Low-field MRI could offer an alternative to existing breast cancer screening methods

Mass General Brigham's evaluation of low-field MRI performance lays potential groundwork for this technology to be a lower-cost, accessible option for breast imaging.

19 Feb 2026

Nevada debuts public option amid tumultuous federal changes to health care

More than 10,000 people have enrolled in Nevada's new public option health plans, which debuted last fall with the expectation that they would bring lower prices to the health insurance market.

19 Feb 2026

Young adults with complex conditions face Medicaid coverage disruptions at age 19

In most states, Medicaid eligibility rules shift at age 19, when individuals transition from child to adult classification.

18 Feb 2026

Stroke care varies across Medicare coverage types

A first-of-its-kind analysis has revealed significant differences in stroke outcomes and stroke care for patients on government-run traditional Medicare plans versus those on Medicare Advantage, offered by private insurers.

18 Feb 2026

Red and blue states alike want to limit AI in insurance. Trump wants to limit the states.

It's the rare policy question that unites Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and the Democratic-led Maryland government against President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California: How should health insurers use AI?

18 Feb 2026

Brain circuit links past experiences to appetite control

Our past experiences shape how much we eat and where and what we choose to eat. Using preclinical models, researchers from Mass General Brigham and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have identified brain cells that translate contextual information into appetite control.

12 Feb 2026