Category: investigation

Death By A Thousand Clicks

The U.S. government claimed that turning American medical charts into electronic records would make health care better, safer and cheaper. Ten years and $36 billion later, the system is an unholy mess. Inside a digital revolution gone wrong.

Drugmakers Funnel Millions To Lawmakers; A Few Dozen Get $100,000-Plus

Drugmakers’ contributions to lawmakers have peaked as surging drug prices emerge as a hot-button political issue. In the past decade, Congress has received nearly $79 million from 68 pharma PACs, run by employees of companies that make drugs treating everything from cancer to erectile dysfunction.

Dementia And Guns: When Should Doctors Broach The Topic?

As the number of Americans with dementia rises, health professionals grapple with how to talk to patients about gun safety at home.

Despite Red Flags At Surgery Centers, Overseers Award Gold Seals

A decade ago, California stopped licensing surgery centers and then gave approval power to private accreditors that are commonly paid by the same centers they inspect. That system of oversight has created a troubling legacy of laxity, a Kaiser Health News investigation finds.

Religious Conservatives’ Ties To Trump Officials Pay Off In AIDS Policies, Funding

Shepherd Smith, a strong supporter of abstinence-only sex education for AIDS, has been close to the new director of the CDC for decades. This connection is just one example of the “new in crowd” surrounding the Trump administration, where politics and religion mix.