Medical Treatments

Drug users in recovery listen to a counselor at a treatment center in Westborough, Mass., in March.

Insurance Data Show A Surge In Spending On Opioid Treatment And Testing

3:58pm September 12, 2016

by Julie Appleby

An analysis of insurance company payments finds that emergency room visits and lab tests were responsible for much of the overall spending related to treatment and testing for opioid use.

For the rural poor, finding dental care can be difficult to impossible.

A Good Dentist Is Hard To Find In Rural America

11:27am September 12, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

A Wisconsin clinic provides free dental care so that poor rural residents can get their teeth fixed. But in most states people aren't so lucky. Millions of people have no access to dental care.

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Cassie Ray (seen with her husband, Gerry) got a surprise bill from an out-of-network anesthesiologist after an operation.

California Aims To Limit Surprise Medical Bills

5:11am September 11, 2016

by Stephanie O'Neill

California Gov. Jerry Brown has on his desk a bill that aims to protect patients' pocketbooks when they're billed for treatment by an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility.

Kris Teegardin, Mayor of Edgewater, Colorado, says he's not banking on marijuana revenue for the long-term.

Marijuana Pays For Schools In Colorado — Kind Of — But How Will It Help Maine?

8:29am September 10, 2016

Colorado legalized recreational pot in 2012. Maine and four other states will vote on if to legalize it in November. We look at who's making money on pot in Colorado and who could benefit in Maine.

'NeuroTribes' Examines The History — And Myths — Of The Autism Spectrum

1:27pm September 09, 2016

Steve Silberman talks about how Nazi extermination plans and a discredited scientific paper about childhood vaccines shaped our current understanding of autism. Originally broadcast Sept. 2, 2015.

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A computer model could map the paths a cancer is likely to take.

A Map To Help Cancer Doctors Find Their Way

12:30pm September 09, 2016

by Mark H. Kim

A computer program can map cancer progression in much the same way historical explorers drew maps of the Earth without satellite imaging. Small bits of data can be pieced together to form a picture.

A relaxed, undrugged dog patiently waits its turn in the MRI scanner. The scientists' trick: Make it seem fun.

How A Dog In An MRI Scanner Is Like Your Grandma At A Disco

8:32pm September 08, 2016

by Martha Ann Overland

To study dogs' brain activity, scientists had to train canines to hold absolutely still for eight minutes without restraint. But how do you get a dog to freeze that long inside a clanging MRI scanner?

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How big a deal is the spending on drugs for rare diseases?

How Much Do Drugs For Rare Diseases Add To Health Care Spending?

4:16pm September 07, 2016

by Sarah Jane Tribble

Researchers analyzing recent drug spending in the U.S. say that high-priced drugs for rare diseases aren't having a widespread or significant effect on overall health care spending.

Heather Bresch, CEO of Mylan, says that EpiPens "need to be everywhere."

EpiPen's Dominance Driven By Competitors' Stumbles And Tragic Deaths

2:09pm September 07, 2016

by Pauline Bartolone

The company's lobbying of state legislatures is just one factor in EpiPen's dominance of the market. Manufacturers of competing devices have struggled to gain a foothold.

Researchers tested a variety of medications to treat severe nosebleeds. But saline appears to work just as well.

Saline Nose Spray Might Help Tame Severe Nosebleeds

2:56pm September 06, 2016

by Nancy Shute

People with a rare genetic disorder that causes severe nosebleeds did better when they used saline nose spray. And that remedy should also help people with plain old nosebleeds.