Commentary: Breastfeeding Gets Personal For Public Health Advocate
Baltimore Health Commissioner Leana Wen had long worked to encourage breastfeeding. When she became a mother, she experienced just how challenging it could be.
health care
Insulin's High Cost Leads To Lethal Rationing
Alec Raeshawn Smith was 23 when diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and 26 when he died. He couldn't afford $1,300 per month for his insulin and other diabetes supplies, so he tried to stretch the doses.
His $109K Heart Attack Bill Is Now Down To $332 After NPR Told His Story
"I don't feel any consumer should have to go through this," says Drew Calver, of the huge surprise bill he got from an Austin hospital after his 2017 heart attack. He's worried about other patients.
Michigan Child's Death Puts Spotlight On Clash Between Medicine And Religion
In 34 states and the District of Columbia, there are religious exemptions that allow parents to forgo medical treatment for a child if it conflicts with their religious beliefs.
How People With Opioid Addictions Are Treated In Prison
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with addiction medicine specialist Dr. Sarah Wakeman of Mass General about opioid use in prisons and the availability of treatment.
Justice Department Promises Crackdown On Supervised Injection Sites
A standoff is heating up between the Trump administration and local leaders who are trying to open facilities where people can use opioids under the eye of medical staff.
Texas Nurse Loses Job After Apparently Posting About Patient In Anti-Vaxxer Group
A Texas Children's Hospital nurse allegedly described a young patient with the measles in a Facebook post affirming her opposition to vaccines. The hospital says patient privacy is a "top priority."
In A Reversal, Wisconsin To Cover State Workers Seeking Transgender Treatment
A Wisconsin insurance board has reversed a decision made last year to bar coverage of transgender hormone therapy and surgery for public workers.
Critics Trying To Stop A Big Study Of Sepsis Say The Research Puts Patients At Risk
The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen also says the multicenter study of life-threatening sepsis will at best produce confusing results. A Harvard doctor and designer of the research disagrees.
Life-Threatening Heart Attack Leaves Teacher With $108,951 Bill
An insured Texas teacher, 44, faces a "balance bill" of almost twice his annual salary from an out-of-network hospital's treatment of his sudden heart attack.