DEVNA BOSE

AP Health Writer

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tours the Native Health Mesa Food Distribution Center in Mesa, Ariz., Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

RFK Jr. wants to target chronic disease in US tribes. A key program to do that was gutted

A key program using traditional medicine and foods to tackle chronic disease in Native American and Alaska Native communities has been gutted in the federal health layoffs.

Lynn Sokler, who retired from the CDC three weeks ago after working there almost two decades, protests with others in support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in front of the headquarters in Atlanta, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Gray)

Federal judge says she will temporarily block billions in health funding cuts to states

A federal judge in Rhode Island says she’ll temporarily block the Trump administration from cutting billions in federal public health dollars. The temporary restraining order was sought in a lawsuit brought by 23 states and the District of Columbia.

People gather for a candlelight vigil in support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in front of its headquarters in Atlanta, Friday, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Gray)

States sue Trump administration for rescinding billions in health funding

Attorneys general and other officials from 23 states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration for its decision to claw back $11 billion that went to public health departments for COVID-19 efforts and addiction and mental health programs.

This undated electron microscope image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows rabies virions, dark and bullet-shaped, within an infected tissue sample. (F. A. Murphy/CDC via AP, File)

Organ transplant patient in Michigan dies from rabies

A shaft of light shines into a bedroom in Belle, W.Va., on Nov. 11, 2013. (Craig Cunningham/The Daily Mail via AP, File)

How much sleep do you really need? Experts say it depends

Most people spend a third of their lives sleeping, but you may need more or less than eight hours a night. The amount of sleep we need changes throughout our lives.

A sign stands at an entrance to the main campus of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

CDC vaccination committee meeting postponed days after RFK Jr. took over at HHS

A panel of experts that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine policy will not meet as previously scheduled next week. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was supposed to meet in Atlanta from Feb. 26 to 28.

Dr. Lee Gross examines patient Annie Geisel at the Epiphany Health Direct Primary Care Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Port Charlotte, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Direct primary care cuts out insurance companies. Could it gain traction under Trump?

Direct primary care is an increasingly popular health care option. Patients at these clinics pay a fee of roughly $50 to $100 month and get easier, direct access to their doctor for routine care as often as they want for no extra cost.

Transgenders rights supporters rally outside of the Supreme Court, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Some hospitals pause gender-affirming care to evaluate Trump’s executive order

Hospitals in Colorado, Virginia and the nation’s capital say they have paused gender-affirming care for young people as they evaluate President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at cutting federal support for such care.

Susan Scarbro bowls while wearing a mask in Little River, S.C. on Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Laura Bargfeld)

Meet the Americans who still take COVID-19 precautions seriously

People with immune system health problems continue to take precautions against COVID-19 five years into the pandemic. The threat of infection is a governing force in their lives while others speak of the coronavirus in the past tense.

A person views lights in front of the New York skyline at The Shops at Columbus Circle, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Are you catching holiday blues instead of cheer? Here are some ways to find peace

Experts say that the holidays can put a strain on your mental health. Sometimes it’s a complicated relationship with family, or stress from an expensive holiday season. It’s important to remember that you’re not alone.

Members of the New York police crime scene unit investigate bullets lying on the sidewalk at the scene outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan where Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

Companies tighten security after a health care CEO’s killing leads to a surge of threats

The killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in New York has prompted health care companies to rethink and increase security for executives.

Signage is displayed the outside of the corporate headquarters building of health insurance company Anthem in Indianapolis, Tuesday, May 14, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reverses decision to put a time limit on anesthesia

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield says it won’t tie payments to the length of time a patient went under anesthesia. The insurance giant is reversing a stated policy change after widespread outcry.

A car drives through a crosswalk near some Halloween decorations in Chicago on Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Laura Bargfeld)

This Halloween, be safe when trick-or-treating by watching for cars

Experts say the scariest things on Halloween aren’t monsters or ghosts — it’s traffic. Halloween is one of the deadliest days of the year for pedestrians, especially for kids.

