An analysis of court records by the state treasurer and Duke researchers finds Atrium Health in Charlotte, N.C., accounted for almost a third of the legal actions against North Carolina patients over roughly five years. Logan Cyrus for KHN hide caption
Dr. Alex Shteynshlyuger spends hours on the phone with payment processors like Zelis, fighting their attempts to impose fees on electronic payments. DeSean McClinton-Holland/Pro Publica hide caption
A sign points visitors toward the financial services department at Grady Memorial Hospital, in Atlanta. David Goldman/AP hide caption
An aerial view shows damage to a Pfizer pharmaceutical factory in Rocky Mount, N.C., from a tornado that struck on July 19. The plant produces many drugs used in hospitals. Sean Rayford/Getty Images hide caption
Doctors are starting to face a flood of message from patients and some health care companies are billing for clinical advice delivered this way. jose carlos cerdeno martinez/Getty Images hide caption
AbbVie's Humira was the world's best-selling drug for many years. Now it faces competition for copycats that cost a fraction of its price. David J. Phillip/AP hide caption
Pharmacy benefit managers are middlemen who work with drug companies and insurers, helping set the retail prices for prescription drugs Americans rely on for their health. They're now the subject of a number of new bills in Congress. Robert F. Bukaty/AP hide caption
Cultivated Meat is an alternative to traditional meat derived from cells in a lab. In this photo, a chicken breast is prepared at Upside Foods. Brian L. Frank for NPR/Brian L. Frank for NPR hide caption
Tessa was a chatbot originally designed by researchers to help prevent eating disorders. The National Eating Disorders Association had hoped Tessa would be a resource for those seeking information, but the chatbot was taken down when artificial intelligence-related capabilities, added later on, caused the chatbot to provide weight loss advice. Screengrab hide caption
Osteopathic physician Kevin de Regnier of Winterset, Iowa, checks Chris Bourne, who came in for an adjustment of his anxiety medication on May 9, 2023. Tony Leys/KFF Health News hide caption
Matt Ashley, a senior technologist at Johnson Memorial Health in Franklin, Indiana, is part of a small IT team that spent months helping the hospital recover after a crippling cyberattack in 2021. Farah Yousry/WFYI hide caption
Doctors' offices often offer special medical credit cards as a solution to paying off large medical bills. But patients may end up paying far more for their bills when they have to pay interest down the road. Fly View Productions/Getty Images hide caption
Since the pandemic, some hospitals have started offering to let patients with acute illness recuperate at-home, with 24-hour remote access to medical professionals and daily home visits. FG Trade/Getty Images hide caption
Students at the University of Minnesota celebrate their induction into medical school. The U.S. has disproportionately few Black and Hispanic doctors. Some of the barriers to entering the profession start before even getting into medical school, recent research finds, including financial pressures and racism. Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via Getty Images hide caption