Medicare open enrollment begins October 15th, and some Missouri residents may be eligible for additional health care coverage. Health care advocates say Dual Eligible Special Needs plans offer additional benefits, but far too many older adults and people with disabilities remain unaware that the plans exist.

A Missouri health expert says he's glad to see renewed attention on autism after recent federal remarks have sparked serious discussions of possible genetic, environmental, and/or medication links to the condition.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Today, most people are aware of breast cancer, but many don’t have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages and encourage others to do the same.

Policy experts are urging Congress to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits and address the larger problem of escalating health care costs, warning that premiums could more than double if no action is taken. A Century Foundation analysis shows rural and high cancer-rate counties would be hit hardest, as ACA premiums are already projected to rise an average of 18% next year, potentially affecting a record 466,000 Illinoisans.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released funds for farmer-driven agriculture research in Missouri and nationwide after a months-long delay. Farmers across the country launched a campaign to insist the government release the money, which it did in mid-September. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program grants funds to farmers and ranchers for on-farm studies and helps distribute the results.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins must try again to write ballot language for a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban most abortions, a Cole County judge ruled Tuesday.

With experts warning of a possible tick invasion in Illinois, a new antibody treatment aims to provide seasonal protection against Lyme disease by offering passive immunity. The company licensing it says clinical trials are expected to begin within two years.

Consuming energy drinks does come with some risks. In 2017, a South Carolina student died from a caffeine-induced cardiac event after chugging an energy drink that had been preceded by a Mountain Dew and coffee.

More Missouri kids are losing health coverage. A new Georgetown report says the child uninsured rate nationwide just hit its highest level in nearly a decade - and Missouri is among the states seeing a sharp increase.

Coal generation still powers nearly 6 in 10 homes in Missouri, and federal data show none of the state’s utilities scored above average in the Sierra Club’s new "Dirty Truth Report." The group says utilities talk about clean energy, but their actual plans don’t match their promises. Comments from Jenn DeRose, campaign organizing strategist with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in Missouri