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Health Inc. : Shots - Health News As spending on care rises, the business of health keeps getting more important. We feature news on and analysis of drugmakers, health insurers, hospitals, doctors and others in the business of providing health care.
Shots - Health News

Shots

Health News From NPR

Health Inc.

Wednesday

More Rural Hospitals Are Closing Their Maternity Units

Most women get prenatal care from the doctor they expect will deliver the baby, which can make it difficult if the doctor and hospital are far away. Tim Hale/Getty Images hide caption

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Tim Hale/Getty Images

Health Inc.

More Rural Hospitals Are Closing Their Maternity Units

KFF Health News

Facilities for delivering babies are expensive to run and hard to staff. But when small rural hospitals close their birthing units, pregnant women must travel much farther for care.

Shortage Of Addiction Counselors Further Strained By Opioid Epidemic
Gary Waters/Ikon Images/Corbis

Health Inc.

Shortage Of Addiction Counselors Further Strained By Opioid Epidemic

NHPR

Counselors in the field of substance abuse rehabilitation earn roughly $40,000 a year, surveys show, and the work can be emotionally draining. Employee turnover is high, and likely to get worse.

Shortage Of Addiction Counselors Further Strained By Opioid Epidemic

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Tuesday

Tuesday

With Special Tax Suspended, Medical Device Firms Reap Big Savings

Products that are regulated and taxed as medical devices include a wide range of machines and objects, including various scopes, scanners, tubing and pumps. iStockphoto hide caption

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iStockphoto

Health Inc.

With Special Tax Suspended, Medical Device Firms Reap Big Savings

MPR News

The medical device industry is enjoying a two-year moratorium on a tax that was created to support the Affordable Care Act. Are firms using their savings to create more jobs, as many claim?

With Special Tax Suspended, Medical Device Firms Reap Big Savings

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Friday

High Costs For Drugs Used By A Few Are Starting To Add Up

Multiple sclerosis pill Tecfidera is on the top 10 list of most costly specialty drugs, as measured by overall spending, for California's health benefit system for public workers and retirees. John/Flickr hide caption

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John/Flickr

Health Inc.

High Costs For Drugs Used By A Few Are Starting To Add Up

A cystic fibrosis drug that is expected to be taken by only a few hundred people may drain almost $36 million from California's general fund over two fiscal years.

Thursday

House Hearing Probes The Mystery Of High Drug Prices That 'Nobody Pays'

Nancy Retzlaff, chief commercial officer for Turing Pharmaceuticals, was asked how much the drug Daraprim costs at the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Capitol Hill on Thursday. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

Health Inc.

House Hearing Probes The Mystery Of High Drug Prices That 'Nobody Pays'

After controversial pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli left the hearing on Capitol Hill, the representatives' attention turned to why prices for some drugs are rising so steeply.

House Hearing Probes The Mystery Of High Drug Prices That 'Nobody Pays'

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Wednesday

California Exchange Chief Rips UnitedHealth For Obamacare Excuses

"Instead of saying, 'We screwed up,' they said, 'Obamacare is the problem and we may not play anymore,' " Covered California's Peter Lee said of UnitedHealth. Rick Loomis/LA Times via Getty Images hide caption

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Rick Loomis/LA Times via Getty Images

Health Inc.

California Exchange Chief Rips UnitedHealth For Obamacare Excuses

KFF Health News

Covered California's executive director, Peter Lee, said UnitedHealth Group Inc. made its own mistakes on rates and networks that led to a $475 million loss on individual policies in 2015.

Tuesday

A Peek Inside Turing Pharmaceuticals: 'Another $7.2 Million. Pow!'

Martin Shkreli was CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals when the company boosted the price of a drug by 5,000 percent. He has since resigned. Paul Taggart/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

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Paul Taggart/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Health Inc.

A Peek Inside Turing Pharmaceuticals: 'Another $7.2 Million. Pow!'

Congressional investigators have pried loose emails showing how the company's executives anticipated huge profits from a 5,000 percent drug price increase. They were blindsided by the blowback.

Monday

Bosses Find Part-Time Workers Can Come With Full-Time Headaches

Skimping on health insurance carries a hidden price for some fast-food restaurants. Paula Connelly/Getty Images hide caption

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Paula Connelly/Getty Images

Health Inc.

Bosses Find Part-Time Workers Can Come With Full-Time Headaches

KQED

Some fast-food franchisees are rethinking putting workers on part-time status to avoid having to provide them with health insurance. The business hassles are exceeding the savings.

Bosses Find Part-Time Workers Can Come With Full-Time Headaches

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Friday

The Doctor's Computer Will Email You Now

After knee surgery, David Larson, 66, of Huntington Beach, Calif., experienced pain in a calf muscle. His answer to an automated email from the doctor led to the diagnosis and treatment of a potentially dangerous blood clot. Heidi de Marco/Kaiser Health News hide caption

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Heidi de Marco/Kaiser Health News

Health Inc.

The Doctor's Computer Will Email You Now

KFF Health News

Though it may sound like an oxymoron, "automating empathy" is becoming a catchphrase in health care. The goal is to help doctors engage with patients cheaply and with minimal effort. Does it work?

Monday

Insurers Hire Social Workers To Tackle The Opioid Epidemic

A pharmacist counts pain pills. In an effort to curb the abuse of Oxycontin, Vicodin and other opioid painkillers, some health plans in Massachusetts now limit a patient's initial prescription to a 15-day supply, and plan to halve that number in February. Gabe Souza/Getty Images hide caption

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Gabe Souza/Getty Images

Health Inc.

Insurers Hire Social Workers To Tackle The Opioid Epidemic

WBUR

Some health plans in Massachusetts are putting tighter limits on painkiller prescriptions. Others are hiring their own social workers to help customers who struggle with opioid abuse quit for good.

Insurers Hire Social Workers To Tackle The Opioid Epidemic

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Wednesday

Opioid Abuse Takes A Toll On Workers And Their Employers

The effects of opioid abuse can go unnoticed at work. George Doyle/Getty Images hide caption

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George Doyle/Getty Images

Health Inc.

Opioid Abuse Takes A Toll On Workers And Their Employers

Many employers who test for drugs don't screen employees for opioids. Yet opioid abuse is linked to problems with workplace productivity and safety.

Opioid Abuse Takes A Toll On Workers And Their Employers

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Tuesday

Making The Most Of Military Medics' Field Experience

Dave Manning (left) and three other veterans who are studying to become physician assistants at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Brian Strickland / News.UNCHealthcare.org hide caption

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Brian Strickland / News.UNCHealthcare.org

Health Inc.

Making The Most Of Military Medics' Field Experience

WFAE

A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill training program for physician assistants recruits veterans and gives them credit for their experience.

Making The Most Of Military Medics' Field Experience

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Thursday

Tuesday

Do You Speak Health Insurance? It's Not Easy

Seanne Thomas manages three health insurance plans for people in her family. Mark Zdechlik/MPR hide caption

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Mark Zdechlik/MPR

Health Inc.

Do You Speak Health Insurance? It's Not Easy

MPR News

Even savvy consumers stumble over the meaning of coinsurance and other jargon. The misunderstandings can be costly, especially when picking a health plan.

Do You Speak Health Insurance? It's Not Easy

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