health care

American doctors are working inside Gaza, providing medical care amid the territory's ongoing humanitarian and health crisis. Reports highlight the role of US medical volunteers treating wounded patients in hospitals that are short on supplies and staff. The presence of American physicians has drawn attention to the scale of medical need in the enclave and the conditions under which local and foreign health workers operate.

A new study suggests that COVID-19 may worsen pre-existing health problems over the long term, adding to concerns about the lasting effects of infection. The finding points to a broader long-term health burden beyond long COVID itself, with implications for patients managing chronic conditions and for health systems assessing ongoing care needs.

The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to allow restrictions on gender-affirming health care for transgender inmates in federal prisons. The request seeks to undo lower court rulings that blocked such limits, and it lands amid ongoing legal and political battles over transgender rights and the treatment of transgender people in the US justice system.

Health policy is emerging as a central issue ahead of the US midterm elections, with drug pricing, Medicaid coverage, and federal research funding among the key stakes for voters. Coverage highlights how control of Congress could shape legislation on prescription drug costs, the future of Medicaid expansion, and budgets for agencies like the NIH, making health care a decisive battleground issue.

Lawmakers from both parties are converging on pharmacy benefit managers as a rare point of bipartisan agreement, with the middlemen drug companies facing criticism over high prescription prices. The push reflects growing frustration in Congress with the role PBMs play in drug pricing, and momentum for reforms could shape upcoming health care legislation.

Health officials have connected an E. coli illness in a Georgia resident to raw milk cheese produced by a California company. The case is part of an ongoing outbreak investigation, and consumers are being advised to check whether products they bought are affected. Officials continue to trace distribution and urge anyone with symptoms to seek medical care.

Ghana is overhauling its approach to nutrition, moving away from dependence on donor funding towards government-owned care programmes. The shift means national institutions are taking direct responsibility for financing and delivering nutrition services. Development sector observers are watching closely, as the change reflects a broader debate about sustainability of aid-funded health initiatives across Africa and what it takes for governments to own their programmes long term.

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Senator Cory Booker and fellow Democrats have reintroduced the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act, legislation that would repeal the Helms Amendment. The decades-old measure blocks US foreign aid from funding abortion services overseas. Supporters argue the restriction denies safe care to women in low-income countries, while opponents back the long-standing funding ban.

Health insurers are warning that the rapid spread of artificial intelligence in medicine could drive billions of dollars in additional healthcare costs, citing the potential for AI-enabled care to expand utilization and billing volumes. Medical billing companies are pushing back, arguing the technology actually reduces administrative expenses and improves efficiency. The dispute highlights a growing divide in the industry over how AI will reshape health spending, with insurers and billing firms offering sharply conflicting forecasts as adoption accelerates across hospitals and physician practices.

The World Health Organization has released a new toolkit designed to make rehabilitation a core part of emergency health responses rather than an afterthought. The toolkit is now being put to the test in real-world settings, as the WHO argues that rehabilitation services are too often neglected during health crises, leaving survivors with long-term disabilities and unmet care needs.

New reporting highlights that people who survived cancer in childhood face a significantly elevated risk of serious mental health difficulties in adulthood, including depression, anxiety and other psychiatric conditions. The findings point to long-term psychological effects of early cancer diagnosis and treatment, and renew calls for survivors to receive sustained mental health monitoring and support, not just physical follow-up care, well into their adult lives.

Palestinian protesters on hunger strike in Brussels have been hospitalized as their demonstration continues, according to Middle East Monitor. The strikers' health has reportedly deteriorated to the point where medical care was required, but they are pressing on with their action. The protest is drawing attention to the Palestinian cause in the heart of the European Union's capital.

The European Parliament is asking the European Commission in Brussels to provide funding to address a shortage of around one million health workers across Europe. The shortfall affects hospitals and care systems in EU member states, and the Parliament wants Brussels to back workforce measures with dedicated money. The issue highlights growing pressure on European healthcare systems as staff shortages worsen.

New executive actions from August 2026 have put birthright citizenship back at the center of US immigration debate. Legal analysis from the firm Duane Morris examines how the measures could affect immigration status determinations alongside health law questions, including access to care for children whose citizenship may now be contested. The intersection of immigration policy and healthcare entitlements is drawing attention from lawyers and policy watchers.

A Washington Monthly piece asks whether neoliberalism—the decades-long embrace of market-driven policy—is responsible for the problems plaguing the American health care system. The debate touches on high costs, gaps in coverage, and the role of private insurers, renewing a familiar argument over whether market-oriented reforms have failed patients and whether government should play a larger role in delivering care.

New research says menopause is a major health milestone in women's lives, yet medical records systems barely record or track it. The findings highlight a gap in how healthcare systems document midlife women's health, which researchers argue can affect care quality and research into conditions linked to menopause.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a package of new laws aimed at expanding reproductive freedom and care in the state, which California positions as a national leader on the issue. The measures broaden access to reproductive health services and reinforce the state's protections as other states restrict such care.

Researchers have described a psycho-cardiovascular interaction network showing how mental health conditions and cardiovascular disease influence one another. The work suggests psychological stress, depression and anxiety can affect heart health, while heart disease in turn worsens mental wellbeing, pointing to more integrated approaches to treating patients with both conditions.