The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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What should you do if your medication isn’t covered by insurance? 4 tips and tactics, plus how to file an appeal It’s frustrating when your health insurance doesn’t cover your medication. A drug that appears on a formulary — the list of medications covered by a health insurance plan — can get dropped anytime. This can happen if a medication is seldom used, there is a generic or biosimilar available, or a more affordable option exists. Whatever the reason, you’re stuck with the full cost even t...
Allergies are a common concern, especially during the spring when pollen levels rise and outdoor exposure increases. For many people, symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, and throat irritation can interfere with daily life. Understanding how to manage these symptoms with over-the-counter treatments (and knowing when to seek specialized care) can make a significant difference in comfort and overall health. Seasonal allergies, also known as allergic rhinitis, are typically...
The deadly combination of pregnancy and rural living in the United States Aisha didn’t know it yet, but by the time she reached the hospital, it was too late. After more than a week of struggling to access maternal care—long drives to a distant clinic, confusing insurance forms, and even longer drives to the hospital—she miscarried the pregnancy she had longed for. Aisha, who is using only her first name for safety reasons, made the long drive home alone. Many other rural women in Texas never...
The truth about gut health The "cast iron stomach" myth persists in gastroenterology offices. When patients say they can eat “anything,” they’re saying they believe they should be able to tolerate all foods under all circumstances. Yet this is a fundamental misunderstanding of the gut’s complexity. The gut is not a passive tube but a complex system that houses the digestive tract and is the body’s largest immune organ. It contains about 70% of all immune cells and even has its own nervous s...
Michigan measles outbreak shows high cost of stopping even a small number of infections from spreading The small measles outbreak that health officials are combating in Michigan began last month with an unvaccinated young woman returning home from visiting Florida, a state where there have been more than 140 cases this year. Her first symptoms around March 7 seemed like a cold. By the time the telltale measles rash appeared a few days later, she had exposed her family and scores of other people...
How telehealth is reshaping access to mental health care in America As telehealth becomes a normalized part of healthcare, digital therapy platforms are helping expand access to mental health support by reducing traditional barriers such as geography, cost, and stigma. For generations, the greatest obstacle to mental health care was the courage it took to ask for help at all. That stigma has softened considerably over the past decade, but what took its place was something most people did not...
How to maintain weight loss after using a GLP-1 Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are now widely used for weight loss. If you’re one of the millions of people in the U.S. taking one, you may be wondering what happens next. Do you need to keep taking it? What happens if you stop? Here’s what experts say about maintaining weight after GLP-1 treatment, reported by GoodRx, a platform for medication savings. Key takeaways: - Most people need to keep taking GLP-1 medications to pre...
No test can confirm perimenopause. Doctors say you should get one anyway If you’re in your mid-40s or older and having symptoms like hot flashes, brain fog, weight gain, sleep issues, and more, you might be wondering if a blood test can tell you whether you’re in perimenopause. It can’t. Hormone levels fluctuate too widely during this transition for any single test to tell you where you are on your menopause journey. But doctors strongly encourage getting a blood test during perimenopause to ru...
The mental health stigma is changing: What America’s increasing therapy rates reveal As more Americans seek therapy than ever before, shifting attitudes toward mental health are revealing a broader cultural change in how people approach emotional well-being. Nearly 9 in 10 U.S. adults now say that having a mental health condition is nothing to be ashamed of, and 83% report feeling comfortable talking about their mental health openly. That level of acceptance reflects a meaningful shift in how Am...
Why am I always cold? Possible causes, explained Feeling cold more often than others is not just uncomfortable; it can be a sign that your body is struggling to maintain its normal temperature. Everyone experiences chills or cold sensations occasionally, but if you find yourself consistently cold, it is worth exploring the reasons behind it. Your body’s temperature regulation depends on several factors, including metabolism, blood flow, and hormone levels. When any of these systems is off b...
Stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy moves closer to US trials Cerebral palsy affects roughly 1 in 345 children in the United States. About 764,000 children and adults live with the condition. Standard treatment focuses on managing symptoms through physical therapy, medications, and assistive devices. None of these treatments repairs the brain injury at the root of the condition. For families, this has meant a long wait for something better. In February 2026, a development out of Japan offered...
Why poor sleep is the top mental health challenge for employees The top mental health challenge your employees are experiencing today might come as a surprise to you. Spring Health surveyed over 500 HR professionals and more than 1,500 full-time employees for its 2026 Workplace Mental Health Annual Report, and a massive misalignment emerged. More than one-third (36%) of employees cited sleep issues related to mental health as a top challenge in the past year. In fact, sleep challenges tied to me...
Why some health professionals are recommending pet ownership for better health Research suggests that pet ownership is associated with higher life satisfaction, with some studies estimating its impact as comparable to that of a substantial increase in income. According to the paper The Value of Pets by Michael W. Gmeiner and Adelina Gschwandtner, this comparison reflects a modeled relationship between life satisfaction and income rather than a literal financial gain. Beyond the obvious...
