How much is a life worth? It’s not an easy question, but that doesn’t stop the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review from trying to calculate an answer – even if it means using biased tools.  

Medications for severe illness can be lifesaving, but they also may present side effects that are a challenge to manage. Tardive dyskinesia, for example, is an involuntary movement disorder related to long-term use of medications like antipsychotics.

Some people who receive a life-changing medical diagnosis are fortunate enough to have a loved one to care for them at home. This November, National Family Caregivers Month honors those dedicated women and men across the country.

The iconic American folk balladeer and social activist Woody Guthrie spent the last two decades of his life in a struggle against Huntington’s disease.

The incidence of Parkinson’s disease among older Americans has been underestimated for years – by a stunning 50%. That pushes the number of new Parkinson’s diagnoses up to 90,000 annually, according to a new study.

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By Robert Fekete, MD

Getting tardive dyskinesia is devastating for mental health patients who are getting back on track.

“For many Americans, medical care over the past 18 months has been easier than ever: Patients use their phone or computer to log into a telehealth portal, where they see and talk with a doctor to get needed care. But it isn’t always so simple or straightforward.”

For as long as the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan has existed, beneficiaries have struggled with out-of-pocket costs. Now, movement on Capitol Hill suggests this may finally be the year for reform.

Access and awareness are one step closer now for people living with a movement disorder known as tardive dyskinesia.

Health plans are quietly cutting more and more medications from their list of approved drugs, narrowing patients’ treatment options.

For people living with Huntington’s disease, there may be help on the horizon as Congress looks to speed access to federal insurance coverage.

Telemedicine is proving to be a lifeline for people living with Parkinson’s disease.

There’s a public policy time bomb ticking that threatens to disrupt essential drug coverage for millions of vulnerable Americans.

Americans “Go Red” in February for heart disease awareness and paint the town pink every October in honor of breast cancer patients. These celebrations are a stark contrast, however, to the public’s response to some health conditions.

Some people living with migraine disease and movement disorders are finding it takes longer to get treatment, if they can even access it at all.

Two families share their experience living with Huntington’s disease in this ABC News Prime video.

“I’ve been working with a patient, a male in his late 20s, for a few years now. He showed some early signs of schizophrenia in high school but worked through them and went to college across the country. It was there, away from everything familiar, that he had his first symptoms of psychosis. He left school and moved home.”

Sometimes the caregivers who call our help desk need assistance finding local resources for their loved ones. Others just want to talk with someone who understands how stretched they feel.

If a medication label carries a warning message, it’s usually there for good reason.

Living on a Hawaiian island is living the dream – unless you need access to a medical specialist who is an airplane ride away. Just ask a person with Parkinson’s living in Hawaii, like me.