Health May 29 Chaotic and unending recovery after Hurricane Maria leads to far more dead than official government estimates The death toll from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico last year was far larger than known, according to a new study. At least 4,645 people on the island are estimated to have died as a result of the storm and…
Health Jan 17 A way to save money when half of all health costs is spent on a fraction of patients Health care “super-utilizers” make up just 5 percent of the U.S. population but they account for 50 percent of health care spending. As health care costs continue to rise, providers are trying to figure out how to find these patients…
Health Nov 04 Gaping, painful holes remain in U.S. health care despite coverage gains Dire dental problems and other health issues keep the nonprofit Remote Area Medical busy running free clinics, particularly in states that didn't expand Medicaid. Even after Obamacare, large coverage gaps still exist in the nation's health care system. Special correspondent…
Health Oct 17 Can ordinary citizens help fill gaps in U.S. health care? In the midst of radical changes in health care policy, some U.S. providers are looking to an unlikely model: Sub-Saharan Africa, where ordinary citizens are trained as medical support for their communities. In the U.S., City Health Works is following…
Health Mar 09 After tragic mistake, rural hospital transforms into model of success Since 2010, more than 50 rural hospitals have closed across the country, and hundreds more are at risk. But Hill Country Memorial Hospital in Fredericksburg, Texas, is surviving -- and thriving. Prompted by a tragic medical failure seven years ago,…
Health Mar 04 Small towns watch aging hospitals shutter In rural communities across the country, health care is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity. More than 50 rural hospitals have closed nationwide since 2010, and hundreds more teeter on the brink of bankruptcy. It’s a trend driven by falling revenues…
Health May 01 Rural Indiana struggles with drug-fueled HIV epidemic A rural region of Indiana has become the center of the state's worst-ever HIV epidemic. For the first time, that state's legislature passed a bill this week allowing drug users in high-risk areas to trade used needles for clean ones.
Health Mar 02 How six words landed the Affordable Care Act at the Supreme Court again In the coming days, the Supreme Court will weigh whether states that rely on the federal health care exchange can provide subsidies to make insurance affordable. Special correspondent Sarah Varney of Kaiser Health News reports on how millions will be…
Health Feb 27 The extra costs of extra weight for older adults Lifelong obesity, now common in the U.S., is beginning to change how Americans age. Along Alabama's Gulf Coast, one in three adults is obese, and many who have lived with the negative health effects of excess weight are entering their…
Health May 15 By the numbers: Mental illness behind bars There are now three times more people with serious mental illness incarcerated in the United States than in hospitals, and the types of behavioral and mental health problems among inmates are becoming more severe.