The Biden plan released this week is an update of the Affordable Care Act with controversial differences. Among them: a “public option” that covers abortion, and subsidized premiums for more people.
Category: NPR
U.S. Overdose Deaths Dipped In 2018, But Some States Saw ‘Devastating’ Increases
Provisional overdose data for 2018 show a note of hope in an overall bleak picture. But in some states, the numbers actually got worse. What explains the disparities?
Opioid Epidemic ‘Road Map’ Shows 76 Billion Pills Distributed Between 2006 And 2012
NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly talks with Washington Post reporter Scott Higham about federal data that shows the scope of the opioid crisis: 76 billion pills distributed between 2006 through 2012.
Car Shopping, Handbags And Wealthy Uncles: The Quest To Explain High Drug Prices
Trump administration officials say drugs’ list prices are like cars’ sticker prices — easily negotiated. But in the life and death world of medicine, health economists say, that analogy falls apart.
Pain Meds As Public Nuisance? Oklahoma Tests A Legal Strategy For Opioid Addiction
The first civil trial against an opioid manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson, has ended in Oklahoma. The verdict could affect lawsuits filed by other local and state governments coping with addiction.
Regulations That Mandate Sepsis Care Appear To Have Worked In New York
Sepsis, the body’s overreaction to infection, strikes more than a million Americans a year and kills more than 250,000. Evidence suggests that regulations can improve its diagnosis and patient care.
Records Show Medicare Advantage Plans Overbill Taxpayers By Billions Annually
The federal government wants to deploy several new tools for catching insurers that have overcharged Medicare $30 billion in last three years alone. But the insurance industry is balking.
Oklahoma Opioid Trial Ends
Monday was the last day in a widely-watched trial about opioid addiction in Oklahoma. The state sued opioid manufacturers, but only Johnson & Johnson fought it in court after others settled.
Has Your Doctor Talked To You About Climate Change?
Some physicians say connecting environmental effects of climate change — heat waves, more pollen and longer allergy seasons — to the health consequences helps them better care for patients.
Overhauling Kidney Care
This week, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at improving the care of kidney patients. Nephrologist Amaka Eneanya talks with Scott Simon about some of the new initiatives.
