health care

Health & Safety

When Hospitals Close, Frequent Fears About Care Aren't Realized

4:27pm May 04, 2015

by Jordan Rau

Mortality rates for Medicare patients don't rise in communities after their hospitals shut down, say Harvard researchers who analyzed 195 closures across the country.

Health & Safety

Brand-Name Medicines Dominate Medicare's $103 Billion Drug Bill

8:18am May 04, 2015

by Jordan Rau

Federal officials released prescription histories of hundreds of thousands of doctors and identified the most common and costly drugs. Medicare spent the most on a purple pill for heartburn.

Health & Safety

Feds Say It's Time To Cut Back On Fluoride In Drinking Water

8:56pm May 03, 2015

by Rob Stein

Excess fluoride consumption is leading to tiny white marks on many people's teeth. It's mainly a cosmetic problem, but one that could be solved by lowering the fluoride in drinking water.

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Volunteer Patrick Pezzati searches yards in Turners Falls, Mass., for discarded heroin needles.

A Rural Police Chief Asks Citizens To Help Pick Up Used Syringes

8:55pm May 03, 2015

by Karen Brown

The rise in heroin use in the town of Turners Falls, Mass., has led to another problem: a proliferation of discarded hypodermic needles. Police can't keep up, so they've asked residents to help.

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Northeast Baptist Hospital, one of five hospitals within the Baptist Health System in San Antonio.

Health & Safety

Health System Took Control To Make Joint Replacement More Profitable

2:13pm May 01, 2015

by Jay Hancock

Baptist Health System in San Antonio made money doing what used to be industry heresy: reducing patients' use of medical care.

After the conversation about contraception, will there be a copay?

Health & Safety

Health Plans Often Fail To Provide Free Coverage For Women's Health

8:31pm April 30, 2015

by Julie Rovner

Insurers dispute that notion that the problems are widespread. Consumers and advocates have complained to insurers, and some policies have been changed.

UnitedHealthcare says it will cover doctors' visits by live video on smartphones, tablets and computers.

Health & Safety

The Doctor Will Video Chat With You Now: Insurer Covers Virtual Visits

8:19pm April 30, 2015

by Aarti Shahani

Medical consultation via video is going mainstream. UnitedHealthcare says it will cover doctors' visits by live video on smartphones, tablets and computers. Will people overuse it and boost costs?

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St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore is one of the 131 hospitals run by Ascension Health. It's a not-for-profit, Catholic health care system that treats many low-income patients.

Expanding Medicaid Trims Hospitals' Costs Of Caring For Uninsured

4:42pm April 30, 2015

by Anders Kelto

One aim of Obamacare was to ease the financial strain on nonprofit hospitals that provide medical care to people who lack insurance and can't pay their bills. That plan is working, hospitals say.

A drug to ease withdrawal given in the emergency room could improve the odds a patient will get started in addiction treatment.

Health & Safety

Why Not Start Addiction Treatment Right In The ER?

4:40pm April 30, 2015

by Scott Hensley

Like asthma or diabetes, opioid addiction is a chronic condition. Could treatment that begins when people show up in the ER get them on the right road faster?

Health & Safety

Would Doctors Be Better If They Didn't Have To Memorize?

4:23pm April 29, 2015

by John Henning Schumann

For decades, first-year medical students have had to cram the details of the cellular metabolism cycle into their heads. Some med schools say it's time to quit cramming and focus on patients' lives.