Category: NPR

Michigan Child’s Death Puts Spotlight On Clash Between Medicine and Religion

In 34 states and the District of Columbia, there are religious exemptions that allow parents to forgo medical treatment for a child if it conflicts with their religious beliefs.

His $109K Heart Attack Bill Is Now Down To $332 After NPR Told His Story

“I don’t feel any consumer should have to go through this,” says Drew Calver, of the huge surprise bill he got from an Austin hospital after his 2017 heart attack. He’s worried about other patients.

How People With Opioid Addictions Are Treated In Prison

NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks with addiction medicine specialist Dr. Sarah Wakeman of Mass General about opioid use in prisons and the availability of treatment.

Justice Department Promises Crackdown On Supervised Injection Sites

A standoff is heating up between the Trump administration and local leaders who are trying to open facilities where people can use opioids under the eye of medical staff.

Justice Department Promises Crackdown On Supervised Injection Sites

A standoff is heating up between the Trump administration and local leaders who are trying to open facilities where people can use opioids under the eye of medical staff.

Texas Nurse Loses Job After Apparently Posting About Patient In Anti-Vaxxer Group

A Texas Children’s Hospital nurse allegedly described a young patient with the measles, in a Facebook post affirming her opposition to vaccines. The hospital says patient privacy is a “top priority.”

In A Reversal, Wisconsin To Cover State Workers Seeking Transgender Treatment

A Wisconsin insurance board has reversed a decision made last year to bar coverage of transgender hormone therapy and surgery for public workers.

Critics Trying To Stop A Big Study Of Sepsis Say The Research Puts Patients At Risk

The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen also says the multicenter study of life-threatening sepsis will at best produce confusing results. A Harvard doctor and designer of the research disagrees.

Life-Threatening Heart Attack Leaves Teacher With $108,951 Bill

An insured Texas teacher, 44, faces a “balance bill” of almost twice his annual salary from an out-of-network hospital’s treatment of his sudden heart attack.

Open Medical Records Can Spur Frank Talk Between Doctors And Patients

As more doctors’ offices give patients electronic access to their medical records, both patients and their physicians are asking: Exactly how much of your medical record should you get to see?