health care

House Tax Plan Would Eliminate Medical Expense Deduction

6:42pm November 17, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

The House passed its bill to overhaul the tax code. It would eliminate many popular deductions — including the one for medical expenses. The provision isn't included in the current Senate version.

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Amos Winter: How Do You Build An All-Terrain Wheelchair For Under $200?

9:38am November 17, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

In many countries, uneven and unpaved roads make it hard to get around in a standard wheelchair. MIT engineer Amos Winter describes his design for a lever-powered all-terrain wheelchair under $200.

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Mileha Soneji: Can Simple Innovations Improve The Lives of Parkinson's Patients?

9:29am November 17, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

When designer Mileha Soneji's uncle got Parkinson's, his quality of life deteriorated rapidly. Mileha couldn't cure her uncle's disease, so she designed simple ways to improve his everyday life.

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — and its controversial center for innovation — is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and has its headquarters outside D.C., in Woodlawn, Md.

Canadians Root For An Underdog Health Policy Idea From The U.S.

5:00am November 17, 2017

by Shefali Luthra

A center created by the Affordable Care Act to foster innovations in health care is at risk in Donald Trump's U.S. But some Canadian health analysts see it as a model for curbing health care's cost.

Greg Miller shows the Suboxone medication in 2016 that he has taken daily for his addiction to painkillers.

Health & Safety

What To Make Of A Head-To-Head Test Of Addiction Treatments

5:22pm November 16, 2017

by Jake Harper

Researchers found two addiction medicines equally effective once treatment started. But there are fundamental differences in the way treatment begins with each drug, complicating the interpretation.

Health & Safety

Remembering Health Care Economist Uwe Reinhardt

3:24pm November 16, 2017

Reinhardt, who died on Monday, helped shape the debate about health care by advocating for individual mandates and universal health care. Originally broadcast in 2009.

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More than 30,000 people a year are killed by gun violence, including 50 killed near the Los Vegas strip last month where this makeshift memorial stands.

What If We Treated Gun Violence Like A Public Health Crisis?

6:05pm November 15, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

The law restricts a major government public health agency's research into gun violence, which kills or injures more people than many other infectious diseases.

Health Policy Consultant On How The Senate GOP Tax Bill Could Affect Insurance Costs

4:58pm November 15, 2017

Senate Republicans have proposed attaching a repeal of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate as a way to pay for tax cuts. Health policy consultant Robert Laszewski tells NPR's Kelly McEvers that doing so would increase the cost of insurance for many Americans.

'You're On Your Own': Servicewomen Describe Impact Of Military's Abortion Policy

4:26pm November 15, 2017

by Camila Domonoske

Women in the military generally can't get abortions at military facilities or using military health insurance. Researchers interviewed 21 servicewomen who volunteered to talk about their experiences.

MedStar Health clinic in Washington, D.C. An affiliated MedStar hospital is just one of many facilities throughout the U.S. that have been hit with shortages of certain medications because of recent hurricane damage to manufacturers in Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Damage To Manufacturers In Puerto Rico Affects Mainland Hospitals, Too

2:00pm November 15, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

The island is a major center for drug and medical device manufacturing. After Hurricane Maria, those products, including small IV bags, are running short throughout the U.S.

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