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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

Friday

Need A Nurse? You May Have To Wait

Some fear that with rising medical costs and an aging population, the country's nursing staff will be stretched too thin. iStockphoto.com hide caption

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iStockphoto.com

Health Inc.

Need A Nurse? You May Have To Wait

A new poll finds 34 percent of patients hospitalized for at least one night in the past year said "nurses weren't available when needed or didn't respond quickly to requests for help." We asked nurses why that might be. Stories poured in about being overworked, comparing the job to "spinning plates."

Need A Nurse? You May Have To Wait

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Thursday

What's Up, Doc? When Your Doctor Rushes Like The Road Runner

Patients continue to complain that physicians don't spend enough time examining and talking with them. iStockphoto.com hide caption

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What's Up, Doc? When Your Doctor Rushes Like The Road Runner

KQED

When it comes to time, there is a stubborn feeling among patients that doctors are in too big of a hurry. That is troubling — and frustrating — to physicians who feel that they are already packing more into every workday and are stretched thin by paperwork.

What's Up, Doc? When Your Doctor Rushes Like The Road Runner

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Wednesday

By Putting Patients First, Hospital Tries To Make Care More Personal

Patient Bob Berquist with Gregory Wagner, a doctor in the emergency department. Berquist, who volunteers at Fauquier Hospital, was admitted for low blood sugar when another nurse noticed he seemed dizzy. John Rose/NPR hide caption

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John Rose/NPR

Health Inc.

By Putting Patients First, Hospital Tries To Make Care More Personal

Fauquier Hospital in Warrenton, Va., offers services not usually found in your average hospital. Not only is every one of its patient rooms a private one, it offers food cooked and delivered to order, and hand massages. But experts say it's the actual involvement of patients and families in their own care that sets it apart.

By Putting Patients First, Hospital Tries To Make Care More Personal

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Monday

Thursday

Accretive Health Mobilizes Political Who's Who

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson announces a lawsuit against Accretive Health in Jan., saying the company failed to protect the confidentiality of health care records for thousands of Minnesota residents. The charges have widened to include the company's tactics in collecting debts. Jim Mone/AP hide caption

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Jim Mone/AP

Health Inc.

Accretive Health Mobilizes Political Who's Who

Accretive Health, under fire for how it collects on health care debts, is fighting back. The company has lined up some political luminaries, including Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, to press its case.

Wednesday

Monday

In Talent Hunt, Some Businesses Offer Health Benefits For Same-Sex Couples

Reaction to President Obama's bombshell that he now supports gay marriage ran the gamut from profound to lighthearted. The White House/Getty Images hide caption

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The White House/Getty Images

Health Inc.

In Talent Hunt, Some Businesses Offer Health Benefits For Same-Sex Couples

KFF Health News

Last year, a little more than half of employers offered health benefits for domestic partner according to a nationally representative sample of about 3,000 employers surveyed by benefit consultant Mercer. That's up from a little less than one-third in 2010.

Wednesday

Tuesday

Friday

Friday

Health Inc.

Wanted: Mavericks And Missionaries To Solve Mississippi's M.D. Shortage

KFF Health News

In rural Mississippi, the number of doctors per person is among the lowest in the country. Now, a new scholarship program is trying to attract medical students to begin their practice there. The success — or failure — of the program depends largely on the recruiter's ability to pick the right students.

Wanted: Mavericks And Missionaries To Solve Mississippi's M.D. Shortage

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Thursday

Health Insurers Set To Pay $1.3 Billion In Rebates

Come summer, mailboxes of 1 in 3 buyers of individual health insurance buyers could get rebate checks. JS Callahan/tropicalpix/iStockphoto.com hide caption

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JS Callahan/tropicalpix/iStockphoto.com

Health Inc.

Health Insurers Set To Pay $1.3 Billion In Rebates

Health insurers that haven't spent the required share of premiums on health care will be sending rebate checks to employers and consumers. All told, an estimated $1.3 billion is expected to be returned to customers this summer.