health care

News Brief: Afghan Bombing, Deadly Force, Title X Changes

6:07am August 19, 2019

A suicide bomber killed 63 people at an Afghan wedding. California's governor is expected to sign a bill regarding when police can use deadly force. Title X changes take effect Monday.

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Robert Findley died after falling on the ice during a winter storm this February in Fort Scott, Kan. Mercy Hospital had recently closed, so he had to be flown to a neurology center 90 miles north in Kansas City, Mo.

Health & Safety

No Mercy: After The Hospital Closes, How Do People Get Emergency Care?

7:55am August 18, 2019

by Sarah Jane Tribble

The loss of the longtime hospital in Fort Scott, Kan., has forced a change in the way ER care is provided, including a greater reliance on air ambulances.

Mahmee CEO Melissa Hanna (right) and her mother Linda Hanna (left) co-founded the company in 2014. Linda's more than 40 years of clinical experience as a registered nurse and certified lactation consultant helped them understand the need, they say.

This App Aims To Save New Moms' Lives

7:55am August 18, 2019

The startup Mahmee hopes to help OB-GYNs, pediatricians and other health providers closely monitor a mother and baby's health so that any red flags can be assessed before they become life-threatening.

The wide-open spaces of Arco, Idaho, appeal to some doctors with a love of the outdoors.

Health & Safety

Creative Recruiting Helps Rural Hospitals Overcome Doctor Shortages

7:47pm August 15, 2019

by Yuki Noguchi

Recruiting doctors to come to work in rural hospitals has always been a challenge, especially in a hot job market. But some hospitals in remote areas are finding ways to lure much-needed talent.

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The "Cadillac tax," an enacted but not yet implemented part of the Affordable Care Act, is a 40% tax on the most generous employer-provided health insurance plans — those that cost more than $11,200 per year for an individual policy or $30,150 for famil

'Cadillac Tax' On Generous Health Plans May Be Headed For Repeal

3:51pm August 14, 2019

by Julie Rovner

The tax on an employer's generous health plan — originally envisioned as a way to get patients to avoid unneeded care — has never been implemented. Now Congress is considering a bipartisan repeal.

A Newark, N.J., resident carries a case of bottled water distributed Monday at a recreation center. The Environmental Protection Agency said residents shouldn't rely on water filters the city gave out to address lead contamination.

Newark's Drinking Water Problem: Lead And Unreliable Filters

8:11pm August 13, 2019

by Sasha Ingber

Officials in the New Jersey city began to hand out water bottles this week after the Environmental Protection Agency said filtered drinking water samples exceeded government thresholds on lead levels.

Richard Ost owns Philadelphia Pharmacy, in the city's Kensington neighborhood. He says he has stopped carrying Suboxone, for the most part, because the illegal market for the drug brought unwanted traffic to his store.

It's The Go-To Drug To Treat Opioid Addiction. Why Won't More Pharmacies Stock It?

1:27pm August 13, 2019

by Nina Feldman

It can be hard enough finding a doctor who prescribes buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid addiction. But patients also report difficulty with pharmacies that refuse to stock the drug.

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At Nashville's "High Five" camp, 12-year-old Priceless Garinger (center), whose right side has been weakened by cerebral palsy, wears a full-length, bright pink cast on her left arm — though that arm's strong and healthy. By using her weaker right arm a

Health & Safety

At 'High Five' Camp, Struggling With A Disability Is The Point

11:35am August 10, 2019

by Blake Farmer

A day camp in Nashville uses "constraint-induced therapy" to help kids who have physical weakness on one side — often because of a stroke or cerebral palsy — gain strength and independence.

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If a doctor is found to be ordering too many MRI or CT scans or other imaging tests for Medicare patients, a federal law is supposed to require the physician to get federal approval for all diagnostic imaging. But the Trump administration has stalled the

Health & Safety

Trump Team Hits Brakes On Law That Would Curb Unneeded Medicare CT Scans, MRIs

11:05am August 09, 2019

by Phil Galewitz

Critics worry that the administration's delays come at a steep cost: Medicare continues to pay for millions of unnecessary exams and patients are being subjected to radiation for no medical benefit.

In the U.S., firearms kill more people through suicide than homicide.

Health & Safety

How The CDC's Reluctance To Use The 'F-Word' — Firearms — Hinders Suicide Prevention

6:50pm August 08, 2019

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Congress has told the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention not to "advocate or promote gun control." That directive complicates the public health agency's efforts to prevent suicide.

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