The Sense of an Ending

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/05/20/the-sense-of-an-ending-2

Rebecca Mead

The New Yorker

20 May 2013

Text / Over 3000 Words

More than five million Americans have Alzheimer’s or similar illnesses, and that number is growing as the population ages - without any immediate prospect of a cure, advocacy groups have begun promoting ways to offer people with dementia a comfortable decline instead of imposing on them a medical model of care, which seeks to defer death through escalating interventions. An Arizona nursing home offers new ways to care for people with dementia.

Talking Early About How Life Should End

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/27/talking-early-about-how-life-should-end

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

27 October 2015

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Few Americans talk about their end-of-life wishes. To encourage these conversations, Medicare has decided to reimburse doctors for the time they spend helping families decide end-of-life wishes. In Wisconsin, a program trained nurses to have these conversations when doctors are too busy.

Long-Acting Contraception Makes Teen Pregnancy Rates Plummet. So Why Are Some Women Still Skeptical?

http://www.thenation.com/article/long-acting-contraception-makes-teen-pregnancy-rates-plummet-so-why-are-some-women-still-skeptical

Dani McClain

The Nation

28 October 2015

Text / Over 3000 Words

Historically, decisions to make birth-control methods affordable to low-income women have ignored women's reproductive rights and discriminated against minorities. A counseling model that explicitly focuses on a woman’s preferences could be used to overcome latent bias.

New for Aspiring Doctors, the People Skills Test

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/health/policy/11docs.html

Gardiner Harris

The New York Times

10 July 2011

Text / 800-1500 Words

Miscommunication is the leading cause of medical errors, so medical schools in the U.S. are testing aspiring doctors' communication and team work abilities during admissions.

California Caps What Patients Pay For Pricey Drugs. Will Other States Follow?

http://khn.org/news/california-caps-what-patients-pay-for-pricey-drugs-will-other-states-follow

April Dembosky

Kaiser Health News

24 June 2013

Text / 800-1500 Words

Few people can afford the cost of medications for chronic illnesses. California administrators of federal health care have limited the amount a person can be charged per month for high-end medicine.

When Prisons Need to Be More Like Nursing Homes

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2015/08/27/when-prisons-need-to-be-more-like-nursing-homes

Maura Ewing

The Marshall Project

27 August 2015

Text / 1500-3000 Words

The U.S. prison population is aging, which is costly because older inmates need more care. Some states have responded by creating special wards, having the young inmates care for the old, or building nursing homes.

Obamacare in Jail: How San Francisco Policy Helps Inmates

http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2014/04/30/how-san-francisco-inmates-and-prisoners-benefit-from-obamacare

April Dembosky

KQED

30 April 2014

Text / 800-1500 Words

Health insurance sign-ups made available to all inmates at the San Francisco county jail, partnered with guidance from a clinic once they are on the outside, allows them to receive better care upon release, and may help prevent a return to crime and substance abuse.

Why doctors are prescribing legal aid for patients in need

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/doctors-prescribing-legal-aid-patients-need

Jackie Judd

PBS NewsHour

2 September 2015

Broadcast TV News / 5-15 Minutes

Many U.S. medical systems are using medical-legal partnerships to help disadvantaged patients who need help navigating problems with landlords and insurers that interfere with their health.

Overkill

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/11/overkill-atul-gawande

Atul Gawande

The New Yorker

11 May 2015

Text / Over 3000 Words

An investigation reveals a startling percentage of medical procedures provided in the United States are unnecessary or inappropriate - harming patients physically as well as financially. This "profit-maximizing medical culture" can be countered by incentivizing health care facilities to eliminate needless procedures, federal crackdowns, and increasing access to information for patients.

Philly-area firm leads the hospital-bill fight vs. the $500 Tylenol

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/thepulse/item/62231-inside-the-complicated-world-of-medical-billing

Zach Seward

NewsWorks

5 December 2013

Text / 800-1500 Words

With more and more Americans having to pay medical costs out of pocket, a small company out of Philadelphia called ELAP is on the front lines of the war against escalating charges. By helping overwhelmed patients to de-mystify and negotiate medical bills, they are ensuring patients get the best value and avoid egregious financial distress.