Health

These states declared an emergency over the opioid crisis. Here's what happened

By Erin Mershon, Andrew Joseph, STAT

Most national emergency declarations, which grant the government temporary new powers with little in the way of oversight, have come in response to natural disasters or the spread of infectious diseases like the H1N1 virus. They allow the federal government…

Trump administration's actions raise health insurance premiums, study says

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press

Researchers from the Kaiser foundation looked at proposed premiums for a benchmark silver plan across major metropolitan areas in 20 states and Washington, D.C. Overall, they found that 15 of those cities will see increases of 10 percent or more…

How a flood of antibiotics landed in your chicken

By Nsikan Akpan

In the book "Big Chicken," Maryn McKenna chronicles how humanity went from developing antibiotics to keep healthy to standing on the verge of an onslaught of unstoppable diseases.

Column: How Big Pharma is hindering the fight against the opioid epidemic

By Robin Feldman, The Conversation

While opioids have become easier to obtain through illicit markets, a drug that could save countless lives has become increasingly out of reach.

Column: The never-ending debate over finishing your antibiotics

By Fedor Kossakovski

Some health professionals are advocating for shorter antibiotics courses, going so far as to say maybe patients should stop taking antibiotics once they feel better.

How the massive, pioneering and embattled VA health system was born

By Dr. Howard Markel

Over the past 96 years, the Veterans Administration -- now with over 1,700 care facilities serving more than 8.76 million veterans annually -- has experienced a roller-coaster ride of accomplishment, public opinion, resource allocation and criticism.

Rural veterans face long paths to health care

By Jen Fifield, Stateline

While long drives and limited access to health care are familiar burdens for many rural residents, the problem is particularly acute for veterans in those areas. They are far older than other rural residents, and far more likely to be…

Sexual assault may trigger involuntary paralysis

By Francine Russo, Scientific American

“Tonic immobility” hinders the ability to fight and is linked to high rates of depression and PTSD.

Drug companies aren't making new antibiotics. Is there an economic cure?

By PBS News Hour

As drug-resistant infections proliferate, financial barriers are preventing the pharmaceutical industry from investing in new drugs to fight off superbugs. Economics correspondent Paul Solman, in a series of reports with science correspondent Miles O'Brien, explores how researchers could be incentivized…

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