Courtenay Harris Bond
Courtenay Harris Bond is the staff writer covering health for PhillyVoice. She enjoys writing about behavioral health, maternal health and inequities in the healthcare system, as well as human rights and criminal justice. A veteran daily newspaper reporter, Courtenay has also written for national outlets, including KFF Health News, Undark Magazine and Filter. She was a 2018 Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism and has master's degrees from Columbia Journalism School and the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education.
December 3, 2024
Health Insurance
Penn Medicine, Independence Blue Cross reach agreement on new reimbursement rates
The University of Pennsylvania Health System and Independence Blue Cross have reached a new agreement on reimbursement rates that will begin in July 2025. The new deal is part of a larger contract that is still being finalized between the health system and health insurer.December 3, 2024
Health News
An eye infection left Elton John with vision loss; here's what causes them and how to prevent them
Elton John says he has lost his eyesight following an eye infection. Most common eye infections do not lead to blindness but can become serious if left untreated. One of the biggest causes of eye infections is sleeping with contact lenses, experts say.November 28, 2024
Fitness
Creative ways to stay active, and burn calories, during the holidays
It's easy to overeat and fall out of exercise routines during the holidays, but there are creative ways to stay physically active and quickly burn calories. Fitness experts recommend dancing around your home, taking the stairs, jumping rope, turning chores into workouts and even laughing.November 26, 2024
Health News
Access to donor kidneys, livers to widen as HHS approves transplants between people with HIV
The Department of Human Health Services gave final approval to allowing kidney and liver transplants among people with HIV, a move that is expected to widen the donor pool. Research shows these transplants are as safe and as effective as those using organs from people without HIV.November 26, 2024
Health Insurance
Obesity drugs would be covered by Medicare and Medicaid under Biden administration proposal
About 7 million people enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid would gain access to weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound and Mounjaro, which are not covered by these federal programs, under a new Biden administration proposal. But it will need to be finalized by the Trump administration.November 26, 2024
Addiction
Vaping, even without nicotine, can have harmful cardiovascular effects
Even e-cigarettes without nicotine significantly reduce cardiovascular function, a new study from the University of Pennsylvania finds. The findings suggest vaping may be more dangerous than previously known.November 21, 2024
Health News
Nearly 1 in 4 Americans report suffering from chronic pain, which can interfere with daily life
From 2019 to 2023, the percentage of adults who reported chronic pain grew from 20.4% to 24.3%, and the percentage who said they have high-impact chronic pain jumped from 7.4% to 8.5%, according to data released this month from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.November 21, 2024
Mental Health
Music can help improve mental health, but the reason for this remains a mystery
Music therapy can help treat some neurological and psychiatric disorders, and helps decrease anxiety and improve functioning in people with depression, research shows. But the precise mechanisms that give music so much power over emotions are still unclear. Here's a playlist of cove songs that I've used to boost my mood.November 20, 2024
Children's Health
Earbuds can damage kids' hearing if they listen too loud for too long
Listening to loud volumes with earbuds for lengthy periods of time can cause hearing loss in children and adolescents, audiologists warns. To protect your ears, limit the volume to 80% of the maximum setting and listen for no more than 90 minutes at a time.November 19, 2024
Adult Health
Why is it so easy to regain weight after losing it? New research sheds light on the 'yo-yo effect'
The yo-yo effect, when people diet and lose weight but regain it quickly, is partly caused by fat cells retaining the memory of being overweight, a new study shows.Just In
- Meet Mandy Mango, the second Philly queen to be on 'RuPaul's Drag Race'
- The holidays can mess up the healthiest of habits. Here's how to get back on track
- N.J. bill would write Gov. Murphy's 100% clean electricity goal into law before he leaves office
- In latest World Cup ticket phase, which ends Jan. 13, FIFA says requests are over 30 times higher than supply
- Eagles-Commanders Week 18 injury report, with analysis
- A look ahead at an extremely busy 2026 for sports in Philadelphia
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