health care

A study suggests spinal manipulation can reduce lower back pain for some people.

Spinal Manipulation Can Alleviate Back Pain, Study Concludes

7:19pm April 11, 2017

by Patti Neighmond

Physically manipulating the spine appears to offer a modestly effective alternative to medication for lower back pain, according to a new evaluation of scientific studies.

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Physician assistant James Williams, right, describes the treatment of burn patients as "a very tactile type of medicine."

Civilians With Severe Burns Treated At Texas Military Hospital

4:50pm April 11, 2017

by Wendy Rigby

The U.S. military's burn center in San Antonio is responsible for treating service members who are badly burned. But, to stay sharp, the medical teams there also treat civilians.

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Politics & Government

Statehouse Republicans File Medicaid Expansion Bill

5:50pm April 10, 2017

by Sean Bueter

House Republicans have filed a bill to extend federal health benefits for poor, disabled, and elderly North Carolinians.

The current health care system focuses too often on financial incentives over health or science, says Elisabeth Rosenthal in her new book, An American Sickness.

How U.S. Health Care Became Big Business

1:26pm April 10, 2017

by Terry Gross

Writer Elisabeth Rosenthal has worked as a physician and says it's far more lucrative in the U.S. health system to provide a lifetime of treatments than a cure. Her new book is An American Sickness.

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Rep. Mike Johnson On Revived GOP Health Care Plan

1:07pm April 10, 2017

After the collapse of a Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, House Republicans say they've made changes to their health care plan. Rachel Martin talks to Republican Rep. Mike Johnson.

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Though they failed to mobilize Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act last month, Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) (right), Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and the White House could still undercut the insurance exchanges, reduce Medicaid benefits and let states limit cov

Republicans Now Control Obamacare. Will Your Coverage Change?

8:23am April 10, 2017

by Jay Hancock

There are many ways beyond legislative repeal that the Trump administration and congressional Republicans could undo the Affordable Care Act — starting with sowing uncertainty about what's next.

Mitochondrial diseases can be passed from mothers to their children in DNA.

A Baby With 3 Genetic Parents Seems Healthy, But Questions Remain

5:00am April 08, 2017

by Jill Neimark

A baby who was conceived through an experimental procedure designed to prevent a deadly disease appears to be healthy. But some potentially defective DNA remains. Will it affect his health long term?

23andMe is now allowed to market tests that assess genetic risks for 10 health conditions, including Parkinson's and late-onset Alzheimer's diseases.

FDA Approves Marketing Of Consumer Genetic Tests For Some Conditions

4:23pm April 07, 2017

by Jessica Boddy

The company 23andMe is now allowed to market tests that assess genetic risks for 10 health conditions, including Parkinson's and late-onset Alzheimer's diseases.

Allyson and Eddie, clients at the AAC Needle Exchange and Overdose Prevention Program in Cambridge, Mass., say they carry naloxone and try to never use drugs alone to reduce the risk of overdosing.

Fentanyl Adds A New Terror For People Abusing Opioids

5:14pm April 06, 2017

by Martha Bebinger

People who abuse opioids are well aware of the risk posed by fentanyl, a powerful anesthetic that's increasingly slipped into heroin and other drugs. They're coming up with new tactics to survive.

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Jared Kushner (left), President Trump's son-in-law; President Trump; and White House chief strategist Steve Bannon. Bannon's influence with Trump appears to be on the decline with Kushner on the rise.

All That White House Drama Might Be Sexy, But It's Beside The Point

2:10pm April 06, 2017

by Domenico Montanaro

There is backbiting and infighting in the Trump White House that's playing out like a season of House of Cards or Veep. But the president is facing real and difficult challenges at home and abroad.