FILE - Patients are evacuated from Palms of Pasadena Hospital in South Pasadena, Fla. on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, as Hurricane Irma approaches. (Eve Edelheit/Tampa Bay Times via AP, File)

Florida hospitals and health care facilities in Hurricane Milton’s path prepare for the worst

Hospitals and other health care facilities on Florida’s Gulf Coast — still reeling from Hurricane Helene — are now revving up for Hurricane Milton.

An aerial view of flood-damaged Unicoi County Hospital in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Hospitals mostly rebound after Helene knocked out power and flooded areas

Hospitals and health care organizations in the Southeast largely stayed open and functioning during Hurricane Helene to provide essential care for their communities. But the massive system caused blackouts, wind damage, supply issues and flooding.

Drink protector "condoms" and other sexual wellness items are made available to students at the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford, Miss., Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht)

Takeaways from AP’s report on declining condom use among younger generations

Condom usage is down among teens and young adults in the U.S. Medical advancements, a fading fear of contracting HIV and widely varying degrees of sex education in high schools all contribute to the trend.

Condoms and other sexual wellness items are made available to students at the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford, Miss., Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht)

Condoms aren’t a fact of life for young Americans. They’re an afterthought

Condom use is down among sexually active teens and young adults. The decline in condom use is due to a combination of medical advancements like long-term birth control options and drugs that prevent sexually transmitted infections, a fading fear of contracting HIV and widely varying levels of sex ed

FILE - Dr. Susan Gorman displays the Skyla IUD, left, and the Mirena IUD, at High Lakes Gynecology in Redmond, Ore., Jan. 14, 2015. (Andy Tullis/The Bulletin via AP)

It’s not just IUDs. Gynecologists and patients are focused on making procedures less painful

Federal officials affirmed this month that the pain people might feel when getting an IUD can be more than doctors’ promises of “just a pinch.”

This image provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in July 2024 shows a label for Boar's Head liverwurst. The company recalled 7 million pounds of deli meats on July 30, 2024, expanding an initial recall on July 25 after a liverwurst sample collected in Maryland tested positive for listeria. (USDA via AP)

Third person dies in listeria outbreak tied to Boar’s Head deli meats

Federal food safety officials say three people have now died in a listeria food poisoning outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats. The overall number of people sickened has risen to 43.

This Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, image shows some of Lauren Bell's videos on the TikTok social media website. Bell, who takes over-the-counter medications occasionally to treat her symptoms, first started posting on Instagram about her struggle with IBS – how isolating it was and how she felt like she was having to rearrange her life and diet around her food sensitivities – and sharing her diagnosis with her friends (AP Photo)

IBS and digestive trouble are in the spotlight on social media. Here’s what you should know

Spend some time on TikTok and you’ll see loads of people talking about digestive troubles like irritable bowel syndrome.

Lauren Bell stands for a portrait at Crescent Park in New Orleans, Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Bell, who takes over-the-counter medications occasionally to treat her symptoms, first started posting on Instagram about her struggle with IBS – how isolating it was and how she felt like she was having to rearrange her life and diet around her food sensitivities – and sharing her diagnosis with her friends. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Younger adults are going public with their digestive problems. Experts say it’s mostly a good thing

More people are talking about digestive problems online and experts say that’s mostly a good thing. It’s not clear whether there actually is an uptick in the number of people having digestive issues or if the online conversation is leading to more appointments and diagnoses, according to doctors.

A ship sails past reproductions of artworks decorating the banks of the River Seineat the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Paris, France. The men's Olympic triathlon has been postponed over concerns about water quality in Paris' Seine River, where the swimming portion of the race was supposed to take place. (AP Photo/ Dar Yasin)

Here’s what to know about Seine River water quality during the Paris Olympics

With the Paris Games underway, officials are keeping a close eye on the water quality of the Seine River. Swimming has been off-limits in the long-polluted river for more than a century.

FILE - A cyclist rides along a street near the Tobin Memorial Bridge, background, in Chelsea, Mass., on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. After nearly 1,750 low-income people in the Boston suburb won a lottery to receive monthly stipends from the city from November 2020 to August 2021, researchers found that winners visited emergency departments significantly less than people who did not receive the monthly payments. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

More money could result in fewer trips to ER, study suggests

A new study suggests that giving cash to poor people could result in fewer emergency department visits. The study, which published Monday, examined the health records of people in a Boston suburb who won up to $400 a month for nine months.

