Despite Diet Coke's cultishfollowing, sales have been in decline over perceptions of its health risks.
Why it matters: A World Health Organization cancer agency on Thursday classified aspartame — a key sweetener — as possibly carcinogenic, though experts say that likely doesn't mean you need to quit Diet Coke.
Another family has filed a lawsuit asking for class-action status against Harvard Medical School over the university's role in a ring that allegedly sold human remains on the black market for years.
Why it matters: It's the latest in a string of similarclass-action suitsagainst the prestigious school since federal authorities charged its morgue manager with conspiracy and trafficking of stolen goods.
Hospital outpatient departments are in line for a Medicare rate increase next year, while program payments for physicians could decline.
Driving the news: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Thursday proposed increasing payment for hospital outpatient services by 2.8% increase, or approximately $6 billion, in 2024.
As it hits the one-year mark, most Americans still aren't aware the 988 national suicide prevention and mental health hotline exists — and few states have established long-term funding commitments to sustain it.
Why it matters: Without more outreach and resources, the three-digit number could languish as the nation continues to grapple with its mental health crisis.
While the Food and Drug Administration's decision to approve over-the-counter birth control pills could make contraception more accessible in places where it's hard to find a prescriber, the still-unknown cost could be a major hurdle.
Why it matters: Health insurance plans are not required to cover birth control methods obtained without a prescription, meaning that consumers who take HRA Pharma's Opill, once it's available over-the-counter next year, will likely pay out-of-pocket.
Scientists are beginning to understand how sex chromosomes and hormones affect people's risk for certain diseases — and whether the biology behind those differences can be harnessed to improve treatments.
Ten prescription drugs accounted for nearly one-quarter of gross Medicare drug spending in 2021 — and accounted for more than half of the increase in Part D drug spending from 2018 to 2021, according to a new KFF analysis.
Why it matters: The findings underscore the potential impact of negotiating prices for a limited number of big-ticket drugs under the Inflation Reduction Act.
With record high temperatures becoming the norm, humans are more regularly hitting the threshold of our ability to cope with heat.
Driving the news: The Earth has hit back-to-back historic heat records in recent weeks and excessively high temperatures have lingered across many regions in the U.S.
Legislation that would establish the nation's first minimum wage for health care workers advanced in the California State Assembly this week over the objections of an unusual alliance of providers, hospitals and a big nurses union.
Driving the news: The Labor and Employment Committee on Wednesday approved the bill, sending it next to the Appropriations Committee and giving it momentum headed into the August recess.
