health care

Samples of blood and other bodily fluids at the coroner's office in Marion County, Ind., are tested for controlled substances.

Omissions On Death Certificates Lead To Undercounting Of Opioid Overdoses

12:27pm March 22, 2018

by Jake Harper

Standards for how to investigate and report on overdoses vary widely across states and counties. As a result, opioid overdose deaths often go overlooked in the data reported to the federal government.

Dr. Robert Redfield, named CDC director Wednesday, spoke during the Aid for AIDS "My Hero Gala" in New York City in 2013.

Research Misconduct Allegations Shadow New CDC Director

6:32pm March 21, 2018

by Marisa Taylor

Critics say the Trump administration failed to properly vet Dr. Robert Redfield. Sen. Patty Murray says a past research controversy suggests a "pattern of ethically and morally questionable behavior."

An experimental vaccine against the AIDS virus is being tested in South Africa. Scientists hope it will succeed where others have failed.

Why An Imperfect HIV Vaccine Could Be Better Than None At All

1:22pm March 21, 2018

by Tim Fitzsimons

Public health interventions and antiviral drugs have put HIV on the ropes in the U.S. But it's unlikely that infections can be wiped out without a vaccine.

On March 21, 2010, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), alongside fellow anti-abortion Democrats, holds up a copy of an executive order from President Barack Obama guaranteeing no federal funding for abortion.

Clash Over Abortion Stalls Health Bill, Again

5:00am March 21, 2018

by Julie Rovner

As Congress considers a bipartisan bill to keep premium prices down on the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces, a long-standing fight over abortion reappears.

Madame Gandhi talks about menstruation on a park bench in New York City.

Talking About Periods in Public

7:19pm March 20, 2018

by Becky Harlan

Five people tackle the taboo of periods, simply by talking about them out in the open.

In 2014, Kaiser Health News' Jenny Gold interviewed patients getting blood tests from Theranos at a Walgreens in Palo Alto, Calif., until a fire alarm stopped everything.

Health & Safety

Reporter's Notebook: Theranos And The Mysterious Walgreens Fire Alarm

6:38pm March 20, 2018

by Jenny Gold

A journalist interviewing patients about medical tests that supposedly required only a few drops of blood ran into trouble with representatives from Theranos, the company behind the technology.

Critics of Roger Severino, director of the Office for Civil Rights at HHS, worry Severino's efforts on behalf of some health workers will reduce women's access to reproductive health services and could aggravate discrimination against transgender people.

Civil Rights Chief At HHS Defends The Right To Refuse Care On Religious Grounds

5:31pm March 20, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

Roger Severino created a new division in the Department of Health And Human Services to guard the religious rights of health care workers. That worries some advocates for women and LGBTQ people.

Queue Listen Now

Cost, procrastination and a lack of insurance coverage are just a few of the reasons adults give health care providers for not getting vaccinated against shingles and other illnesses.

Shingles Is Nasty, And The New Vaccine Works Well. Why Do Adults Avoid Shots?

11:21am March 20, 2018

by Michelle Andrews

Beyond annual flu shots, older adults need protection against shingles, pneumonia, tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, federal health officials say. But many aren't getting vaccinated.

President Trump Unveils Plan To Fight Opioid Crisis

8:46pm March 19, 2018

by Ryan Lucas

An estimated 64,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States in 2016 — the vast majority of those were from heroin or synthetic opioids. New Hampshire is one of the states hardest hit by the epidemic and on Monday President Trump unveiled his plan to fight the crisis.

Queue Listen Now

Mounting research suggests that African-American and Latino children with autism are diagnosed late because of bias on the part of health care providers or a lack of information among patient families.

Black And Latino Children Are Often Overlooked When It Comes To Autism

4:42pm March 19, 2018

by Casey Rentz

Research suggests that African-American and Latino children with autism are diagnosed later in life because of healthcare provider bias and families' lack of access to care, among other reasons.