Health

Health
Tobacco's 'special friend': What internal documents say about Mitch McConnell
The Senate majority leader wants to raise the age for tobacco sales to 21. An NPR review of once-secret documents shows how closely McConnell has worked with the industry over decades.
UnitedHealth rejects some demands in mental health coverage lawsuit
UnitedHealth Group is rejecting some plaintiffs demands in a class action lawsuit after a judge agreed the company has been too stingy in its coverage of mental health care.
Meth in the morning, heroin at night: Inside the seesaw struggle of dual addiction
Many users now mix opioids with stimulants such as meth and cocaine. Researchers say efforts to get doctors to reduce opioid prescriptions may have driven some users to buy meth on the street instead.
A clearer map for aging: 'Elderhood' shows how geriatricians can help
Physician Louise Aronson treats patients who are in their 60s — as well as those who are older than 100. She writes about changing approaches to elder health care in the book, "Elderhood.
A year after spinal surgery, a $94,000 bill feels like a backbreaker
A service called neuromonitoring can cut the risk of nerve damage during delicate surgery. But some patients are receiving large bills they didn't expect.
Nurses reach contract agreement with Children's Minnesota
Nurses at Children's Minnesota in Minneapolis and St. Paul say they've reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract with the health system.
Nurses authorize strike at Twin Cities Children's hospitals
The vote doesn't mean a strike in imminent, but the strike authorization means union leaders could call a strike any time without going back to the rank-and-file. However, before walking out the nurses would have to wait out a 10-day notice period.
Federal grants restricted to fighting opioids miss the mark, states say
The U.S. government has doled out at least $2.4 billion in state grants since 2017, specifically targeting the opioid epidemic. Yet drug abuse problems seldom involve only one substance.