Category: NPR

Thousands of nurses in Minnesota go on strike over better working conditions

NPR’s Juana Summers speaks with Chris Rubesch, first vice president of the Minnesota Nurses Association, about why thousands of nurses are on strike for better work conditions.

Patient satisfaction surveys fail to track how well hospitals treat people of color

The health care industry is obsessed with consumer satisfaction. But national patient surveys still don’t get at an important question: Are hospitals delivering culturally competent care?

Judge rules that companies are not required to provide coverage for HIV medication

A Texas judge ruled that requiring employers to provide coverage for anti-AIDS medication violates religious freedoms and is unconstitutional. The ruling could jeopardize other preventive health care.

The new COVID booster could be the last you’ll need for a year, federal officials say

The COVID-19 vaccine strategy may be shifting toward Americans getting yearly vaccinations, like many do with annual flu shots.

Omicron boosters: Do I need one, and if so, when?

Updated COVID boosters are now available for anyone age 12 or older. The CDC is urging anyone who is eligible to sign up but some vaccine experts say some people might want to wait.

Catholic health care’s wide reach can make it hard to get birth control in many places

Religious rules guiding Catholic health care systems often mean their doctors can’t prescribe contraceptives or perform tubal ligations. And sometimes that leaves patients with few other options.

Life expectancy in the U.S. continues to drop, driven by COVID-19

Americans’ life expectancy dropped for the second year in a row and is now the lowest it’s been since the 1920s. COVID-19 is driving the downward trend, according to CDC data.

When does life begin? As state laws define it, science, politics and religion clash

For decades, the U.S. medical system has adhered to a legally recognized standard for death, one embraced by most states. Why is a uniform standard for the start of human life proving so elusive?

Children’s hospitals are the latest target of anti-LGBTQ harassment

The harassment campaigns are organized online, raising questions about what role social media platforms should play in preventing abuse.

An $18,000 biopsy? Paying cash might have been cheaper than using her insurance

A hospital’s cost calculator said her procedure would be $1,400 for patients without insurance. Instead, the bill was almost $18,000 and, her part was more than $5,000 — the balance of her deductible.