Is there a best allergy medicine for seniors? Safe medications and which ones to avoid There are some medications that older adults should avoid due to their risk of side effects. This includes some of the most well-known allergy medications. But that doesn’t mean you have to avoid all allergy medications if you’re over the age of 65. There are plenty of treatment options that are still safe and effective for older adults with seasonal allergies. In this article, GoodRx, a platform for med...
Most midlife adults feel better about their health than they did in their 30s, according to Hone Health data Aging is often considered synonymous with physical and mental decline, but a new nationwide survey of 1,000 adults aged 35–65 shows that increasingly, people in this age group feel more in control of their health now than they did a decade ago. The survey, conducted by Hone Health, a telehealth platform focused on longevity and preventative health, found nearly three-quarters of r...
Evaluating non-drowsy allergy medicine options Allergy symptoms can disrupt daily life, causing sneezing, a runny nose, itchy eyes, and congestion. Many people avoid taking allergy medications because of concerns about drowsiness, which can interfere with work, driving, or other activities. Non-drowsy allergy medicines offer relief without sedation, helping people stay alert and focused, Doctronic reports. These medications primarily belong to the class of second-generation antihistamines....
Everything you need to know about sweating during workouts and exercise You know that sensation of sweat dripping on your body when you’re doing a run, dance class, or strength training? Some believe that sweat is a sign of a good workout. Others might wonder if it’s a signal of fat burning, or if you could sweat too much. Degree explains what’s really going on. Why you sweat so much when you work out Sweat is your internal cooling system, so it makes sense that it would show up when you’r...
Tiny surgical robots are bringing AI inside the human body, and they're closer than you think Tiny surgical robots are learning to make decisions inside the human body, using AI to interpret complex biological environments in real time. Unlike traditional minimally invasive procedures, where precision occurs at the tip of a rigid instrument, these microrobots navigate through tissue, gather data, take biopsies, and deliver treatment. The challenge is not just building devices small enough to...
Paying cash for healthcare: Can it save you money? You don’t need health insurance to access healthcare. In fact, you can pay out of pocket for healthcare even if you have insurance. Sometimes, doing this will cost less. GoodRx, a platform for medication savings, explains more about what’s known as cash-pay healthcare. Key takeaways: - Cash-pay healthcare means accessing medical treatment, preventive medicine, and wellness services without insurance. This is also known as paying out of poc...
What type of asthma inhaler is right for you? In the U.S., 25 million people are affected by asthma. That’s roughly 1 in 13 adults and children. Asthma can be mild or severe. Some people with asthma have symptoms every day. Others have symptoms that only kick in when they experience triggers. Since asthma is a lung issue, it’s often treated with medications that you breathe into your lungs. These medications are given using an inhaler. This guide from GoodRx, a platform for medication sav...
yul38885 // Shutterstock Coldest Aprils in Alabama since 1895 Stacker compiled a ranking of the coldest Aprils in Alabama since 1895 using data from the National Centers for Environmental Information. Rankings are based on the lowest average temperature in each month. For each of the coldest months listed below, we've included the average state temperature, state-wide highs and lows for the month, and the total precipitation. #10. April 2018 - Average temperature: 59.5°F - Monthly high...
How AI is changing Alzheimer’s and dementia care For the 11 million Americans caring for a loved one with dementia, the journey is rarely about “big news.” Instead, it is defined by the long, difficult wait between doctor appointments and the search for answers that often come too late. When we discuss the “next generation” of Alzheimer’s and dementia care, the conversation usually focuses on a new pill or a laboratory breakthrough. However, the true challenge of the 2026 healthcare landscape i...
March 27, 2026 - MONTGOMERY, Ala. - As temperatures rise across Alabama, state health officials are urging residents to take precautions against mosquitoes and ticks-two pests that thrive in the state's warm, humid climate and are capable of spreading serious illnesses. The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) issued a seasonal reminder this week encouraging families to protect themselves from vector‑borne diseases such as West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, Lyme disease, and s...
How does smart packaging work for healthcare products? As many industries begin to move away from simple container packaging and shift to smart packaging, the potential for convenience and clarity increases. Unfortunately, with some of those advanced technologies comes an increased risk. For the pharmaceutical industry, this can mean having to contend with counterfeiting and the lack of information and visibility from raw material to consumer delivery (supply chain opacity). It is not just a...
How often should you shower? Some people won’t start the day without a shower. Others skip one now and then and think nothing of it. How often you shower depends on a few simple things: how active you are, how much you sweat, and how your skin reacts to being washed. A rinse after the gym usually makes sense. Three long, hot showers a day probably doesn’t. AXE explains how finding the right balance matters more than following a strict rule. Do you actually need to shower every day? There isn...
