health care

The incident happened at the Orlando Regional Medical Center, shown here in 2016.

Orlando Police Fatally Shoot Unarmed ER Patient Who Claimed To Have A Gun

1:39pm October 01, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

"He told hospital staff that he had a gun and that he would shoot anyone who came near him," police said, adding that officers approached the man out of concern for other patients who needed care.

Alex Schwartzman, a law student at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., is one of only 8 to 39 percent of college students who get the flu shot in a given year.

Health & Safety

Think You Don't Need A Flu Shot? Here Are 5 Reasons To Change Your Mind

10:08am October 01, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

College students are among the least likely to get vaccinated against the flu, which killed more than 80,000 people last winter. Experts say the reasons are a combination of fear and misperception.

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New Insurance May Not Cover What You Think It Does

7:59am October 01, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

People can soon buy health insurance that may be cheaper than Obamacare. It however is not required to cover as many medical services and is exempt from covering people with pre-existing conditions.

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For severe heart failure patients, an LVAD, or left ventricular-assist device, helps the heart pump blood.

Perspective: A Heart Device Can Save Lives, But Doctors Need To Explain The Downsides

11:12am September 30, 2018

by Dr. Matthew Movsesian

A mechanical pump can be life-saving for heart failure patients or it can cause dangerous complications. Doctors can do a better job at explaining the reasons some patients may want to opt out.

Purdue Pharma, maker of the opioid OxyContin, has a subsidiary that won a patent for a treatment for opioid addiction.

Health & Safety

Drugmakers Play The Patent Game To Lock In Prices, Block Competitors

11:02am September 28, 2018

by Sarah Jane Tribble

Pharmaceutical companies like Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, often win patents for incremental changes with debatable value. Now there's a twist involving an opioid addiction treatment.

The contents of the naloxone kit inside an AED box located in the VA West Roxbury cafeteria.

VA Adding Opioid Antidote To Defibrillator Cabinets For Quicker Overdose Response

7:44am September 27, 2018

by Martha Bebinger

The overdose antidote naloxone could soon be available in more public places. The Veterans Administration is adding it to its automated defibrillator cabinets. Other institutions are following suit.

Will Congress Bring Sky-High Air Ambulance Bills Down To Earth?

2:43pm September 26, 2018

by Jackie Fortier

Medevac helicopter companies are on the congressional radar, as a funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration nears passage. Consumer protections against deceptive practices could become law.

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Sutter Health Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, in Oakland, Calif. is one of hundreds of hospitals serving poor patients that will get some reprieve from Medicare's readmissions penalties.

Health & Safety

Medicare Eases Up On Readmissions Penalties For Hospitals Serving The Poor

5:00am September 26, 2018

by Jordan Rau

Many hospitals that serve a large share of low-income patients will benefit from Medicare's less punishing approach to penalties for patient readmissions.

"The biggest challenge for me was to see how I would be a father again," says Dr. Naveed Khan, who was injured while driving an all-terrain vehicle. "With two able-bodied parents at home, it was easier."

Health & Safety

Taken For A Ride: M.D. Injured In ATV Crash Gets $56,603 Bill For Air Ambulance Trip

5:00pm September 25, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

After an accident in an all-terrain vehicle crushed a doctor's left arm, he was whisked by air ambulance to the closest trauma center for specialized care. Soon he was fighting over the $56,603 bill.

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Jean Couch, 75, perches on the edge of a chair at her home in Los Altos Hills, Calif. She teaches people the art of sitting in chairs without back pain.

Can't Get Comfortable In Your Chair? Here's What You Can Do

4:07pm September 24, 2018

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Chair design shifted dramatically about a hundred years ago, and it hasn't been good for our backs. Our daily lives are filled with chairs that make our posture worse. Luckily, we've got hacks.

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