health care

Wren Vetens was promised a significant discount on the cost of her gender confirmation surgery if she paid in cash upfront, without using her health insurance. Yet after the surgery, Vetens received an explanation of benefits saying the hospital had bille

Shifting Federal Policies Threaten Health Coverage For Trans Americans

5:00am August 02, 2018

by Emmarie Huetteman

For trans Americans, the policy landscape has changed under the Trump administration, making it harder to get the cost of treatments such as gender confirmation surgery covered.

In the mountain town of Juyaya, Puerto Rico, last October, children watched as U.S. Army helicopters brought a team of physicians to assess the medical needs of the local hospital and residents. Going forward, health economists say, the U.S. territory wil

Puerto Rico's Wounded Medicaid Program Faces Even Deeper Cuts

5:23pm August 01, 2018

State Medicaid programs already get much more money from the federal government than Puerto Rico Medicaid gets — and the storm-ravaged U.S. territory's safety net for the poor is barely hanging on.

Short-term health care plans could be a more affordable option for some consumers, but they're exempt from covering people with pre-existing conditions.

Under New Rules, Cheaper 'Short-Term' Health Care Plans Now Last Up To 3 Years

2:33pm August 01, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

A new Trump administration rule allows consumers to buy health care plans that are exempt from certain Affordable Care Act rules — and therefore cheaper.

Trump Administration Clears The Way For Short-Term Health Policies

7:54am August 01, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

The Trump administration on Wednesday releases its final rule on short-term health policies that don't have the same consumer protections as plans governed by the Affordable Care Act.

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Good hospice care at the end of life can be a godsend to patients and their families, all agree, whether the care comes at home, or at an inpatient facility like this AIDS hospice. Still, oversight of the industry is important, federal investigators say.

HHS Inspector General's Report Finds Flaws And Fraud In U.S. Hospice Care

10:50am July 31, 2018

by Ina Jaffe

Medicare pays more than $16 billion a year for hospice services. But a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services says hospice patients don't always get the care they're promised.

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Republican Gov. Doug Ducey speaks about a variety of issues during an interview in his office at the Arizona Capitol in May 2018, in Phoenix.

Health & Safety

Arizona Governor Takes Steps To Blunt Industry Influence On Medicaid

4:45pm July 27, 2018

by Liz Essley Whyte

After an investigation by the Center for Public Integrity and NPR into conflicts of interest in Medicaid decisions about drugs, Arizona's governor added new transparency rules.

Medicare's proposed changes to doctors' compensation will reduce paperwork, physicians agree. But at what cost to their income?

Some Doctors, Patients Balk At Medicare's 'Flat Fee' Payment Proposal

3:01pm July 27, 2018

by Martha Bebinger

The Trump administration says its plan to overhaul the way Medicare pays doctors will save physicians time and paperwork. But critics worry the changes will hurt patients' care and doctors' income.

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An ambulance responding to a call on Florida Avenue NW in Washington, D.C.

D.C. Has Had More Than 300 Synthetic Marijuana Overdoses In 2 Weeks

1:49pm July 27, 2018

by Marisa Peñaloza

Synthetic marijuana, known as K2, overdoses are challenging the city's first responders and law enforcement. "Overdoses are happening everywhere," says one delivery driver.

President Trump speaks in Iowa, which has been hit hard by tariffs from other countries issued in retaliation to Trump's tariffs. Trump brought with him new "Make Our Farmers Great Again!" hats.

Politics & Government

This Election Is About 'Volatility,' And That Starts At The Top

11:15am July 27, 2018

by Domenico Montanaro

Democrats want to push a health care message; Republicans had been planning to talk about tax cuts. But not much is breaking through, except Trump, who is top of everyone's minds.

Health & Safety

Bill Of The Month: A Plan For Affordable Gender-Confirmation Surgery Goes Awry

8:51pm July 26, 2018

by Emmarie Huetteman

A young grad student worked out a way to pay for life-changing gender-confirmation surgery. But she still had to fight to resolve a billing discrepancy that ran into the tens of thousands of dollars.

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