A new report from Pro Publica and Consumer Reports reveals how, behind the scenes, pharmaceutical companies are paying academics to justify their high drug prices. While this has always been the...
Diane Archer
Republicans could hurt Medicare, Medicaid and ACA without ACA...
A splintering in the Republican party forced Speaker Paul Ryan to pull the American Health Care Act, aka Trumpcare, from a House of Representatives vote, and, at least for now, it has been put to...
Lifestyle changes could help reduce risk of memory loss as we age
Some estimates suggest that as many as one in five people over 65 have mild cognitive impairments. When these impairments are caused by medication side effects or depression, they can be reversed...
Volunteer: 93-year old delivers meals
Murel Johnson began volunteering for Meals on Wheels in Oregon when she was 77. She has been delivering meals every Friday now for 16 years. Her work not only ensures older adults eat well but...
Even without ACA repeal, quality of care at risk
The Republican leadership’s ACA repeal bill is dead for now, but quality of care in the U.S. is still at risk. In an interview for KPBS.org, Donald Berwick, M.D., president emeritus of the...
Orphan drug act delivers big profits to drug companies
More than 30 years ago, to foster drug innovation for rare diseases, Congress passed the Orphan Drug Act. The law helps drug companies make big profits on drugs that treat rare diseases–orphan...
Life expectancy projected to rise in 35 countries, with smaller...
Life expectancy is projected to rise in 35 countries, with smaller gains in the U.S., according to a recent report in The Lancet. Researchers believe that the chance of people born in 2030 living...
World’s oldest female bodybuilder is most inspiring
Born in 1936, Ernestine Shepherd is a bodybuilder. In her 60s, she had been a “couch potato.” Then, she and her health care buddy, her sister, decided to take weight training. Their goal...
Research costs provide no basis for high drug prices in U.S.
Pharmaceutical companies often argue that they need to charge high prices for their drugs in the U.S. to offset their research and development costs. A new study published in Health Affairs looks at...
Four things you may not know about generic drugs
Tylenol, Advil, Lipitor are common household names. And, millions of people buy them, along with many other brand name drugs. But, according to Consumer Reports, the generic versions of these drugs...