Category: investigation

FDA Said It Never Inspected Dental Lab That Made Controversial AGGA Device

Johns Dental Laboratories stopped making the Anterior Growth Guidance Appliance last year after a KFF Health News-CBS News investigation into allegations of patient harm. The company had “never” reported any complaints about its products to the FDA, according to the agency.

Their First Baby Came With Medical Debt. These Illinois Parents Won’t Have Another.

Millions of new parents in the U.S. are swamped by medical debt during and after pregnancy, forcing many to cut back on food, clothing, and other essentials.

They Were Shot at the Super Bowl Parade — And Might Have Bullets in Their Bodies Forever

Despite the rise of gun violence in America, few medical guidelines exist on removing bullets from survivors’ bodies. In the second installment of our series “The Injured,” we meet three people shot at the Kansas City Super Bowl parade who are dealing with the bullets inside them in different ways.

Sign Here? Financial Agreements May Leave Doctors in the Driver’s Seat

Agreeing to an out-of-network doctor’s own financial policy — which generally protects their ability to get paid and may be littered with confusing insurance and legal jargon — can create a binding contract that leaves a patient owing.

FDA Announces Recall of Heart Pumps Linked to Deaths and Injuries

Some pumps used in end-stage heart failure caused a buildup of biological material that blocks blood flow from the device to the heart’s aorta. The FDA’s recall affects nearly 14,000 devices.

FDA Announces Recall of Heart Pumps Linked to Deaths and Injuries

Some pumps used in end-stage heart failure caused a buildup of biological material that blocks blood flow from the device to the heart’s aorta. The FDA’s recall affects nearly 14,000 devices.

Swap Funds or Add Services? Use of Opioid Settlement Cash Sparks Strong Disagreements

The national opioid settlements don’t prohibit using money for initiatives already supported by other means, but doing so could dilute the impact.

The Horrors of TMJ: Chronic Pain, Metal Jaws, and Futile Treatments

TMJ disorders affect as many as 1 in 10 Americans and yet remain poorly understood and ineffectively treated. Many common treatments used by dentists lack scientific evidence.

Track Opioid Settlement Payouts — To the Cent — In Your Community

Want to know how much opioid settlement money your city, county, or state has received so far? Or how much they’re expecting in the future? Use our new searchable database to find out.

A Mom’s $97,000 Question: How Was Her Baby’s Air-Ambulance Ride Not Medically Necessary?

There are legal safeguards to protect patients from big bills like out-of-network air-ambulance rides. But insurers may not pay if they decide the ride wasn’t medically necessary.