May 25 Could Medicare's drug pricing plan give regulators too much power? By Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News The aim, the government says, is to maintain quality while slowing spending in Medicare Part B by more closely tying payments to how well drugs work, using methods drugmakers, insurers and benefit managers are already trying in the private sector. Continue reading
May 25 Here's why states want to make it tough to skip childhood vaccines By Sarah Breitenbach, Stateline Even a small number of unvaccinated people can undermine the immunity of the larger population, which is leading public health officials and vaccine advocates to push for changes. Continue reading
May 24 Watch 5:47 Philadelphia mayor looks to fund pre-K with controversial soda tax — by the ounce By PBS News Hour Continue watching
May 24 Watch 9:21 What's behind biting political fight in Congress over Zika funding? By PBS News Hour In February, the White House issued a $1.9 billion plan for combating Zika virus in the U.S., including provisions for mosquito control, education and research into a vaccine. While GOP lawmakers opposed that plan, the Senate passed a bipartisan $1.1… Continue watching
May 23 What is mechanical tenderizing, and why is it hazardous to your steak? By Lydia Zuraw, Kaiser Health News A new label on some of the steaks in your grocery store highlights a production process you may have never heard of: mechanical tenderizing. Continue reading
May 21 Watch 10:03 How a research campus in North Carolina deals with ethical questions on biobanking By PBS News Hour Continue watching
May 21 Watch Prescriptions for opioids decline amid epidemic By PBS News Hour Nearly 30,000 deaths a year can be attributed to the abuse of heroin and prescription painkillers - opioids like oxycontin, vicodin, percocet, and methadone. But a new report indicates that opioid prescriptions in the last three years have declined. New… Continue watching
May 21 How Dr. Arthur Conan Doyle cracked the case of the tuberculosis 'remedy' By Dr. Howard Markel Today marks the birth of the man who created the world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes. To celebrate, here's one of the great detective stories in medical history. Continue reading
May 20 Watch 5:47 News Wrap: CDC says 157 pregnant women in the U.S. have Zika virus By PBS News Hour In our news wrap Friday, health officials reported that the number of pregnant women in the U.S. infected with Zika virus has tripled to 157, though fewer than a dozen have had miscarriages or babies born with birth defects so… Continue watching
May 20 Watch 5:12 New food labels to emphasize calories, amount of 'added sugar' By PBS News Hour The FDA rolled out new rules for nutrition labels on packaged foods and drinks Friday, designed to highlight the amount of “added sugar” and calories in a given product. The measures, which take effect this summer, are part of a… Continue watching