Jan 14 House Democrats announce they are investigating drug pricing By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press House Democrats announced a sweeping investigation Monday of the pharmaceutical industry's pricing practices, jockeying for the upper hand with the Trump administration on an issue that concerns Americans across the political spectrum. Continue reading
Jan 14 Judge blocks Trump birth control coverage rules in 13 states By Sudhin Thanawala, Associated Press Trump administration rules that allow more employers to opt out of providing women with no-cost birth control pose "potentially dire" financial and public health consequences for 13 states and Washington, D.C., a U.S. judge said in a decision blocking the… Continue reading
Jan 11 Watch 7:26 Fighting malaria in the remote reaches of Cambodia By Fred de Sam Lazaro Malaria causes nearly half a million deaths worldwide every year. Ninety percent of them are in sub-Saharan Africa, where poor infrastructure limits delivery of drugs. But now there is worry that those drugs are losing effectiveness as disease strains become… Continue watching
Jan 11 ‘Substantial number’ of women could lose birth control coverage under rule, judge says By Sudhin Thanawala, Associated Press The changes set to go into effect on Monday would allow more employers, including publicly traded companies, to opt out of providing no-cost contraceptive coverage to women by claiming religious objections. Continue reading
Jan 10 Democrats to unveil bills to reduce prescription drug prices By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press The package of bills are designed to link the prices Americans pay for prescription drugs to lower costs in other countries. Continue reading
Jan 08 Watch 5:45 As death rates from cancer decline, why are some communities faring worse? The death rate from cancer in the U.S. fell 27 percent between 1991 and 2016 due to earlier detection and a decline in smoking, according to a new study by the American Cancer Society. But obesity-related cancer deaths are increasing,… Continue watching
Jan 08 For 25 years, the U.S. cancer death rate has fallen. Here’s why By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press NEW YORK — The U.S. cancer death rate has hit a milestone: It’s been falling for at least 25 years, according to a new report. Lower smoking rates are translating into fewer deaths. Advances in early detection and treatment also… Continue reading
Jan 07 Growing opioid crisis adds to Puerto Rico’s problems By Dánica Coto, Associated Press "Hardly anyone talks about this problem in Puerto Rico. It's like it doesn't exist," says Rafael Torruella, program director for a needle exchange program in Puerto Rico. Continue reading
Jan 06 A deep dive into newborns’ DNA may reveal potential disease risks — but is the testing worth it? By Andrew Joseph, STAT Looking for diseases in newborns’ DNA that could arise during adulthood is more ethically fraught than focusing on childhood conditions. Continue reading
Jan 03 Democratic attorneys general appeal Affordable Care Act ruling, as signups stay ‘remarkably steady’ By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press Democratic attorneys general on Thursday appealed a federal court ruling that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, as new enrollment numbers underscored the staying power of the Obama-era law. Continue reading