health care

In 2014, the government said health providers would have to register with Medicare in order to prescribe drugs to beneficiaries. Delays have pushed back the requirement until 2019.

Health & Safety

How A Simple Fix For Medicare Prescribing Problems Got Complicated

9:30am February 10, 2017

by Charles Ornstein

In 2014, the government said health providers would have to register with Medicare in order to prescribe drugs to beneficiaries. Delays have pushed back the requirement until 2019.

Jen Brea on the TED Stage at TEDSummit2016 in Canada

What Happens When You Have A Disease Doctors Can't Diagnose?

8:49am February 10, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Jen Brea's doctors thought her fatigue and neurological symptoms were psychosomatic — but she knew that wasn't quite right. She shares her journey to find the right diagnosis.

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Elliot Krane speaks on the TED Stage at TED University

Is Pain A Symptom Or A Disease?

8:49am February 10, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Doctors are often puzzled when pain lives on after the underlying cause goes away. Medical professor Elliot Krane explains why it can makes sense to think of chronic pain as a disease.

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Paula Johnson on the TED stage at TEDWomen 2013.

When Does Medicine Leave Women Behind?

8:49am February 10, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Men and women experience some diseases differently. Doctor Paula Johnson says this is alarming — because most treatments were designed for men, not women.

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Dorothy Roberts speaks on the TED stage at TEDMED 2015.

What's Race Got to Do with Medicine?

8:49am February 10, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Doctors often take a patient's race into account when making a diagnosis--or ruling one out. Professor Dorothy Roberts says this practice is both outdated and dangerous.

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Can The Internet Help You Get The Right Diagnosis?

8:49am February 10, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Doctors told Jen Brea that her symptoms were psychosomatic, so she filmed herself and turned to the Internet for guidance. She describes how her online community helped her find the right diagnosis.

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Jay Zimmerman (left) and his father, Buddy, in July 2016. Buddy, who was also a veteran, passed away last September.

Veteran Teaches Therapists How To Talk About Gun Safety When Suicide's A Risk

4:39pm February 09, 2017

by April Dembosky

The VA is now training counselors in how to better understand and bring up guns and gun safety without alienating clients who are combat veterans.

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People sought out information about buying health insurance through the California exchange at Union Station in Los Angeles in 2013.

What Worked For Obamacare And What Didn't? Lessons From 5 States

3:33pm February 09, 2017

by Stephanie O'Neill

A look at how five states' Affordable Care Act exchanges fared shows that more populous markets had an easier time keeping prices down and offering a choice of plans and providers.

Republicans Want To Get Rid Of Obamacare. But Then What?

2:35pm February 09, 2017

President Trump has vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but Sarah Kliff of Vox.com says it's "an overreach" to say that Republicans have a plan for what comes next.

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While Republicans in Congress are talking about taking their time to change the Affordable Care Act, insurers are already struggling to figure out what to charge for coverage in 2018.

Health Insurers Face 'Massive Confusion' As GOP Wavers On Obamacare

1:28pm February 09, 2017

by Jay Hancock

Uncertainty about the fate of the Affordable Care Act has created a "nightmare scenario" for health insurers as they try to determine what to charge for coverage in 2018.