health care

Bob Topmiller, chief of toxicology at the Hamilton County Coroner's Office, holds a small vial containing carfentanil extracted from a sample of blood.

Deadly Opioid Overwhelms First Responders And Crime Labs in Ohio

12:53pm September 25, 2016

by Jake Harper

Carfentanil, a potent variation on fentanyl, is being blamed for a wave of opioid overdoses. In Cincinnati, the coroner, crime lab and first responders are struggling to keep up.

Queue Listen Now

King County In Seattle Wants To Open Legal Heroin Clinics To Combat Epidemic

8:55am September 25, 2016

A Washington state county is floating the idea of supervised clinics where people can inject heroin. King County's health officer Jeff Duchin tells NPR's Rachel Martin why he thinks it's a good idea.

Dr. Lars Aanning, seen at his home outside Yankton, S.D., said he lied to protect a colleague in a malpractice case. Now, Aanning is a patient safety advocate.

Health & Safety

Doctor Confesses: I Lied To Protect Colleague In Malpractice Suit

9:36am September 23, 2016

by Marshall Allen

A surgeon who lied on the witness stand about his partner's skills is haunted by the deception nearly two decades later. Now retired from medicine, the regretful witness is a patient advocate.

Mylan CEO Claims EpiPens Aren't As Profitable As Everyone Thinks

4:30pm September 21, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

In testimony prepared for a congressional hearing, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch says the company makes about $50 in profit on each EpiPen. Analysts say it's still a hefty margin.

Sammy Mack got tested for the Zika virus after realizing she had been in the suspected transmission zone in Miami while pregnant.

Reporter's Notebook: Pregnant And Caught In Zika Test Limbo

6:21pm September 20, 2016

by Sammy Mack

Pregnant women in South Florida can get free Zika tests through the state's health department. But delays in getting back the results are heightening worries and may affect medical options.

They're so cute. So colorful. But are they really making you fitter?

Weight Loss On Your Wrist? Fitness Trackers May Not Help

3:26pm September 20, 2016

by Erin Ross

Researchers were surprised that the young adults given fitness trackers lost less weight than their peers who didn't have the gizmos. Maybe they're not as motivating as we hope.

Under Internal Revenue Service rules, high-deductible insurance plans that can link to health savings accounts can only cover preventive services, such as vaccinations and mammograms, until patients pay down their deductible.

Tax Rule Limits Care For Chronic Ills Under High-Deductible Health Plans

2:06pm September 20, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

The IRS limits health plans linked to health savings accounts from covering most care until the deductible is paid off. Proposed legislation would expand what's allowed before that happens.

Health care providers have to have permission from the federal government to provide medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction.

Doctors Who Treat Opioid Addiction Often See Very Few Patients

11:59am September 20, 2016

by Nancy Shute

It can be very hard to find medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction, but most doctors who provide it do so for just a small number of patients, a study finds.

U.N. To Take On Antibiotic Resistance At General Assembly

5:21pm September 18, 2016

The U.N. General Assembly will devote an entire day to the issue of superbugs and antibiotic resistance. Dr. Keiji Fukuda leads the WHO's work on the issue.

In India, Couples Exploited By Unregulated Industry Of Surrogacy

7:57am September 18, 2016

by Julie McCarthy

In India, poor women serve as surrogate mothers. They are lured by the financial reward of carrying babies for other parents, but must navigate the perils of an unregulated, lucrative industry.