Carmen Heredia Rodriguez, Kaiser Health News

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Medicaid Patients In Puerto Rico Don’t Get Coverage For Drugs To Cure Hepatitis C

The program that provides health care for about half of the U.S. territory’s population cannot afford to cover the drugs.

With Hospitalization Losing Favor, Judges Order Outpatient Mental Health Treatment

Nearly every state in the country allows courts to force people with severe mental illnesses into treatment against their will. But critics argue these controversial intervention programs fail to address underlying problems in behavioral health services.

Deadly Shootings Are Rising In U.S. After Steady Declines

A new report by federal researchers finds that homicides involving guns are up both nationally and in major cities after a decade of decline.

Mysterious Polio-Like Illness Baffles Medical Experts While Frightening Parents

Federal health officials are investigating 127 cases of the disease, called acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM.

Immigrants’ Health Premiums Far Exceed What Plans Pay For Their Care

Immigrants accounted for nearly 13 percent of premiums paid to private plans but only about 9 percent of insurers’ expenditures, according to a new study in Health Affairs. The cost of care for the group of native-born customers, however, exceeded their premiums.

4 Takeaways On Puerto Rico’s Death Toll, In The Wake Of Trump’s Tweet Storm

The controversy over the death toll from Hurricane Maria continues as the president tweets that the official estimate adopted by territory officials is a political ploy.

Hurricane Maria’s Official Death Toll In Puerto Rico Now Stands At Nearly 3,000

A report, commissioned by officials in the American territory, finds initial estimates were far too low, and mortality rates in the six months after the storm were 20 percent higher than normal.

Trying To Pinpoint Hurricane’s True Toll, Researchers Say 1,139 Died In Puerto Rico

The estimate, published in the journal JAMA, dwarfs the government’s toll of 64 but is far lower than another highly touted analysis.

How To Save A Choking Senator: Heimlich Heirs, Red Cross Disagree On Technique

The Red Cross and some other organizations suggest that first aid for choking begin with five slaps on the back. The family of Dr. Henry Heimlich, who developed the abdominal thrusts to dislodge objects that prevent breathing, is launching a campaign to demand proof of why back slaps should come first.

Retooled Vaccine Raises Hopes As A Lower-Cost Treatment For Type 1 Diabetes

The vaccine, BCG, is relatively cheap. But experts caution the therapy could be overhyped and, if proven effective, wind up overpriced.