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Free COVID tests by mail are back, starting Monday
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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WASHINGTON (NPR) — The Biden administration is bringing COVID tests back to mailboxes. Starting Monday, September 25, the federal government will send up to four free COVID-19 rapid tests per… Read More
More than half of Americans have dealt with gun violence in their personal lives
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 9-8-8, or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741…. Read More
‘Live free and die?’ The sad state of U.S. life expectancy
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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WASHINGTON (NPR) — Just before Christmas, federal health officials confirmed life expectancy in America had dropped for a nearly unprecedented second year in a row – down to 76 years…. Read More
It’s not too late to get a COVID booster — especially for older adults
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (NPR) — The U.S. has come a long way from two years ago when COVID-19 vaccines first became available and people were cutting the line to get their… Read More
Free COVID tests and treatments no longer free for uninsured, as funding runs out
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (NPR) — The first real-world consequences of dwindling federal COVID-19 funds have started to be felt in recent days. Coronavirus tests for uninsured patients are no longer free… Read More
The NIH director on why Americans aren’t getting healthier, despite medical advances
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (NPR) — It’s Dr. Francis Collins’ last few weeks as director of the National Institutes of Health after 12 years, serving under three presidents. Collins made his name… Read More
New federal funds spur expansion of home care services for the elderly and disabled
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (NPR) — For older people and people with disabilities, solving everyday practical problems can be the difference between being able to live at home or being forced to… Read More
States Prepare For Potential Fall Vaccine Distribution, Under Pressure From CDC
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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“We’ve got to take a deep breath,” says one health official about the rapid timeline pushed for by the CDC. “It is very clear that we need to lean forward to prepare to deliver the vaccine.”
Coronavirus Cases Are Surging. The Contact Tracing Workforce Is Not
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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NPR surveyed all 50 states about their contact tracing work. The workforce has barely grown since mid-June, while cases have skyrocketed.
Transgender Health Protections Reversed By Trump Administration
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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Trump has reversed Obama-era protections that prohibit discrimination in health care based on gender identity. Critics warn the rule could harm a vulnerable group — LGBTQ people — during a pandemic.
How Contact Tracing Works and How it Can Help Reopen the Country
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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It’s a technique widely used in other countries to slow the spread of infection. Here’s how contact tracing works — and how it can help the U.S. start to get back to normal.
Trump Administration Offers States A Way To Block Grant Medicaid
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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States can now apply to set up their Medicaid program with capped funding from the federal government. With this move, the administration delivers on a long-held conservative goal.
How The House Prescription Drug Plan Would Try To Lower Drug Prices
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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Lawmakers are voting Thursday on a bill to rein in drug costs. President Trump has vowed to veto it. But the plan shares a lot with other bipartisan efforts. Here’s how it would work.
The Real Cost Of The Opioid Epidemic: An Estimated $179 Billion In Just 1 Year
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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As the courts consider various lawsuits against drugmakers, researchers estimate what opioid addiction is costing our economy and what it would take to end the crisis.
Why Are Addiction Treatment Options Limited For Health Workers?
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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Doctors and nurses are often barred from turning to FDA-approved medications that research shows to be the most effective way to quit. Critics of that policy say stigma is undermining best practice
Rural Health: Financial Insecurity Plagues Many Who Live With Disability
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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Having to come up with $1,000 unexpectedly can be a challenge for anyone. NPR’s recent poll on rural health found that’s especially true for one group: people with disabilities.
States Sue Drugmakers Over Alleged Generic Price-Fixing Scheme
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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A new lawsuit brought by 44 states and Puerto Rico alleges an “industry-wide” conspiracy by generic drug manufacturers to collude on prices and divide up the market.
Will Displaying Drug List Prices In Ads Help Lower Costs?
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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The government wants consumers to have sticker shock about drug prices. A new rule requires list prices be displayed in TV ads. Patients advocates are not sure it will do much to lower prices.