Surgical instruments used in a kidney transplant in 2016. The agency that oversees organ allocation, the United Network for Organ Sharing, is under scrutiny after a report documented loss and waste of donated organs, often because of problems transporting the organs. Molly Riley/AP hide caption
Rural communities with struggling hospitals often turn to outside investors willing to take over their health care centers. Some are willing to sell the hospitals for next to nothing to companies that promise to keep them running. MEGAN JELINGER/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Demonstrators outside PhRMA headquarters in Washington, D.C., protest lobbying by pharmaceutical companies to keep Medicare from negotiating lower prescription drug prices. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Delta-8 products are set for testing at Virginia Commonwealth University's forensic science lab. These products come in different forms and packaging, many of which are designed to look like candies or cereal. Crixell Matthews/VPM News hide caption
Lucille Brooks, a retiree who lives in Pittsford, New York, was sued in 2020 for nearly $8,000 by a nursing home that had taken care of her brother. The nursing home dropped the case after she showed she had no control over his money or authority to make decisions for him. Heather Ainsworth for KHN hide caption
The FDA is trying to make "bivalent" COVID vaccines, which target two different antigens, available as soon as September. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Kristi Alcayaga's teenage son, Michael, was able to try a cancer drug called clofarabine that got an accelerated approval from the Food and Drug Administration. But the medicine didn't help him. Jovelle Tamayo for NPR hide caption
Kristi Alcayaga's teenage son, Michael, was able to try a cancer drug called clofarabine that got an accelerated approval from the Food and Drug Administration. But the medicine didn't help him. Jovelle Tamayo for NPR hide caption
Mifepristone (Mifeprex) and Misoprostol, the two drugs used in a medication abortion, can also be prescribed for other medical uses. However some pharmacists have refused to fill prescriptions for them. ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Supporters of abortion rights rally at the Minnesota State Capitol Building in downtown St. Paul following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade. Michael Siluk/Universal Images Group via Getty Images hide caption
Jeni Rae Peters and daughter embrace at their home in Rapid City, S.D. In 2020, Peters was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. After treatment, Peters estimates that her medical bills exceeded $30,000. Dawnee LeBeau for NPR hide caption
The new rules will help people get upfront cost estimates for about 500 so-called "shoppable" services, meaning medical care they can schedule ahead of time. DNY59/Getty Images hide caption
Some lost their homes. Some emptied their retirement accounts. Some struggled to feed and clothe their families. Medical debt now touches more than 100 million people in America, as the U.S. health care system pushes patients into debt on a mass scale. Jamar Coach; Eamon Queeney; Laura Buckman for KHN and NPR hide caption
Jon Miller sits in his bedroom with his dog, Carlos, whom he received as a present for successfully completing cancer treatment a decade ago. Miller sustained severe brain damage, and requires the help of home health aides to continue living in his home. Natalie Krebs/Side Effects Public Media hide caption
Claudia and Jesús Fierro of Yuma, Ariz., review their medical bills. They pay $1,000 a month for health insurance yet still owed more than $7,000 after two episodes of care at the local hospital. Lisa Hornak for Kaiser Health News hide caption