health care

The Food and Drug Administration approves more than 99 percent of applications for compassionate use of experimental medicines. But supporters of a right-to-try law want a more direct approach.

Health & Safety

House Passes 'Right-To-Try' Bill For Experimental Drugs

6:34pm May 22, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

Some patient groups, including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the American Lung Association opposed the bill because they said it could do more harm than good.

Therapy For Torture Victims Has Surprising Economic Benefit, Study Says

3:28pm May 22, 2018

by Melody Schreiber

Danish researchers analyzed the cost of treating refugees who have been tortured — both physical and psychological — and the economic impact.

DNA isolated from a small sample of saliva or blood can yield information, fairly inexpensively, about a person's relative risk of developing dozens of diseases or medical conditions.

Routine DNA Screening Moves Into Primary Care

2:31pm May 22, 2018

by Michelle Andrews

The Pennsylvania-based health care chain Geisinger Health System plans to soon offer DNA sequencing as part of routine care for all patients. Is there a downside?

Luci Baines Johnson Receives Honorary Nursing Degree From Georgetown University

8:02pm May 21, 2018

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Luci Baines Johnson, daughter of President Lyndon Johnson, about receiving an honorary nursing degree from Georgetown University more than half a century after she left school because the nursing school had a policy against married students.

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Undocumented immigrants often can't get routine dialysis care and have to wait until their condition worsens to get emergency care.

Another Cause of Doctor Burnout? Being Forced To Give Immigrants Unequal Care

7:08pm May 21, 2018

by Jake Harper

Undocumented patients with kidney disease often can't get treatment unless they are in a state of emergency — this bothers clinicians who want to treat all patients equally.

Proposed Abortion Restrictions Would Hit Young Patients Hardest

5:25pm May 19, 2018

Don Gonyea talks to Kaiser Health News' Julie Rovner about the Trump administration's decision to revive a rule that cuts off federal family planning money from organizations that provide abortions.

An X-ray of Sherry Young's foot shows the four implanted screws — each of which cost more than a high-end computer.

Health & Safety

Bill Of The Month: Audience Reacts To Big Bill For Tiny Screws

8:01am May 19, 2018

by Terry Byrne

The latest installment in our Bill of the Month series about a huge bill for four orthopedic screws drew lots of responses from readers and listeners. Some had ideas for improving the health system.

Planned Parenthood's affiliated clinics, like this one in Chicago, provide wellness exams and comprehensive contraceptive services, as well as screenings for cancer and sexually transmitted diseases for both women and men.

What Does Trump's Proposal To Cut Planned Parenthood Funds Mean?

9:04pm May 18, 2018

by Julie Rovner

The Trump administration is pulling out an old regulation that it believes will be able to meet a conservative goal: cutting a key program's funding for Planned Parenthood. The strategy might work.

Health Care Providers Say Title X Change Would Restrict Access To Family Planning Services

5:54pm May 18, 2018

by Ashley Lopez

Family planning clinics in Texas say that the Trump administration's proposed rules will further hamper their ability to provide family planning services in a state that has high teen pregnancy rates.

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The History Of Title X Throughout U.S. History

5:54pm May 18, 2018

The Title X restrictions proposed by the Trump administration are modeled after a similar policy from the Reagan era. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Florida State University law professor Mary Ziegler about the history of this policy.

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