Category: NPR

NPR’s Ari Shapiro speaks with David G. Vequist, who runs the Center of Medical Tourism Research at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, about medical tourism in Mexico.

Before the pandemic halted travel, some 1.2 million American citizens visited Mexico for health care. The number is rising quickly again, with border restrictions eased.

Once U.S. stockpiles of COVID-19 vaccine run out, Moderna says it might charge as much as $130 per dose, but give people who lack health insurance a break. Critics say that’s not enough help.

More than 50 consumer and patient groups want the Biden Administration to aggressively protect Americans from medical bills and debt collectors. The effort follows a KHN/NPR investigation.

Federal restrictions seemed to explain why many doctors weren’t prescribing medication for opioid addiction. But some caution that removing those rules isn’t enough to overcome hesitancy and stigma.

In Texas, many uninsured people can access Medicaid if they get pregnant. But 2 months after giving birth, the coverage ends. Advocates say new moms need a full year, to improve maternal health.

The 20 states where Walgreens won’t sell mifepristone include some where abortion remains legal. It’s not clear whether other retail pharmacies will follow suit.

The Food and Drug Administration has new tools to hold drug companies accountable for promises they make about medications. But the agency has yet to show its hand in using this new power.

Moderna said people without insurance will be able to get its COVID vaccine at no cost after the U.S. government bows out. But patients will have to use the company’s cumbersome assistance program.

Treating cholera has been a passion for Bangladeshi scientist Firdausi Qadri. She reflects on her career and inspirations, cholera’s scourge, as well as successes in combating the disease.