How do you investigate one of the most powerful companies in health care? The STAT News team spent more than a year reporting on UnitedHealth's vast health care empire. Here's how they did it — and what journalists can learn from their approach. healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/08...

How STAT News reporters investigated UnitedHealth’s health care empire

The eight-part award-winning series, "Health Care's Colossus," shows how UnitedHealth used its leverage to dominate the health care market.

healthjournalism.org

Older adults have one of the highest suicide rates in the United States — but many still don't know about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Why that awareness gap matters: healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/08...

Older adults face high suicide risk — but new poll shows many still don’t know about 988

A new poll from the University of Michigan shows that nearly a third of older adults are unaware of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

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What happens when hospitals don't disclose costs — and then sue patients to collect? This story explores this troubling trend and offers reporting angles for journalists investigating medical debt and hospital billing in their communities. Read more: healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

Stories to cover when hospitals hide fees, then sue patients

A recent report shows how Virginia providers took advantage of hidden prices and opaque billing practices to exploit low-income patients.

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Curious how another country approaches health care? Applications are open for AHCJ's Netherlands Health Care Study Group 🇳🇱 Learn more and apply: healthjournalism.org/fellowships/...

Looking to tackle an ambitious health care reporting project? Applications are open for AHCJ's U.S. Health System Reporting Fellowship. Learn more and apply: healthjournalism.org/fellowships/... #HealthJournalism #JournalismFellowship

Americans may agree on health care more than the headlines suggest. Ahead of the midterms, here's why finding common ground matters—and why journalists should pay attention. healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07... #HealthJournalism #HealthCare

Not as divided as we think? Ahead of midterms, don't overlook where Americans agree on health

Research suggests that many Americans view inequities in health care as systemic issues. Here are some reporting approaches to showcase this.

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Looking beyond borders for your next big health story? 🌍 The AHCJ International Health Study Fellowship supports U.S.-based health journalists pursuing in-depth international reporting on health care and health policy. Applications are open! Learn more and apply: healthjournalism.org/fellowships/...

It’s more than lettuce. 🥬 Oysters, organic frozen blueberries and soft ricotta cheese are among the foods recalled this year because of potential contamination. Journalists are vitally important in keeping the public informed about food safety. Read more: healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

Behind the recall: How to cover food safety stories

Journalists play a vital role in food safety reporting, keeping the public informed on recalls and ongoing foodborne illness investigations.

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Covering an Ebola outbreak means looking beyond the virus itself. This story explores how culture, trust, and shrinking global health resources shape outbreaks—and why those factors matter for journalists reporting on them. Read more: healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

Ebola’s outbreak culture in a time of retreat

When covering the Ebola outbreak, journalists need to pay attention to narratives shaping public understanding of the disease.

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The AHCJ Mentorship Program connects members with experienced health journalists for one-on-one support, advice and professional growth. Apply today as a mentor or mentee and grow your network while strengthening the future of health journalism. Learn more: healthjournalism.org/mentorship/

AHCJ Mentorship Program

AHCJ's member mentorship program is here to connect you with the support and resources you need to thrive in the health journalism field.

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Big welcome to our newest AHCJ board members, Max Blau and Joanne Kenen! We're also celebrating our returning directors and extending our heartfelt thanks to Laura Beil and Carrie Feibel for their dedicated service. Read more: healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

AHCJ welcomes new directors, bids farewell to Beil, Feibel

The AHCJ Board will see the return of four familiar faces and gain two new ones. New board members begin their terms on Sept. 1.

healthjournalism.org

As anyone who's ever felt nervous or emotional during a medical visit can attest, you’re not always listening carefully. More people are using AI scribe apps to record and summarize doctor visits — raising important legal and privacy concerns. Read more: healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

Dear doctor: Your patient may be recording this visit

Consumer-facing apps offer patients the ability to record and summarize doctor visits, but with potential legal and patient safety concerns.

healthjournalism.org

A new analysis estimates the total U.S. economic burden will reach $818 billion in 2026, with families providing much of the care — and absorbing much of the cost. Here's what the numbers reveal. healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07... #Dementia #HealthCare

New study quantifies the annual cost of dementia at $818 billion, with families picking up most of the tab

A new study puts the total U.S. cost of dementia at $818 billion for 2026, but only 27% of that cost flows through the health system.

healthjournalism.org

See how AHCJ Freelance Beat Leader Anna Medaris turned a canceled story on infidelity into a feature for Monitor on Psychology on how psychologists help patients heal from cheating: healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

How I pitched a 2,300-word feature on infidelity to a trade magazine

After a story about cheating I’d been working on was killed, I made it into a successful pitch for the trade magazine Monitor on Psychology.

healthjournalism.org

As AI infrastructure expands, so do the public health questions. Explore why the data center boom is creating new opportunities for health journalism. healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

Health stories are plentiful in the data center boom

Health journalists can find numerous stories by investigating the impacts of data centers built to handle AI searches and algorithms.

healthjournalism.org

For decades, editorial coaching happened inside newsrooms. Today, much of that infrastructure has disappeared or become harder to access, even as health reporting has grown more complex. That’s why we’re building the Health Editor Help Desk. Read more: healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

