Category: NPR

Can family doctors deliver rural America from its maternal health crisis?

More than half of American counties don’t have an obstetrician. Family physicians, working in teams with proper support, could be the answer to the crisis in rural obstetric care.

Pod Corner: ‘Imminent Danger’

The new podcast Imminent Danger looks at the troubling medical career of one OB-GYN and what it tells us about how doctors are vetted in the United States.

The U.S. is unprepared for the growing threat of mosquito- and tick-borne viruses

Experts warn that new tropical viruses are headed for the U.S. – and the country should take active measures to fend them off.

5 things to know about the latest abortion case in Texas

The case involves just one abortion, but it’s likely to have wider implications in the state with some of the strictest abortion laws in the country.

Nurses and social workers increasingly hired by “solo agers”

Private care managers are often nurses or social workers, who help people navigate our fragmented health care system as they age. Increasingly, they are hired by “solo agers.”

These pros help keep ailing, aging loved ones safe — but it’s a costly service

Private care management, often nurses or social workers, is a growing field that helps people navigate the elder care system. People call it “a game changer” — but it comes at a high price.

Medicare open enrollment ends today. Ignoring the deadline could cost you

As the period for changing health plans ends, many seniors are tuning out. They could wind up with a surprise next year: higher costs and reduced access to health care providers.

Psychologists say they can’t meet the growing demand for mental health care

More than half say they’re not taking new patients, in a new survey. They report their existing patients need more attention for complex problems, and many keep months-long waitlists.

Before dying, she made a fund to cancel others’ medical debt — now $60 million worth

NPR’s Ari Shapiro speaks with Andrew Gregory about his late wife, Casey McIntyre, and the medical debt cancellation fund she set up before she died earlier in November of ovarian cancer.

For one woman, getting blood drawn at a hospital cost led to a surprise bill

Convenient as it may be, beware of getting your blood drawn at a hospital. As one Texas woman discovered, the cost could be higher than at an independent lab, and your insurance might not cover it.