The Trump administration wants to increase transparency in prescription drug pricing. But health economists say the administration’s call to tie prices to what other nations pay might work better.
Category: NPR
Fentanyl-Linked Deaths: The U.S. Opioid Epidemic’s Third Wave Begins
Overdose deaths involving fentanyl are rising — up 113 percent on average each year from 2013 to 2016. Dealers are adding cheap fentanyl to the illicit drug supply, and some users get it accidentally.
FDA Approves Drug That Could Help Women With Postpartum Depression
The first drug for severe postpartum depression has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Thousands of women could benefit from the drug, but there are drawbacks, including a $35,000 price tag.
Health Plans For State Employees Use Medicare’s Hammer On Hospital Bills
Some states have begun using Medicare reimbursement rates to recalibrate how they pay hospitals. If the gamble pays off, more private-sector employers could start doing the same thing.
‘Mother Jones’ Investigation Takes A Look At The World Of Drug Treatment Programs
NPR’s Ailsa Chang talks with Mother Jones reporter Julia Lurie about the loosely regulated rehab industry, and how it shuffles people in and out of treatment programs and cashes in on insurance money.
Aspiring Doctors Seek Advanced Training In Addiction Medicine
Once a tiny specialty that drew mostly psychiatrists, addiction medicine is expanding its accredited training to include primary care residents and “social justice warriors” who see it as a calling.
Why The Promise Of Electronic Health Records Has Gone Unfulfilled
The government used a 2009 financial stimulus package to move the country from paper medical charts to electronic records. Care was supposed to get better, safer and cheaper. It hasn’t worked out.
Former Physician At Rikers Island Exposes Health Risks Of Incarceration
Dr. Homer Venters describes a number of traumatic outcomes related to subpar medical care inside the New York City jail complex, including the death of a man who was denied insulin during intake.
Ending HIV In Mississippi Means Cutting Through Racism, Poverty And Homophobia
More than half the new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. are in Southern states, where the rates among gay and bisexual black men remain stubbornly high, despite the existence of medicine to stop the virus.
Trump Administration Cuts The Size Of Fines For Health Violations In Nursing Homes
Inspectors are citing facilities more often than during the Obama administration. But in response to industry prodding, the average fine is nearly a third lower, and the total assessed is down.
