health care

New Medicaid Requirements Signals Trump Crackdown On Public Assistance Programs

4:58pm April 15, 2018

Michel Martin speaks to Diane Rowland from The Kaiser Family Foundation about a new order from President Trump to establish work requirements for recipients of Medicaid and other federal benefits.

University of Puget Sound chemist Dan Burgard keeps a freezer full of archived samples from two wastewater treatment plants in western Washington in case he needs to rerun the samples or analyze a specific drug he didn't test for the first time.

Canada To Measure Marijuana Use By Testing Sewage

10:14am April 13, 2018

by Menaka Wilhelm

People responding to surveys sometimes misstate their drug use. Canada will check wastewater for traces of drugs to more accurately assess consumption.

Dr. Katie Merriam, an OB-GYN resident in Charlotte, N.C., says she loves her mostly female work environment but also appreciates having male colleagues.

Male OB-GYNs Are Rare, But Is That A Problem?

2:50pm April 12, 2018

by Alex Olgin

Women outnumber men in obstetrics and gynecology residencies and medical practices in the U.S. Heads of training programs now wonder if they should go out of their way to recruit more men.

Under current law, Medicare generally reimburses audiologists for diagnosing hearing loss in older adults but not for providing assistance to fit, adjust and teach the best way to use them.

Can You Hear Me Now? Senate Bill May Make The Answer 'Yes'

1:00pm April 11, 2018

by Michelle Andrews

The measure would allow Medicare to reimburse audiologists for a range of services, including helping patients learn how to use and adjust their hearing aids for different social situations correctly.

At a recent National LGBTQ Task Force conference in Washington D.C., Luis Felipe Cebas (right) from Whitman-Walker Health, talks with Sarah Fleming about PrEP, the pre-exposure drug that can help protect against HIV infection.

PrEP Campaign Aims To Block HIV Infection And Save Lives In D.C.

5:21pm April 10, 2018

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

PrEP is shorthand for a pill that prevents HIV infection, if taken daily. As Washington, D.C. aims to cut new infections in half by 2020, it hopes to quadruple the number of residents on the medicine.

Extreme lack of attention is not unusual in hospitals in poor countries, says Martin Onyango, legal advisor for the Center for Reproductive Rights based in Nairobi.

Kenyan Woman Abused By Nurses During Childbirth Wins Landmark Case

3:06pm April 10, 2018

by Susan Brink

Josephine Majani passed out searching for help as she delivered her baby on a the floor of a hospital in Kenya. She hopes her case will push for reforms in treatment of women during childbirth.

Why is the price of a CT scan 33 times higher in a hospital emergency room than in an outpatient imaging center just down the street?

Bill Of The Month: A Tale Of 2 CT Scanners — One Richer, One Poorer

7:17pm April 09, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

Why is the price of a CT scan 33 times higher in a hospital emergency room than in an outpatient imaging center just down the street?

Queue Listen Now

A colored scanning electron micrograph of a parasitic tapeworm. The scolex (head) has suckers and a crown of hooklets that the worm uses to attach itself to the inside of the intestines of its host.

Could You Fight Off Worms? Depends On Your Gut Microbes

11:43am April 07, 2018

by Nadia M. Whitehead

Nearly 25 percent of people are infected with worms. New research suggests that gut microbes may be able to help in waging war against the parasites.

Physical therapist Ingrid Peele coaches Kim Brown through strengthening exercises to help her with her chronic pain, at the OSF Central Illinois Pain Center in Peoria.

Health & Safety

For Chronic Pain, A Change In Habits Can Beat Opioids For Relief

1:11pm April 06, 2018

by Christine Herman

There's a growing consensus among pain specialists that lifestyle changes can be more effective than drugs in managing chronic pain. But the alternative approach requires patient commitment.

Being in rural places means potential patients may often be isolated, low-income and not have easy access to transportation — and therefore difficult to serve.

In A Border Region Where Immigrants Are Wary, A Health Center Travels To Its Patients

9:04am April 06, 2018

by Kat Chow

The staff of a health center in New York State noticed that farm workers were struggling to get to clinics. So the staff decided to bring check-ups to them — through video.