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Once again, an analysis of Medicare data shows wide variations in the kinds of care patients receive. The lowest rate of mammograms is in Chicago. Highest rate of leg amputations: McAllen, Texas.

An educational grant from the drugmaker Pfizer for training journalists is raising questions about potential conflicts of interest. The company says there are no strings attached. Ethics watchdogs aren't so sure.

Dr. Donald Berwick, federal chief of Medicare and Medicaid, asked insurers for their help in making health overhaul a success and to achieve common goals. Cheaper, better health care is in everyone's interest, he said.

With clean drinking water scarce for millions of people in flood-ravaged parts of Pakistan, the risk of a cholera outbreak is increasing.

The latest health debate in Washington centers on which expenses insurers can count as spending on medical care. How the rules are decided will determine which companies comply with the new health law, and which ones will have to pay rebates.

Of nearly 11,000 malpractice claims paid on behalf of doctors in 2009, some 43 percent were for errors in outpatient settings. Diagnostic errors were the most common problem leading to malpractice payments for outpatients.

Physicians who pack on the pounds discuss weight loss less frequently with obese patients than doctors who have normal weights, a study finds. Overweight and obese physicians expressed greater confidence in prescribing weight-loss drugs than other doctors.

You're in luck, if you live in the District of Columbia or one of the 21 states that have put in place specialists to handle questions and complaints private health insurance. Otherwise the maze could prove daunting.

Inherited mutations of some genes can contribute to breast cancer risk. There are tests for a range of these uncommon mutations, but whether an insurer will pay for them varies, too.

Bariatric surgery has a good track record in combating the health risks of obesity. But new health exchanges in Mississippi and other Southern states won't pay for it, even though those states have some of the nation's highest rates of obesity.