FILE - Surgeons perform a bilateral mastectomy on a transgender patient at a hospital in Boston on Friday, July 15, 2016. On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, a U.S. federal district court judge temporarily halted parts of a nondiscrimination rule that would have kept insurers and medical professionals from denying hormone therapy, gender transition surgeries and similar medical care for transgender people. (Christine Hochkeppel/Worcester Telegram & Gazette via AP, File)

Judge temporarily blocks Biden administration’s restoration of transgender health protections

A federal district court judge has temporarily halted parts of a nondiscrimination rule that would have kept insurers and medical professionals from denying hormone therapy, gender transition surgeries and similar medical care for transgender people.

FILE - A child keeps cool beneath misters along the Las Vegas Strip, Friday, June 16, 2017, in Las Vegas. Pediatricians suggest keeping your child hydrated and avoiding prolonged sun exposure to keep heat illness at bay. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Kids spend a lot of time outside in the summer. Here’s how to deal with their common injuries

Summer means playgrounds, pools, bikes and being outside for kids. Pediatricians say it can also mean more potential for injuries like dehydration, sunburns and scrapes.

FILE - Shaun Clark, left, and Jim Donnelly watch as a big wave starts to come ashore at Fernandina Beach, in Nassau County, Fla., Sept. 16, 2003. A man on Florida’s east coast was bitten by a shark this weekend, but is now recovering, Nassau County authorities said Sunday, June 30, 2024, in the third shark attack in state waters over the past month. (Bob Mack/The Florida Times-Union via AP)

Man recovering from shark bite on the Florida coast in state’s third attack in a month

Authorities say a man bitten by a shark over the weekend on Florida’s northeast coast is recovering.

FILE - A Care Home Delivery Technician gets his blood pressure checked at Augusta Health in Fishersville, Va., on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019. Racial and ethnic inequities in health care are found in every state in the U.S. despite some progress over the past two decades, according to a new national report released Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (Rebecca J. Barnab/The News Virginian via AP, File)

Health care needs to diversify its workforce to get rid of racial inequalities, a new report says

A new national report says racial and ethnic inequities in health care are found in every state despite some progress over the past two decades. The report was released Wednesday by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

FILE - Children's Defense Fund Program Director Graciela Camarena assists Lucia Salazar with filling out Medicaid and SNAP application forms for her family in Pharr, Texas, Nov. 13, 2023. Almost a quarter of people who were dropped from Medicaid during the post-pandemic eligibility reviews are still uninsured and high costs are preventing them from getting on another plan, a new survey showed Friday, April 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Gonzalez, File)

One-fourth of people dropped from Medicaid still aren’t insured, survey shows

A new survey shows that almost a quarter of people who have been dropped from Medicaid during post-pandemic eligibility reviews are still uninsured. High costs also are preventing many from getting on another plan.

FILE - An operating room is seen in Calif., July 27, 2010. Hospitals must obtain written informed consent from patients before subjecting them to pelvic exams and exams of other sensitive areas — especially if an exam will be done while the patient is unconscious, the federal government said Monday, April 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

Hospitals must obtain written consent for pelvic and similar exams, the federal government says

New federal guidance says hospitals must obtain written informed consent from patients before subjecting them to pelvic exams and exams of other sensitive areas — especially if an exam will be done while the patient is unconscious. The U.S.

An unused gurney rests in the emergency room hallway outside one of the treatment rooms at the Alliance Healthcare System hospital in Holly Springs, Miss., Feb. 29, 2024. Rural emergency hospitals are starting to gain a small foothold in the United States. They provide 24/7 emergency care and receive more than $3 million in federal money a year. But the catch is there are zero inpatient beds at the facilities. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

A new kind of hospital is coming to rural America. To qualify, facilities must close their beds

Rural emergency hospitals are starting to gain a small foothold in the United States. They provide 24/7 emergency care and receive more than $3 million in federal money a year. But the catch is there are zero inpatient beds at the facilities.