Diabetes Drug’s New Weight Loss Formula Fuels Cost-Benefit Debate
By Julie Appleby
Health plans’ coverage of the medication, branded as Wegovy — which has a $1,300-a-month price tag — is not a sure thing.
Olympic Dream Dashed After Bike Crash and Nightmare Medical Bill Over $200K
By Samantha Young
A bicyclist from California competed in a Pennsylvania race that could have landed him in this month’s Tokyo Olympics. Instead, a crash on the velodrome track landed him in two hospitals where his out-of-state, out-of-network surgeries garnered huge bills.
The Delta Variant Thrives in a State of Political and Public Health Discord
By Lauren Weber
At the center of the nation’s delta variant outbreak, public health efforts are mired in a political turf war.
How ERs Fail Patients With Addiction: One Patient’s Tragic Death
By Aneri Pattani
Two intractable failings of the U.S. health care system — addiction treatment and medical costs — come to a head in the ER, where patients desperate for addiction treatment arrive, only to find the facility may not be equipped to deal with substance use or, if they are, treatment is prohibitively expensive.
Biden Is Caught in the Middle of Polarizing Abortion Politics
By Julie Rovner
The president, one of the last of a disappearing group of politicians who sought moderate compromises on abortion policy, is frustrating supporters. They wanted faster changes in federal rules. But abortion opponents — including Catholic bishops— are also taking him to task.
As Covid Vaccinations Slow, Parts of the US Remain Far Behind 70% Goal
By Martha Bebinger, WBUR and Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio
Vermont and Massachusetts lead the nation, with more than 70% of adults having had at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine. Southern states like Tennessee lag far behind.
Damage to Children’s Education — And Their Health — Could Last a Lifetime
By Liz Szabo
Black and Hispanic students have lost up to 12 months of learning, which could lead to lower incomes and shorter, sicker lives.
The Hard Realities of a ‘No Jab, No Job’ Mandate for Health Care Workers
By Christine Spolar
Despite a hearts-and-minds campaign and millions spent in incentives, managers struggle to get staffs vaccinated against covid. Some workers have threatened to quit over the pressure to get a shot, which employers can’t afford.
An Anti-Vaccine Film Targeted to Black Americans Spreads False Information
By Will Stone
A new movie produced by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine group tries to capitalize on the covid-19 pandemic, the racial justice movement and renewed interest in the history of medical racism.
FDA Weighs Approval of a Lucrative Alzheimer’s Drug, but Benefits Are Iffy
By Harris Meyer
The agency is to decide by June 7 whether to greenlight Biogen’s drug aducanumab, despite a near-unanimous rejection of the product by an FDA advisory committee of outside experts in November. Some scientists at the agency have endorsed the drug, though.
