Once the New Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill Is Available, What About Cost and Coverage?
The Food and Drug Administration鈥檚 approval is viewed as groundbreaking, but many details still must be figured out.
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The Goddess of Smallpox
To defeat smallpox in South Asia, public health workers had to navigate the region鈥檚 layered cultural ideas about the virus. They also dreamed big. In Episode 1, host C茅line Gounder wonders how the U.S. might tap into similar 鈥渕oral imagination鈥 to prepare for the next public health crisis.
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Timeline: The Final Years of the Campaign to End Smallpox
Many people working in global health thought eradicating smallpox was impossible. They were wrong. Season 2 of the Epidemic podcast, 鈥淓radicating Smallpox,鈥 is a journey to South Asia during the last days of variola major smallpox. Explore the timeline to learn about significant dates in the final push to end the virus.
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In Older Adults, a Little Excess Weight Isn鈥檛 Such a Bad Thing
Researchers have found that while obesity at any age risks harming health, a few extra pounds in later life isn鈥檛 cause for concern.
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Readers and Tweeters See Ways to Shore Up Primary Care
51视频 Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
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How a Combination of Covid Lawsuits and Media Coverage Keeps Misinformation Churning
Even as the covid-19 pandemic wanes, litigation 鈥 whether about vaccines, masks, or a range of other public health policies made during the pandemic 鈥 isn鈥檛 about to end.
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A Plan to Cut Montana鈥檚 Medicaid Waiting List Was Met With Bipartisan Cheers. Then a Veto.
Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte鈥檚 veto disappointed and bewildered those seeking to address low-income residents鈥 long wait for assisted living or in-home care.
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The Long Road to Reining In Short-Term Plans聽
President Biden made good on a campaign promise this week with a proposal that would limit short-term health insurance plans that boast low premiums but also few benefits. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court鈥檚 decision to outlaw affirmative action programs could set back efforts to diversify the nation鈥檚 medical workforce. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Amy Goldstein of the Washington Post, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat News join 51视频 Health News鈥 chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 51视频 Health News鈥 Bram Sable-Smith, who reported the latest 51视频 Health News-NPR 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 about how a hospital couldn鈥檛 track down a patient, but a debt collector could.
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Wait, What’s a PBM?
Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, are companies that negotiate the prices of prescription drugs. Hear about their role in raising drug prices and the ongoing efforts to regulate this complex industry.
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Got Milk in School? Farmers Fight Health Advocates Over the Creamy ‘Whole’ Variety
It has been over a decade since whole milk was served in schools through the National School Lunch Program, after U.S. government dietary guidance effectively banned it. But dairy farmers, some health experts, and members of Congress say it鈥檚 time to bring it back.
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With More People Giving Birth at Home, Montana Passed a Pair of Laws to Make It Easier
The state now requires Medicaid to cover midwife services and has expanded the list of prescription drugs midwives can administer.
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Excessive Drinking During the Pandemic Increased Alcoholic Liver Disease Death Rates
The number of Californians dying from alcoholic liver disease rose dramatically in the last decade, sped by the pandemic.
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Groups Sue to Overturn Idaho 鈥楢bortion Trafficking鈥 Law Targeting Teens
It is illegal to help a minor obtain an abortion in Idaho or leave the state for one without parental consent. The lawsuit says the ban infringes on the right to interstate travel and First Amendment freedoms.
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As Nonprofit Hospitals Reap Big Tax Breaks, States Scrutinize Their Required Charity Spending
Nonprofit hospitals avoid paying taxes if they provide community benefits such as charity care. More states are examining that trade-off, scrutinizing the extent of hospitals鈥 spending on their communities.
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Mental Health Respite Facilities Are Filling Care Gaps in Over a Dozen States
As three years of pandemic stress accelerated an ongoing nationwide mental health crisis, peer respite programs diverted patients from overburdened emergency rooms, psychiatric institutions, and behavioral therapists. Now, more 鈥渞espites鈥 are opening.
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Meet the People Deciding How to Spend $50 Billion in Opioid Settlement Cash
As settlement dollars land at the state level, state councils wield significant power in determining how the windfall gets spent. And, though they will likely include the most knowledgeable voices on addiction, these panels also face concerns about conflicts of interest and other issues.
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Proposed PFAS Rule Would Cost Companies Estimated $1B; Lacks Limits and Cleanup Requirement
A proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule calls for companies to disclose PFAS manufactured or imported since 2011. The chemical industry is upset because such compliance would cost an estimated $1 billion, while environmental health advocates worry because the rule wouldn鈥檛 ban the chemicals outright.
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What You Need to Know About the Drug Price Fight in Those TV Ads
At least nine bills introduced in Congress take aim at pharmacy benefit managers, the powerful middlemen that channel prescription drugs to patients.
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Idaho Drops Panel Investigating Pregnancy-Related Deaths as US Maternal Mortality Surges
Amid a years-long rise in maternal mortality rates in the United States, Idaho lawmakers decided to disband a committee created to investigate pregnancy-related deaths.
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鈥業t Was a Bloodbath鈥: Rare Dialysis Complication Can Kill, and More Could Be Done To Stop It
A venous needle dislodgment is a rare dialysis complication that can kill a patient in minutes. Some experts worry those who treat themselves at home are at increased risk.