Why we're building a Health Editor Help Desk

As health journalism grows more complex and newsroom resources continue to shrink, AHCJ is piloting a new model for providing the specialized editorial expertise reporters told us they need.

healthjournalism.org

AI is becoming a powerful reporting tool when paired with rigorous journalism. Learn how reporters used it to help uncover alleged medical neglect in ICE detention facilities. healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

How AI helped reporters uncover medical neglect in ICE detention facilities

AP and KFF Health News journalists combined AI-assisted analysis with months of reporting to expose medical neglect in ICE facilities.

healthjournalism.org

AI is fueling a data center boom—but the health impacts deserve just as much attention. Find out why data centers are a growing public health story for journalists to cover. Read more: healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

Health stories are plentiful in the data center boom

Health journalists can find numerous stories by investigating the impacts of data centers built to handle AI searches and algorithms.

healthjournalism.org

There has been a flurry of reporting on the construction of massive data centers for computers and servers meant to handle the load of AI searches and algorithms. Health journalists can find numerous stories by investigating the impacts of these centers. healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

Health stories are plentiful in the data center boom

Health journalists can find numerous stories by investigating the impacts of data centers built to handle AI searches and algorithms.

healthjournalism.org

What does eugenics look like today? At #HJ26, journalists and advocates explored how eugenics-coded ideas continue to shape health policy and products — and what reporters need to know to cover them responsibly. Read more: healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

‘We’re in bold times’: Resurgence of eugenics-coded health policies, products in US

Experts at HJ26 said journalists have a responsibility to identify and push back on policies and actions that contribute to a “resurgence” of eugenics.

healthjournalism.org

The decline of youth gender-affirming care services offered across the country is a critical story for health journalists to follow. Find coverage tips and more here: healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

What to know about hospitals’ reduction of gender-affirming care for youth

The number of hospitals offering gender-affirming care to youth has declined in the wake of federal scrutiny.

healthjournalism.org

Here's everything you need to know to effectively report on New World screwworm. Journalists whose audiences include farmers, ranchers, and hunters will particularly want to follow this story closely. healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

New World screwworm is here: How journalists can cover the pest

Get insights into the New World screwworm outbreak and essential reporting tips for coverage on this agricultural crisis.

healthjournalism.org

To cover the impacts of abortion restrictions well, HJ26 panelists argued that journalists should pursue stories that are personal, intersectional and specific – and challenge editors who say the moment to write them has passed. Read more: healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

Four years after Roe’s fall, abortion stories are still worth our while, panelists say

Nearly four years after the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, abortion stories are still plentiful and critical, HJ26 panelists said.

healthjournalism.org

🎥 The session recording of our #HJ26 plenary on the short- and long-term health consequences of ICE's and CBP's aggressive tactics during Operation Metro Surge is available now, along with several other impactful sessions. Watch now: healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/06...

Minneapolis clinic counters the health fallout of immigration enforcement

At HJ26 in Minneapolis, panelists spoke about the short- and long-term health consequences of aggressive immigration enforcement.

healthjournalism.org

Understanding the scope and scale of the geriatric workforce crisis can help journalists covering aging, health policy, workforce, or local health systems and enhance their local reporting. healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

What to know about the geriatric workforce shortage

The health care system wasn't built to handle the projected increase in older adults, and there aren't enough geriatricians to meet demand.

healthjournalism.org

Revisit our #HJ26 plenary session with AMA immediate past President Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, who speaks about his experience being treated for a brain tumor just as he prepared to lead the organization. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LpU...

AMA President Dr. Bobby Mukkamala on ‘tumor wisdom’ and U.S. health care | HJ26 Plenary

In this lunchtime conversation, Bobby Mukkamala, M.D., then-president of the American Medical Association, speaks with moderator Usha Lee McFarling about his experience being treated for a brain…

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Freelance journalist Julia Daye’s commitment to attending in-person media events paid off by inspiring one of her 2025 assignments. See the pitch that landed her a story in Popular Science: healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

How a freelancer pitched a story about sperm freezing to Popular Science

Freelancer Julia Daye’s commitment to attending in-person media events paid off by inspiring a successful pitch to Popular Science.

healthjournalism.org

In this on-demand webinar, learn how proposed changes to federal research funding could affect scientific independence, peer review and the future of health research — and what health care journalists should be watching. healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

How a new White House proposal could fundamentally change American science

In this webinar, we discuss the potential impacts of a Trump admin plan to overhaul how federal research grants are awarded and administered.

healthjournalism.org

The latest Ebola outbreak is raising urgent questions for reporters covering infectious diseases and global health. In this webinar, hear from the experts what you need to know to cover it accurately. healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

Behind the Ebola outbreak: An expert backgrounder for journalists

In this webinar, prominent public health experts brief you on the 2026 Ebola outbreak and how to communicate it to your audience.

healthjournalism.org

In her latest investigative piece for The Lever, investigative journalist Jeanne Lenzer exposes the vast lobbying and marketing machine designed to turn healthy aging adults into “pre-Alzheimer’s” patients. healthjournalism.org/blog/2026/07...

Reporter uncovers how drug companies ‘make' people into Alzheimer’s patients

Jeanne Lenzer shows how she discovered drug companies recruit people into taking Alzheimer's blood tests which may cause more harm than good.

healthjournalism.org