health care

Under sweeping new recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, doctors would see new mothers sooner and more frequently, and insurers would cover the increased visits.

Redesigning Maternal Care: Ob-Gyns Are Urged to See New Mothers Sooner And More Often

5:30pm April 23, 2018

by Nina Martin

Sweeping changes in medical practice could improve the dismal U.S. rate of maternal deaths and near-deaths, an influential doctors' group says.

Catherine Fitzgerald, the author's mother, spent four nights in a hospital after falling in her home. But Medicare refused to pay for her rehab care, saying she had only been an inpatient for one night.

Health & Safety

How Medicare's Conflicting Hospitalization Rules Cost Me Thousands Of Dollars

7:26pm April 20, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

NPR correspondent Alison Kodjak's mom was admitted to the hospital for four nights after a fall. Because the hospital said she was an outpatient, Medicare wouldn't pay for her rehabilitative care.

Susan Nelson, author and public speaker on brain injury awareness and gun safety, at her home in Austin, Texas. Nelson survived a point-blank gunshot to the head in 1993.

Health & Safety

Texas Disability Group Wants Victims' Voices Heard In Gun Debate

1:04pm April 20, 2018

by Ashley Lopez

Advocates in Texas wants to help people who've been disabled by gun violence talk to lawmakers. Victims say they have a big stake in how guns are regulated.

Ogechi Ukachu, one of the registered nurses recently hired to help staff D.C.'s "Right Care Right Now" program, takes a training call at the city's 911 call center.

Can Triage Nurses Help Prevent 911 Overload?

5:17pm April 19, 2018

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

One in four calls to the Washington, D.C., 911 line isn't an emergency. The city now has triage nurses working with dispatchers to get callers with less urgent needs a same-day clinic visit instead.

Mice may be adorable, but the droppings and the bacteria they contain, not so much.

Health & Safety

New York City Mice Carry Bacteria That Can Make People Sick

8:24pm April 17, 2018

by Rob Stein

An analysis of mice in the Big Apple finds that many harbor bacteria that can make humans sick if exposed to the animals' droppings. Some of the bacterial strains were resistant to antibiotics.

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Maryland's overturned law restricted the price of generic drugs, and had been hailed as a model for other states. It's one of a number of state initiatives designed to combat rapidly rising drug prices.

Federal Appeals Court Finds State's Drug Price-Gouging Law Unconstitutional

1:10pm April 17, 2018

by Shefali Luthra

Legal analysts say the decision to overturn Maryland's law could slow momentum for other states that are attempting to take action to curb high drug costs.

Activists both supporting and opposing abortion rights gathered in front of the the Supreme Court during the March for Life on Jan. 19.

Young People More Likely To Shift Toward Supporting Abortion Rights, Poll Finds

5:39am April 17, 2018

by Sarah McCammon

The generational divide uncovered by a survey from the Public Religion Research Institute may be linked to changing attitudes about religion.

Free-standing ERs tend to have lower standby costs than hospital-based facilities that have to be ready to treat dire injuries. But the free-standing ERs typically receive the same Medicare rate for emergency services.

Medicare Advisers Recommend Payment Cuts To Many Free-Standing ERs

5:00am April 17, 2018

by Michelle Andrews

An agency that advises Congress recommends a 30 percent reduction in some federal reimbursements to free-standing ERs that are within 6 miles of a hospital.

A combination of an immunotherapy drug from Merck and standard chemotherapy led to improved survival for cancer patients.

Health & Safety

Merck Immunotherapy Drug Shines In Lung Cancer Study

5:43pm April 16, 2018

by Richard Harris

Research finds that more than two-thirds of lung cancer patients who received Keytruda plus chemotherapy would be alive a year later, compared with about half of people who only got chemotherapy.

The drug test developed by Aegis Sciences checks urine samples to help doctors determine if their patients are taking their blood pressure medicine.

Drug Test Spurs Frank Talk Between Hypertension Patients And Doctors

10:40am April 16, 2018

by Blake Farmer

High blood pressure can cause severe health problems, but some of the medications to control it have unpleasant side effects. A new drug test alerts doctors when patients aren't taking their meds.

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