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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.

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Health News From NPR

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Tuesday April 23, 2013

Recalls Of Dietary Supplements Highlight Mystery Ingredients

Over the past several years, the FDA has deemed many dietary supplements to be "tainted" by unapproved drugs. FDA.gov hide caption

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Health Inc.

Recalls Of Dietary Supplements Highlight Mystery Ingredients

April 23, 2013 • More than 200 dietary supplements have been recalled in recent years because they contain drugs that aren't listed on the label and are potentially harmful, an analysis finds.

Tuesday April 16, 2013

Quality Conundrum: Complications Boost Hospital Profits

If he messes up, should the hospital profit? iStockphoto.com hide caption

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Quality Conundrum: Complications Boost Hospital Profits

April 16, 2013 • Hospitals can make more money when surgery leads to complication that need to be fixed. Critics say the current payment system rewards hospitals for bad care and fails to provide incentives that would benefit patients.

Monday April 15, 2013

Supreme Court Asks: Can Human Genes Be Patented?

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Supreme Court Asks: Can Human Genes Be Patented?

April 15, 2013 • Same-sex marriage got huge headlines at the Supreme Court last month, but in the world of science and medicine, the case being argued on Monday is far more important. The lawsuit deals with a truly 21st century issue that in some cases can pit drugmakers against patients.

Supreme Court Asks: Can Human Genes Be Patented?

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Friday April 12, 2013

Wait For Obamacare Price Tags Could Last Months

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Wait For Obamacare Price Tags Could Last Months

KFF Health News

April 12, 2013 • In many states the deadlines for companies to file their insurance for sale on new exchanges aren't until late May. Some states with early deadlines have no plans to disclose the rates anytime soon.

Wednesday April 10, 2013

Companies On The Move Look For Healthy Workers

A Denver man runs in the snow near Washington Park after a winter storm moved through town in late January. Ed Andrieski/AP hide caption

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Ed Andrieski/AP

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Companies On The Move Look For Healthy Workers

April 10, 2013 • Penny-pinching CEOs are relocating businesses to places with fitter workers and lower health costs. Colorado, where adult obesity rates are low, is playing up its health advantage as it tries to lure companies to move.

Tuesday April 2, 2013

New Medical School Wants To Build Ranks Of Primary Care Doctors

The Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., will open this fall. The school has a specific mission: minting doctors who want to go into primary care practice. Quinnipiac University hide caption

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Quinnipiac University

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New Medical School Wants To Build Ranks Of Primary Care Doctors

WNPR

April 2, 2013 • Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., is spending $100 million to open a medical school in the fall. Its goal is to have more than 50 percent of its graduates go into primary care.

New Medical School Wants To Build Ranks Of Primary Care Doctors

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Friday March 29, 2013

Obamacare Won't Affect Most 2012 Taxes, Despite Firm's Claim

Taxes this year will be as much of a drag as ever. But not because of the Affordable Care Act. iStockphoto.com hide caption

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Obamacare Won't Affect Most 2012 Taxes, Despite Firm's Claim

CPR News

March 29, 2013 • H&R Block claims it's equipped to guide you through the Affordable Care Act and the law's implications for your taxes this year. But the law doesn't really affect 2012 returns.

Obamacare Won't Affect Most 2012 Taxes, Despite Firm's Claim

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Tuesday March 26, 2013

Employers Try To Spur Healthy Behaviors With Health Plan Rewards

Chick-Fil-A employees Jennifer Cummins, right, and Joshua Figaretti work out in the gym during lunch at the company's corporate headquarters office in Hapeville, Ga. Increasingly employers are offering health plan incentives to encourage healthy behaviors from workers. Ric Feld/AP hide caption

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Ric Feld/AP

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Employers Try To Spur Healthy Behaviors With Health Plan Rewards

KFF Health News

March 26, 2013 • Surveys show that an increasing number of employers are providing employees with financial incentives to stay healthy. Many employers now contribute to employee health savings accounts, but only if employees make sure to take care of their health.

Friday March 15, 2013

Is Your Medicine Vegan? Probably Not

Heparin is an anticoagulant and the prescription version is made from pig, raising concerns for vegans. Rob Kim/Landov hide caption

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Rob Kim/Landov

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Is Your Medicine Vegan? Probably Not

March 15, 2013 • Go looking for animal products, and you will find them everywhere, including pharmaceutical drugs. That's the word from a new guide to animal-derived products in everyday products written by two German "professional vegans."

Matchmaker, Er, Match Week, Make Me A Doctor

Match day at Georgetown University School of Medicine on March 15. Eric Stern/for NPR hide caption

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Eric Stern/for NPR

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Matchmaker, Er, Match Week, Make Me A Doctor

KFF Health News

March 15, 2013 • During match week, med students learn if, and where, they will go for a residency program. It's a nerve-wracking process, but it's supposed to give students an advantage – allowing them to have the same ability to rank their favorite programs as hospitals have to choose the best applicants.

Tuesday March 12, 2013

When It Comes To Health Care, Patients Don't Want To Weigh Costs

Patients say they feel little personal responsibility for keeping health costs lower. Andrei Tchernov/iStockphoto.com hide caption

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Andrei Tchernov/iStockphoto.com

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When It Comes To Health Care, Patients Don't Want To Weigh Costs

KFF Health News

March 12, 2013 • Patients feel little personal responsibility for keeping health costs lower, a study found. They were also unlikely to accept a less expensive treatment option, even if it was nearly as effective as a more expensive choice.

Friday March 1, 2013

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Health Insurers Brace For Consumer Ratings In Some States

KFF Health News

March 1, 2013 • Several states are scrambling to decide what information about quality would be useful to the millions of people and small businesses expected to shop for insurance coverage in new marketplaces beginning in October.

Thursday February 28, 2013

New York Medical School Widens Nontraditional Path For Admissions

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New York Medical School Widens Nontraditional Path For Admissions

February 28, 2013 • The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is making it easier for more nontraditional students to become doctors. Applicants don't have to have taken the standard admissions test or a full slate of premed classes to be considered. The school's leadership hopes the move will foster greater diversity.

Tuesday February 26, 2013

Women To See Higher Prices For Long-Term Care Insurance

Rates for female applicants could be up to 40 percent higher under Genworth Financial's new pricing policy. iStockphoto.com hide caption

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Women To See Higher Prices For Long-Term Care Insurance

KFF Health News

February 26, 2013 • Rates for female applicants could be up to 40 percent higher under the new pricing policy from Genworth Financial, the country's largest long-term care insurer. The company says women account for two out of every three dollars spent on claims.

Tuesday February 19, 2013

Why The Hospital Wants The Pharmacist To Be Your Coach

Walgreens is one of several pharmacies that have partnered with hospitals to help manage patients after they've returned home. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Why The Hospital Wants The Pharmacist To Be Your Coach

CPR News

February 19, 2013 • Hospitals are partnering with pharmacies to keep discharged patients from returning too soon. Walgreens, for one, is helping hospitals to manage patients' medications after they go home.

Why The Hospital Wants The Pharmacist To Be Your Coach

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