I was a bit surprised by how readily this new physician I visited agreed to prescribe more pain medication for me. My previous experience before I was a cancer patient was that doctors were unwilling to prescribe highly addictive drugs — but they weren’t palliative care doctors, like him.
For the 47 million Americans dependent on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the bad news keeps on coming. Cuts in November might be followed by billions more as Congress considers legislation.
By 2012, when I started my fellowship project, several journalists -- in Philadelphia and nationally -- had written extensively about the “built environment,” food deserts and healthy food access. For my project, I looked to answer the question: “What else in a neighborhood matters to health?”
The U.S. locks up more individuals per capita than any other country in the world. We have 2.2 million people behind bars – up 500% from 30 years ago. This situation raises important questions for policy makers, and it’s a rich area for journalistic exploration.
Two experts respond to evidence about the potential risk for a patient without a history of addiction to become addicted to opioid pain killers.
Reporting on Health Contributing Editor William Heisel set off a spirited discussion this week on Twitter on the risk of addiction to opioid pain medicine. What are the implications for chronic pain management and treatment?
Virginia houses approximately 30,000 inmates annually in state prisons, making the Department of Corrections the most expensive agency in Richmond, with a billion dollar annual budget. It spends $160 million on healthcare, but critics say that care is inadequate.
Duane Middleton died shortly after a routine colonoscopy. Then his life insurance provider denied his wife any benefits, a decision later held up in court. So how could three judges conclude that Middleton's death didn't qualify as an "accident"?
Duane Middleton's colon was torn during a colonoscopy, and he died shortly after. His death was ruled an accident. But when Middleton's wife sought benefits from his insurance policy, she was told his death didn't meet the policy's definition of an accident.
Duane Middleton died at the age of 54, from complications following a colonoscopy. Such complications are exceedingly rare. Where then does that leave his family?
