health care

Supreme Court Hears Arguments Testing Texas Abortion Restrictions

7:04pm March 02, 2016

by Nina Totenberg

The shorthanded Supreme Court on Wednesday heard oral arguments in what may be the most significant abortion case it has heard in two decades. The case tests whether a Texas law setting certain requirements for clinics that provide abortion places an undue burden on women seeking an abortion.

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Dr. Leana Wen helps distribute groceries to seniors in a Baltimore neighborhood with few fresh food options.

Baltimore's Leana Wen: A Doctor for the City

5:00pm March 02, 2016

by Andrea Hsu

The 33-year-old health commissioner in Baltimore says that heading the city's health department is the fastest paced job she's had. Dr. Wen is an emergency physician by training.

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Protestors Gather Outside Supreme Court As Justices Consider Abortion

4:27pm March 02, 2016

by Jennifer Ludden

The Supreme Court Wednesday heard what could be its most consequential abortion case in a generation. Hundreds of protestors crowded the steps of the building while arguments took place inside.

Olympus, the dominant supplier of endoscopes in the U.S., agreed to pay a hefty settlement and to be supervised by an independent monitor.

Endoscope Maker Olympus Agrees To $646 Million Settlement Over Kickbacks

11:03am March 02, 2016

by Chad Terhune

U.S. investigators said the company used research grants, consulting deals, gifts and free equipment to induce influential doctors to order more Olympus devices and to keep competitors at bay.

States can't compel self-insured employers to provide claims data for analytical purposes, the Supreme Court held.

Health & Safety

Supreme Court Strikes At States' Efforts On Health Care Transparency

8:49am March 02, 2016

by Charles Ornstein

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can't require many large employers to submit health care claims to a massive database. The decision means Medicare data will remain the go-to source for now.

Women Hope To Sway Justices By Speaking Out About Abortion Experience

4:26pm March 01, 2016

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear what is being called the most significant abortion case in decades. In an effort to sway the justices, namely Justice Anthony Kennedy, women are sharing their personal experiences with abortion in briefs to the court. Among them is Ohio State legislator Teresa Fedor. She speaks with NPR's Audie Cornish about why she's telling her story now.

Dr. Jessie Gaeta, chief medical officer of Health Care for the Homeless at Boston Medical Center, stands in a conference room that will soon be converted to a place where patients high on heroin or other drugs can be safely monitored.

Boston's Heroin Users Will Soon Get A Safer Place To Be High

9:58am March 01, 2016

by Martha Bebinger

Set to open within a few weeks, the room will not be a place to inject drugs or get high, say health providers. Instead, a nurse will monitor heroin users as they come down from the drug's effects.

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'Wilhemina's War' Explores Barriers To AIDS Treatment In U.S. South

4:44pm February 29, 2016

by Alexandra Starr

While many Americans now view HIV and AIDS as survivable conditions, treatment and care can still be difficult to get in the southern states, especially for African-Americans. A new Independent Lens documentary, Wilhemina's War, explores those challenges.

Poll: Do you think the cost of the health care you received during your most recent visit was reasonable or unreasonable?

Health Quality An Issue For Poor, 2 Years Into Obamacare, Poll Finds

4:29pm February 29, 2016

by Joe Neel

People are relatively satisfied with the health care they receive, the new poll finds. But low-income Americans are more likely to say the quality of health care they get is only fair to poor.

If only I could make it over to the next mesa.

In Texas, Uneven Expansion Of Obamacare Sows Frustration

3:40pm February 29, 2016

by Lauren Silverman

Despite the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, Texas still has 6 million uninsured people, low Medicaid reimbursement rates and narrow choices of doctors and hospitals for many who are insured.