The shift to electronic medical payments gave rise to a new kind of health care middlemen, who now charge 1-5% every time insurers pay doctors. Here's how lobbyists convinced regulators this was OK.
Andrew Leland started losing his sight 20 years ago. He's now legally blind, although he still has a narrow field of vision, which allows him to see about 6% of what a fully-sighted person sees.
Overdose deaths from fentanyl and other opioids have surged but medications that could save thousands of lives "are sitting on the shelf unused," according to new research.
The Food and Drug Administration granted approval of the drug, Zurzuvae, for adults experiencing severe depression related to childbirth or pregnancy. The pill is taken once a day for 14 days.
Millions of people in the U.S. have a genetic variant that raises their risk of cancer. Genetic testing can help people find cancer earlier and seek treatment. But many patients aren't offered it.
A term coined to evoke the torment felt by soldiers as they process the cruelty of war, it's now used by doctors to describe the guilt and helplessness we feel when patients can't access needed care.
A tornado that ripped through a Pfizer plant in Rocky Mount, N.C., raised worries about shortages of medicines used in hospitals. The drugs include commonly used painkillers and anesthetics.
A tornado that tore through a Pfizer factory in North Carolina could exacerbate drug shortages. Records obtained by NPR show the plant made dozens of products, including painkillers and anesthetics.
For the first time in two decades, the U.S. has evidence of local transmission of malaria. Most of the cases occurred in Florida's Sarasota County, which has stepped up mosquito suppression efforts.
Virtual access to doctors is a huge plus for patients. But it's a lot of new work for physicians. And the health care business model hasn't caught up with this new reality.
The recently approved contraception Opill should be available for consumers next year. It's not clear how or whether insurance will cover it. Here's what's known so far.