health care

High-Deductible Health Plans, Gamble For Some, On The Rise

6:24pm July 28, 2013

by NPR Staff

With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act looming, many employers are switching from traditional health care plans to what are known as high-deductible plans. These plans have lower premiums, but put patients on the hook for thousands in out-of-pocket expenses.

Queue Listen Now

Margaret Battin's husband, Brooke Hopkins, was left quadriplegic after he collided with an oncoming bicycle while cycling down a hill in Salt Lake City.

Health & Safety

For Bioethicist With Ailing Spouse, End-Of-Life Issues Hit Home

4:14pm July 25, 2013

In 2008, a cycling accident left bioethicist Margaret Battin's husband quadriplegic and dependent on life support technology. The accident forced Battin, a right-to-die advocate, to reflect on the positions she's taken in the past and decide whether she still believes in them.

Queue Listen Now

Homer Bell's family: sister Laura Bell (from left), sister Regina Bell, mother Rosalind Scott and stepfather Jack Wilcox.

How A Family Copes With Schizophrenia And Suicide

7:21pm July 24, 2013

by Jeff Cohen

Serious mental illness can take a toll — not only on the person experiencing the symptoms but on family members, too. The Bell family still struggles with the loss of Homer, their son and brother, who recently killed himself after living with schizophrenia for 30 years.

Queue Listen Now

The California Tortilla chain is one company still deciding how to react to the new health care requirements for business, set to take effect next year.

Full-Time Vs. Part-Time Workers: Restaurants Weigh Obamacare

7:21pm July 24, 2013

by John Ydstie

With the new health care law on the horizon, the restaurant industry is looking carefully at the looming health insurance requirements. Some national chains are looking at ways of limiting the new law's impact on the bottom line, while other restaurant owners say the new law won't change much for them.

Queue Listen Now

Becca Besaw of Austin, Texas, and Christopher Robertson of Fort Worth, Texas, protest the state's new law restricting access to abortion at a rally in Dallas on July 15.

State Laws Limiting Abortion May Face Challenges On 20-Week Limit

4:57pm July 22, 2013

by Julie Rovner

States are setting an abortion limit at 20 weeks after fertilization, but that may clash with established standards for calculating the viability of a pregnancy. It could also open the new laws up to constitutional challenges.

Queue Listen Now

State Abortion Laws Differ From Doctors In Defining 20 Weeks

10:30am July 22, 2013

by Julie Rovner

Texas last week became the 12th state to ban most abortions after 20 weeks. But most of the state laws don't define 20 weeks the same way doctors do.

President Obama walks off the stage after speaking about the Affordable Care Act during an event in the East Room of the White House on Thursday. Obama argued that the law is holding insurance companies accountable and putting money back into the pockets

White House Muddles Obamacare Messaging — Again

6:13am July 20, 2013

by Julie Rovner

This summer was supposed to be a time for the Obama administration to reintroduce the public to the Affordable Care Act and teach people how to sign up for benefits this fall. But despite another White House speech, that's not happening. And an expert in political messaging thinks he knows why.

Queue Listen Now

Health & Safety

Georgia Hospital System Partners With Royal Philips

6:22am July 16, 2013

by Jim Burress

Medical equipment manufacturers operate largely on a supply and demand model. But a new agreement between Georgia Regents Health System and Royal Philips means Philips will take on a new role. It will supply equipment and help the hospital achieve its mission of delivering better care to patients at a lower cost.

Queue Listen Now

Former Insurance Exec Offers An Insider's Look At Obamacare

3:59pm July 11, 2013

As we prepare for key provisions of the act to take effect, debate over what the law means persists. Wendell Potter, a former health insurance executive and current senior policy analyst for the Center for Public Integrity, explains what will change, what will remain the same, and why he supports ObamaCare.

Queue Listen Now

Fans take in the view of the outfield at Denver's Coors Field as the San Diego Padres face the Colorado Rockies in June.

Insurance Pitch To Young Adults Started In Fenway Park

12:45pm July 09, 2013

by Eric Whitney

To reach young people, the new health insurance exchanges are looking for sports tie-ins. One reason is the success Massachusetts had in promoting its own health overhaul in partnership with the Boston Red Sox.

Queue Listen Now