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While overall rates have dropped, there is still a major gap separating white, Hispanic and black teenagers. Non-Hispanic white teen pregnancy rates fell by 50 percent from their peak; Hispanic teen pregnancy rates, 37 percent; black teen pregnancy rates, 48 percent.

It's the first disclosure of prices in the nation's most populous state for individual health insurance that complies with the Affordable Care Act. The menu of affordable options surprised some consumer advocates and analysts who had been expecting premiums to be much higher.

Most health plans accept a credit card for the first month's premium and then require customers to pay monthly with a check or an electronic transfer from a bank account. For people without a banking relationship, these transactions can be tricky.

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.

Instead of waiting for individual hospitals to apply to build proton centers, a health planning council solicited proposals, promising to favor collaborative approaches. A five-hospital group that teamed with a private company got the go-ahead to build in New York City.

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.

The Affordable Care Act sets annual limits on the amount that people will owe out of pocket for prescription drugs starting in 2014. But sick people in some plans won't get relief until the following year because the federal government is giving certain health plans extra time to comply.

The green light comes despite questions about whether the proton beam treatment is more effective than less expensive options. The two centers, about three miles apart, will compete for patients in the Washington area.

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.

Waste and aggressive treatment might not explain Medicare cost variations after all. Differing levels of health by region could account for most of the cost variation, an analysis finds.