Michelle Andrews

Aging takes a toll on teeth, but Medicare doesn't cover most dental needs, and private plans often have skimpy coverage. That means people are paying out of pocket for care or going without.

The plans sought to discourage costly HIV patients by not including their drugs on approved lists or by requiring substantial cost sharing, a Harvard Law School group says in federal complaints.

Gov. Jerry Brown vetoes a bill that would have required small businesses to guarantee that employees' jobs would be there for them after they take parental leave.

A number of preventive services used by both men and women are available at no cost to insured consumers under the Affordable Care Act.

The list of preventive services that insurers would cover without a copay could grow to include mammograms for younger women and perhaps even vasectomies for men.

The IRS limits health plans linked to health savings accounts from covering most care until the deductible is paid off. Proposed legislation would expand what's allowed before that happens.

Research on patients with testicular cancer and on others fighting a brain malignancy finds that people who are privately insured are more likely to be diagnosed earlier and survive longer.

Doctors worry that requiring patients to see a separate genetic counselor will keep them from getting tested for mutations that significantly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Most screening tests for colon cancer are covered by insurance. But if the results are positive, patients may require a diagnostic colonoscopy that may not be fully paid for by insurance.

Although a CDC study released Tuesday found that 80 percent of cases develop outside the hospital or at a nursing home, many people still don't know about this lethal medical condition.

The lower the household income, the less likely it is for children to receive needed eye exams. The income effect was independent of insurance status, a study found.

It can be hard to figure out if genetic tests for breast and ovarian cancer and other services important to women are covered, because health plans often don't list them in the summary of benefits.

Consumers often blame drug companies for the rapidly rising costs of some commonly used generic drugs. But changes made by insurers influence the price of these drugs, too, it turns out.

Hospital systems are building tiny full-service hospitals in urban and suburban markets. They have a full array of emergency services, but only a handful of beds for admitted patients.

Despite government policies designed to encourage health coverage for these children, many families are thwarted by confusing rules and regulations, advocacy groups say.

The administration is focused on getting more young adults into marketplace coverage, but these people often have trouble making the change from family plans or Medicaid coverage.

When children up to the age of 26 can stay on the family health insurance plan, it can be difficult for them to keep their medical information private from Mom and Dad.

Consumers worried that health issues might thwart a planned vacation may want to look into travel insurance that allows them to cancel the trip for any reason.

Researchers report that performance standards set by federal health officials may have led to many patients being dropped from transplant lists without an improvement in survival rates.

Federal and state laws are designed to protect the privacy of patients' health information. But sometimes leaving parents of adult children out of the loop can complicate the patient's recovery.