Dec 14 Watch 5:46 Hospitals nationwide grapple with IV fluid shortage caused by Hurricane Helene By Ali Rogin, Harry Zahn It’s been about three months since Hurricane Helene pummeled the mountains of North Carolina, but its effects are still being felt well beyond the storm’s path. After the hurricane flooded a manufacturing plant that produces about 60 percent of the… Continue watching
Dec 13 Watch 6:47 CEO murder reveals simmering anger with American health care system By William Brangham, Jackson Hudgins The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has revealed a simmering anger with the American healthcare system in the spotlight. William Brangham discussed more with Wendell Potter. He spent decades working for the health insurance company, Cigna, before leaving and… Continue watching
Dec 12 Watch 5:26 Drug overdose deaths dropped nationwide. Experts are working to understand why By Amna Nawaz New data from the CDC shows a drop in drug overdose deaths, down nearly 17 percent compared year-over-year. The annual death toll dropped from approximately 113,000 to just over 94,000. It’s a rare bit of good news after decades of… Continue watching
Dec 11 Bird flu virus has been found in raw milk. Here’s a reminder of how pasteurization improves safety By Kerry E. Kaylegian, The Conversation Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom President-elect Donald Trump has said he will nominate to head the Department of Health and Human Services, has asserted that raw milk “advances human health,” contrary to warnings from FDA officials and food scientists. Continue reading
Dec 10 Watch 7:59 The controversial changes RFK Jr. could make to vaccine policy as HHS chief By William Brangham, Frank Carlson More than 75 Nobel laureates signed a letter asking the U.S. Senate not to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary, citing his opposition to vaccines among their concerns. William Brangham takes a deeper look at… Continue watching
Dec 10 ‘Dreamers’ shut out of the health care marketplace in 19 states for now, judge rules By John Hanna, Jack Dura, Associated Press Judge Daniel Traynor of the U.S. District Court in North Dakota issued the order Monday from Bismarck, dealing a setback to a Biden administration rule that was estimated to allow 147,000 immigrants to enroll for coverage. Continue reading
Dec 10 U.S. health panel draft recommendations would allow a self-testing option for cervical cancer By Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press Studies show women and doctors collect samples with similar accuracy. Continue reading
Dec 09 People hit hardest by opioid crisis often don’t get a say in how settlement money is spent By Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press Public health advocates say the money should be used in ways proven to save lives, prevent drug use and focus on racial equity and that the decisions should be transparent. But many communities are following regular government spending practices rather… Continue reading
Dec 07 Watch 5:38 Drunk driving in the U.S. rose in recent years. Would a lower legal limit improve safety? By John Yang, Claire Mufson, Andrew Chambers According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, drunk driving crashes are as much as 40 percent higher between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day than the rest of the year. The legal blood alcohol limit in the U.S. is… Continue watching
Dec 07 UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting opens floodgates of Americans venting insurance frustrations By Tom Murphy, Devi Shastri, Associated Press This week’s fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has unleashed a wave of public feeling — exasperation, anger, resentment, helplessness — from Americans sharing personal stories of interactions with insurance companies, often seen as faceless corporate giants. Continue reading