health care

Chart: Births per 1,000 females 15 to 19 years old (2006-2014)

Teen Birth Rates Plummet For Hispanic And Black Girls

3:14pm April 28, 2016

by Jennifer Ludden

Teenagers are having less sex and getting better about using contraceptives, a survey finds. Economic hard times also make it less likely that teens will want to become parents so early in life.

Ratio of state average prices to national average price for 162 common medical services (2015 prices)

That Surgery Might Cost You A Lot Less In Another Town

10:41pm April 27, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

You may be paying $38,000 more for that knee replacement than someone in another state, or even a few hundred miles down the road. And there doesn't seem to be any method to this madness.

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Just because you win a lawsuit after an injury doesn't mean you'll see any cash from the court award.

Ruling May Help Patients Keep More Of The Winnings When They Sue

5:11pm April 27, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

When someone's been hurt and gets cash as part of a legal decision, health plans routinely demand to be reimbursed for medical costs they covered. But a Supreme Court ruling may hinder that strategy.

Michael Herzenberg and his birth mother, Lee.

Health & Safety

Only Human: A Birth That Launched The Search For A Down Syndrome Test

11:49am April 26, 2016

by Mary Harris

After Stanford scientist Lee Herzenberg gave birth to a son with Down syndrome, she and her husband worked to find a noninvasive test that would help mothers learn about the health of the fetus.

Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore City health commissioner, visits a newly opened Safe Streets center in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood in West Baltimore.

Lesson Learned For Baltimore's Health Commissioner: 'I Like A Fight'

8:41pm April 25, 2016

by NPR Staff

A year after Baltimore erupted in violence over the death of Freddie Gray, Dr. Leana Wen, the city's health commissioner, talks about progress and setbacks in dealing with issues the unrest exposed.

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The unique medical program at the University of California, Berkeley is housed in its School of Public Health.

Students Rally To Save Program That Produces Primary Care Doctors

4:58pm April 25, 2016

by Lisa Aliferis

An unusual medical education program at the University of California, Berkeley is known for producing primary care doctors, unlike other schools. But it could be axed due to budget shortfalls.

Pastoral Medicine Credentials Raise Questions In Texas

8:22am April 25, 2016

by Lauren Silverman

They're called doctors of pastoral medicine and tout certificates to prove it. But they don't have real medical degrees, and critics worry that patients don't understand what those titles really mean.

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Stacey McHoul said she ran out of psychiatric medicine a few days after leaving jail last year and soon began using heroin again.

Thousands Leave Maryland Prisons With Health Problems And No Coverage

10:43am April 24, 2016

by Jay Hancock

Maryland's prisons and jails release thousands of inmates each year without helping them enroll in Medicaid, jeopardizing their health and putting communities at greater risk.

Steve and Janet Singleton, both Navy veterans, have lived in Clarksville, Tenn., for about a year. Steve couldn't get into the local VA clinic last spring, so now they have to drive to the Nashville clinic or pay out of pocket for medical care.

Overcrowding Forces Tennessee VA Clinic To Stop Accepting New Patients

7:49pm April 22, 2016

by Emily Siner

The growing veterans population in places like Clarksville, Tenn., is straining resources at VA clinics and making it difficult for vets to get nearby medical care.

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If you need to reach for a top-shelf medicine, some marketplace plans are making it more affordable.

Health & Safety

More Marketplace Health Plans Ease Access To Some Expensive Drugs

12:21pm April 22, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Complaints from patient groups and increased regulatory oversight appear to be leading to changes in the way some marketplace health plans cover expensive drugs.