health care

Americans Think Ebola Is A Top Health Care Problem

6:32pm November 18, 2014

A new poll shows Ebola is the one of the top health concerns of Americans, below access to health care and affordable health care. Robert Siegel talks to Frank Newport, editor in chief at Gallup.

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Spanish police block animal rights activists protesting Wednesday outside the apartment building of the Spanish nurse who contracted Ebola in the city of Alcorcon, outside Madrid.

Spanish Nurse Says She Reported Her Ebola Symptoms Several Times

11:16am November 18, 2014

by Scott Neuman

A Spanish-language newspaper reports that Teresa Romero Ramos told authorities on three separate occasions before her quarantine that she had a fever.

Health workers in protective suits transport Dr. Martin Salia, a surgeon working in Sierra Leone who has been diagnosed with Ebola, from a jet that brought him from Sierra Leone to a waiting ambulance in Omaha, Neb., on Saturday.

Ebola-Infected Doctor Arrives In Nebraska For Treatment

11:13am November 18, 2014

by Scott Neuman

Dr. Martin Salia, who got the virus while working in Sierra Leone, is said to be sicker than some of the other patients who have been successfully treated for the disease in the U.S.

In California, That MRI Will Cost You $255 — Or Maybe $6,221

9:53am November 18, 2014

by Lisa Aliferis

It's almost impossible to comparison shop for medical tests and procedures. A crowdsourcing experiment by two NPR member stations in California is aimed at making those numbers less mysterious.

Sal Morales found an Obamacare health plan this year that costs him $145 per month — versus the $560 he'd been paying.

They Paid How Much? How Negotiated Deals Hide Health Care's Cost

1:43pm November 17, 2014

by Sammy Mack

A patient's portion of a health care bill is the result of a complicated equation. But it's simple compared with the variety of deals insurers negotiate with hospitals and doctors.

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The "reston" strain of the Ebola virus. It is one of the group of filoviruses, so-called for its thin and long shape.

Ebola In The United States: What Happened When

9:44am November 17, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

Taming Ebola virus is now a challenge for the American health care system. We track the U.S. experience with Ebola from the discovery of a strain in laboratory monkeys in 1989 to the current outbreak.

The second open enrollment period for buying health insurance under the federal Affordable Care Act starts Saturday.

HealthCare.gov Head Says Site Is Tested And 'Ready To Go'

6:40pm November 14, 2014

by John Ydstie

Open enrollment in Obamacare resumes Saturday. While no one expects a repeat of last year's disastrous launch, millions of people will be trying to renew coverage or sign up for the first time.

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Preemies May Be Exposed To High Levels Of Phthalates In The NICU

10:06am November 14, 2014

by Nancy Shute

Chemicals in medical equipment can be transferred to patients, and it's a particular concern with premature infants whose bodies and brains are immature.

Health & Safety

Next Affordable Health Care Enrollment Period Begins

8:02pm November 13, 2014

by Keri Brown

While the long-term shape and viability of the Affordable Care Act may well lie with a Republican-controlled Congress and the Supreme Court, the short-term reality is that the second, nationwide enrollment period starts this weekend.

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A nurse adjusts the position of a patient's arm during dialysis treatment. The treatment requires trained staff that weren't readily available in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Hurricane Sandy Stranded Dialysis Patients. Lessons Learned?

4:12pm November 13, 2014

by Alison Bruzek

A quarter of the dialysis patients who were in New York City when Hurricane Sandy hit missed at least one treatment due to power outages. Yet, not many are prepared for the next disaster.