The laws governing Medicare don’t provide coverage for self-administered diagnostic tests, including rapid antigen tests. Here’s how older adults can get free tests anyway.
Category: NPR
The doctor didn’t show up, but the hospital ER still billed $1,012
A toddler burned his hand on the stove. The pediatrician told mom over the phone to take him to the emergency room. But after a long wait for a doctor who never showed, they left. Then the bill came.
A medical ethicist weighs in on how to approach treating unvaccinated people
Sarah McCammon speaks with doctor and ethicist Carla Keirns of the University of Kansas Health Center about how best to treat unvaccinated people who fall ill with COVID-19.
Thousands gather for the March for Life protest, as Supreme Court weighs Roe v. Wade
The annual march in Washington, D.C., occurs around the anniversary of the Roe decision. This year, as the Supreme Court considers overturning some of its protections, protesters say they feel hope.
Americans are divided on abortion. The Supreme Court may not wait for minds to change
Public opinion remains bitterly divided on the issue, but an imminent Supreme Court decision could overturn or dramatically undercut Roe v. Wade.
The nursing home staffing crisis right now is like nothing we’ve seen before
COVID cases and deaths are rising again in nursing homes across the country due to the highly contagious omicron variant. Staffing shortages are adding to strain and workers report “moral distress.”
Patients are dying while waiting for specialized care because hospitals are full
Massachusetts hospitals have been struggling for weeks in a coronavirus-driven surge. Now, there are reports of patients dying because they couldn’t be transferred to higher-level care.
Doctors called 17 hospitals looking for an ICU bed. He died waiting for a transfer
A beloved pizzeria owner in Brimfield, Mass., had COVID-19 and needed dialysis, but it wasn’t available at the hospital where he died. The health system is “breaking down,” a hospital CEO says.
A year in, experts assess Biden’s hits and misses on handling the pandemic
When he came into office, Biden launched an ambitious seven-point plan for defeating the virus. Here’s how experts score his results.
Some insurance brokers enroll people in ACA plans without consent
Some consumers “have gone months” without realizing someone had improperly enrolled them in ACA health plans, with tax credits that may need repaying. A proposed new rule would stop the practice.
