Category: NPR

Purdue Pharma, Sacklers reach $6 billion deal with state attorneys general

The deal, hashed out over weeks of intense negotiations, raises the amount paid by the Sacklers by more than $1 billion. In exchange, the family members win immunity from civil opioid lawsuits.

More Black Americans are buying guns. Is it driving up Black suicide rates?

Gun buying among African Americans has soared in recent years. So have suicide rates among young black men. Gun safety efforts and suicide prevention need to address race and cultural differences.

Why billions in Medicaid funds for people with disabilities are being held up

Almost a year after the American Rescue Plan Act allocated up to $25 billion to home and community-based services run by Medicaid, many states have yet to access the funds due to delays and red tape.

Plan to fix Postal Service shifts retirees to Medicare, along with billions in costs

Some lawmakers worry that pushing future post office retirees’ health costs to Medicare could hurt the health program’s outlook.

Plan to fix Postal Service shifts retirees to Medicare, along with billions in costs

Some lawmakers worry that pushing future post office retirees’ health costs to Medicare could hurt the health program’s outlook.

Doctors find limited use for less effective COVID pill

The antiviral pill molnupiravir was authorized and distributed by the government late last year. But it’s not doctors’ first choice of treatment, except for a narrow slice of patients.

The pandemic pummeled long-term care – it may not recover quickly, experts warn

Hundreds of thousands of nursing home workers have quit since the pandemic began, and the ones still working suffer from burnout. Industry leaders worry the system is fracturing.

The first public option health plan in the U.S. struggles to gain traction

Washington was the first state in the U.S. to introduce a public option for health insurance, but the rollout hasn’t been smooth. Other states with public options in the works are taking notice.

State by state, here’s how well schools are doing at supporting kids’ mental health

Two years of disrupted schooling and limited social contact have been tough on kids. A new report calls out states that do a good job supporting kids’ mental health at school — and those that don’t.

Fights over the role of state medical boards

State medical boards have an obligation to investigate complaints about doctors, including those who spread COVID misinformation. But GOP lawmakers in some states want the boards to back off.