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A young girl put matching doll shoes up her nose. One came out easily. The second required a trip to the hospital emergency department and led to a bill that isn't child's play.

A study this month showed giving extra social services to the neediest patients didn't reduce hospital readmissions. Now health advocates say that might not be the right measurement of success.

With a deadline for Medicare enrollment looming, some lawmakers and advocates are concerned that Medicare hasn't done enough to reach out to consumers who might be affected by website problems.

For people at high risk of HIV, taking a daily dose of a prevention drug is essential. But many can't afford it. A new federal program makes the drugs available for free.

Matching the sickest patients with social workers and medical support doesn't reduce costly hospital readmissions, a study finds. Still, some believe greater social investment could make a difference.

Service dogs are a common sight at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, near Washington, D.C. But this special canine trains would-be healers how to pick the right dog for a wounded veteran.

Vaping has produced a diverse community of aficionados with all sorts of subspecialties. One vape-juice "mixologist" sells her recipes for as much as $1,500, while custom-made devices go for $3,000.

Weary of losing neighbors and patients to gunfire, St. Louis trauma surgeon Laurie Punch has a message: Gun violence is contagious, but so is healing. Doctors who teach can be part of the solution.

Big firms are again offering more generous health plans alongside or instead of policies with sky-high deductibles. Why? They need to do so to stay competitive and recruit top talent.

Colorado, like a number of states, is struggling with huge piles of returned mail linked to public aid programs such as Medicaid or food stamps. But is dropping people from such assistance the answer?

The technology behind e-cigarettes has changed over the years, and researchers are now finding evidence that the way different sorts of vaping devices and e-liquids interact could harm consumers.

As the Trump administration calls for expanding access to Medicare Advantage, a federal whistleblower lawsuit accuses a large Medicare Advantage plan of bilking Medicare out of $8 million.

October marks not only fire season in California, but also the peak of the grape harvest. In areas not imminently threatened, some workers labor through heat and smoke to save harvests and paychecks.

Senate Democrats see defense of the Affordable Care Act's popular provisions as a rally issue that could keep their caucus unified when Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation battle heats up.

The Trump administration has declined to defend key provisions of the Affordable Care Act in court, saying protections for people with pre-existing conditions should be declared unconstitutional.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks Dr. Carlos del Rio of Emory University what listeners need to know about the newest COVID-19 variant to reach the United States, Arcturus or XBB.1.16.

Your health insurance plan might not cover items such as wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, boots and braces. The cost is small compared with many medical bills, but adds up if you pay out-of-pocket.

The state ranks near the bottom in enrolling people for food assistance. To change that, it's taking lessons from its robust Medi-Cal health insurance program, which targets much the same population.

Legal analysts say the decision to overturn Maryland's law could slow momentum for other states that are attempting to take action to curb high drug costs.

The Biden plan released this week is an update of the Affordable Care Act with controversial differences. Among them: a "public option" that covers abortion, and subsidized premiums for more people.

Iron-deficiency anemia is often remedied with drugstore iron pills. But if that doesn't work, doctors sometimes prescribe iron infusions — and the bill for that can vary by thousands of dollars. Why?

Rule changes from the Trump administration offer exemptions for people in areas with only one marketplace plan, as well as for some who oppose abortion and can't find a health plan that excludes it.

A federal audit and a whistleblower lawsuit allege that Medicare Advantage plans from the St. Louis-based Essence Group Holdings Corp. have significantly overcharged taxpayers.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with Finnish scientist Tero Mustonen about the state of his country's peatlands. Mustonen has received the Goldman Environmental Prize for his work.

The electricity is back on across much of the island, but the disruption to community spirit continues. Isolation, anxiety and depression are up, as are suicides, especially among older adults.