Health

Medicare Advantage, a private alternative to traditional Medicare, offers extra benefits and low monthly premiums. However, prior authorizations and claim denials complicate this increasingly popular — and profitable — program for Medicare beneficiaries and their health care providers.

The number of women over 40 having babies is increasing nationwide, even as the overall birth rate declines. Plus, a nonprofit food distributor created its own free marketplace to tackle hunger across the country.

Many young adults experience social connection and disconnection simultaneously, according to new research led by University of Kansas professor Jeffrey Hall. He says higher instability in young adulthood is causing the ambivalence.

Medical providers started using Ambient Assist by NextGen Healthcare this year at Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center. The tool, which transcribes and summarizes an appointment’s conversation, lets providers see more patients and be more present without being overwhelmed with post-appointment paperwork.

Delia Montes was one of two cross-country athletes at Dodge City Community College who were treated for heat-related conditions after practicing on the hottest day of the year. Former athletes and trainers say this doesn't surprise them.

Indigenous maternal mortality rates have been rising in Kansas for at least two decades. A group of Kansas women is training to bridge modern medicine and cultural practices in birth.

Dr. Sarah Boyd, an infectious disease specialist with Saint Luke's Health System, told KCUR that federal cuts to mRNA research and development could cause a setback in pandemic preparedness.

The planned closure follows the shutdown of Providence Medical Service’s labor and delivery program, and will expand the area of the Kansas City metro without maternal care services.

Charlie Shields, the CEO of University Health in Kansas City, says federal Medicaid cuts passed in President Trump's recent budget bill are likely to pose challenges for the hospital system. University Health relies on Medicaid reimbursements more than other providers in the metro.

Emily Brown founded Attane Health four years ago to ensure people with chronic health problems have access to the right foods to improve their health. Now, her work has won her the Spark Prize, an unrestricted award from the Missouri Foundation for Health to keep the innovation going.

Federal lawmakers are considering cutting billions of dollars from Medicaid funding. Experts say that would lead to an increase in hospital closures and uninsured rates in Kansas.

Infants in the neonatal intensive care unit often go home sooner when they have access to music therapy. UMKC is one of only a few institutions nationwide that offers training to students in music therapy for premature babies.