Category: NPR

Analysts Predict Health Care Marketplace Premiums Will Stabilize In 2019

In signs the health care market may be maturing, an analysis of insurance filings shows premiums will rise less than 4 percent on average and companies plan to market more policies in more places.

Surprised By A Medical Bill? Join The Club. Most Americans Say They Have Been

A survey by the research group NORC at the University of Chicago shows 57 percent of American adults have been surprised by a health care bill that their insurance didn’t pay for.

Commentary: Breastfeeding Gets Personal For Public Health Advocate

Baltimore Health Commissioner Leana Wen had long worked to encourage breastfeeding. When she became a mother, she experienced just how challenging it could be.

Insulin’s High Cost Leads To Lethal Rationing

Alec Raeshawn Smith was 23 when diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and 26 when he died. He couldn’t afford $1,300 per month for his insulin and other diabetes supplies, so he tried to stretch the doses.

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.”