Health Buzz: Americans Bankrupted by Health Costs and Other Health News

Nearly Two Thirds of Bankruptcies Caused by Medical Bills

High medical bills, which cause almost 2 out of every 3 bankruptcies, are leading many Americans into financial ruin, the New York Times reports. The costliest medical conditions are neurological problems, which cost patients $34,167 in average out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, according to a study in Thursday's online edition of the American Journal of Medicine. The study found that from 2001 to 2007, the number of bankruptcies caused by medical bills rose by about 50 percent. Insured Americans bankrupted by health problems had an average $17,749 in medical bills; those without insurance had bills amounting to $26,971, on average.

Here are 4 steps you can take to lower your medical bills. Check out these tips to help you save on prescriptions and 5 ways to save on medical costs by picking generic drugs.

Elizabeth Edwards: Writing to Cope With Terminal Breast Cancer

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Sen. John Edwards, was diagnosed with breast cancer a day after her husband lost his 2004 election for vice president. Last year, after learning that her cancer had metastasized to her bones, she helped him launch an unsuccessful bid for the presidency that was followed by reports of his extramarital affair. Edwards wrote about her experiences, from 1990 to today, in a new book, Resilience.

In a recent interview, U.S. News's Deborah Kotz asked Edwards what motivated her to write the book and how she is coping with her illness. When asked about her marriage, Edwards said, "I think in an odd way it's been helped by the cancer.... Though there are still some bad moments, most of the time we're a team; we're a family like we have been for the past 29 years."

Listen to a podcast of Edwards's interview, and learn how current studies are revealing methods by which patients cope with a terminal cancer diagnosis. It's different for every individual, says one expert whose research suggests that only about 20 percent of terminally ill patients are both aware and emotionally accepting of their impending deaths.

Preventing Depression in Teens With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy can prevent teenagers from becoming clinically depressed, according to new research. Half of 316 teenagers in a study participated in eight weekly, 90-minute group sessions in which they were taught problem-solving skills and practiced them. The teenagers had all been clinically depressed before or had mild symptoms of depression; they were chosen for the study because their parents also had had an episode of depression at least once in the child's life. (Having a parent with depression increases the odds that the child will have problems, too, U.S. News's Nancy Shute reports.)

After six months, the teens who had been in the therapy groups were less likely to become depressed than the control group (21.4 percent vs. 32.7 percent). But the therapy's benefit disappeared if a parent of the child was at the time depressed. Proof, Shute writes, that parents' behavior has a huge influence on their children's health and behavior. The study was published Wednesday in the online edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Here's how to find the right kind of therapy—including cognitive behavioral therapy—for your child. And consider these 6 ways to find affordable mental-health care.

—Megan Johnson

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