The federal government wants to deploy several new tools for catching insurers that have overcharged Medicare $30 billion in the past three years alone. But the insurance industry is balking.
In January, California expects to enroll 138,000 undocumented, low-income residents under age 26 in the state's version of Medicaid. But young adults say their parents need health care coverage, too.
The ACA is again being put to the test, after a lower court judge ruled the massive health law unconstitutional. The case might yet ricochet back to the Supreme Court ahead of the 2020 election.
Two new reports from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have found widespread problems in hospice care and say the government needs to open its scorecards on hospice care to the public.
A new documentary tells the story of America's first inpatient unit dedicated to the care of people with AIDS. Nurse Cliff Morrison helped create 5B in 1983, and worked on it with Dr. Paul Volberding.
The median air ambulance bill is more than $36,000 and is seldom covered by health plans. So far, legislative hurdles and industry pressure have kept Congress from stepping in.
Bonnielin Swenor has dedicated her life to helping vision-impaired patients. She also has low vision herself — and she is fighting to increase the presence of disabled people in science and medicine.
Having to come up with $1,000 unexpectedly can be a challenge for anyone. NPR's recent poll on rural health found that especially true for one group: people with disabilities.
Workers in nursing homes, hospital ERs and other health facilities are required by law to notify police whenever they notice likely signs of physical or sexual abuse. But that's often not happening.
Changing how the mind reacts to pain can reduce the discomfort experienced, according to scientists who study brain pathways that regulate pain. A new type of therapy aims to enhance that effect.
The Affordable Care Act and other U.S. laws sought to put insurance coverage for mental health conditions on equal footing with coverage for physical conditions. But patients say that's not happening.
Restraint and seclusion are controversial practices in public schools. They are most often used on students with disabilities, and parents say they take an emotional toll.
In the 1980s, ACT UP demanded action from the U.S. government and got results with drama. AIDS activists today have fresh tactics for their new goal: a more affordable HIV prevention pill.
A public hospital in Los Angeles gets over 1,000 unidentified patients a year. Most are quickly ID'd, but some require considerable gumshoe work — a task often complicated by medical privacy laws.
Reaching out in kindness, mindful breathing and taking time daily to note positive moments and personal strengths are all part of a program that reduces anxiety and depression. But it takes practice.
Justin Kelley was among workers who learned their jobs as greeters would be cut. As the Floridian waited 49 days to hear if he could stay with Walmart, he worried he would have to give up his dream.
There are 695 cases in 22 states. HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the spike was "avoidable" and he called measles vaccines "among the most extensively studied medical products we have."
Thousands of Massachusetts residents have been committed to treatment for addiction against their will. Some families say locking up addicts in prison isn't treatment. Others say it saves lives.
The latest advance is not only encouraging news for patients with severe combined immunodeficiency. It's a test case for all those scientists working to develop better gene therapy techniques.
A study of siblings finds those who have a stress-related disorder have a 60 percent higher risk of heart attack or other cardiovascular event, compared to their less-stressed brothers and sisters.
The Adelanto ICE Processing Center houses nearly 2,000 people in California. Federal, state and watchdog reviews say the Florida-based firm that runs Adelanto fails to provide adequate health care.
As head of the Department of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar is charged with making Trump's plan to end HIV in the U.S. by 2030 work. "We have an historic opportunity," he tells NPR.
As recent arrivals to the U.S. are released from detention with health problems ranging from diarrhea to gaping wounds, doctors who are trying to help, with little federal support, feel the strain.
Hospitals and nursing homes in California and Illinois think that regional cooperation — and a particular soap — could help them all gain the upper hand against deadly superbugs.
