An alternative to original Medicare, the private plans are run mostly by major insurers. A recent analysis estimates Medicare overpaid these insurers by $106 billion from 2010 through 2019.
Category: NPR
Filipino American health workers reflect on trauma and healing on COVID’s frontlines
They have shouldered an outsize share of COVID-19’s burden, statistics show. Many lost family members; others got sick themselves, recovered and carried on. Meet the caregivers.
Pfizer says its COVID-19 pill cuts disease’s worst risks by 89%
Based on the strength of the trial’s results, Pfizer says it will ask the FDA for emergency use authorization rather than enroll more people for clinical trials.
Democrats’ deal on prescription drugs would lower costs for seniors
Democrats agreed to a significant — but slimmed down — proposal to help lower prescription drug prices, bringing aboard notable holdouts on the measure, including Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
CDC advisers recommend Pfizer’s COVID vaccine for children ages 5 through 11
Kids ages 5 to11 will soon be able to get Pfizer’s low-dose COVID vaccine. CDC advisers reviewed data showing it’s safe and 90.7% effective, They say the benefits outweigh the risks in this age group.
With an off-label drug discontinued, families’ other option costs thousands more
Kids who need a hormone-blocking drug to prevent premature puberty have lost an off-label option. The company that makes the medicine, which is 1/8 the cost of the FDA-approved version, withdrew it.
The U.S. has new COVID vaccine rules for international travelers. Here’s what to know
The requirements set by the Biden administration take effect Nov. 8 and cover approved vaccines, exceptions for the unvaccinated and protocols after arrival.
6 tips to help you pick the right health insurance plan
The open enrollment period to buy health insurance on HealthCare.gov starts now and runs through Jan. 15, 2022. Look for more options and expanded subsidies this year — and more help signing up.
Syphilis is resurging in the U.S., a sign of public health’s funding crisis
The country nearly eradicated this treatable sexually transmitted disease twice, only to see it come roaring back. The failure shows the weakness of a cash-strapped public health system.
OB-GYN struggles to navigate care under Texas abortion law
NPR’s Michel Martin speaks with Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi, an OB-GYN in Texas, about the state of reproductive rights two months after the passage of Senate Bill 8, a restrictive abortion law.
