PBS News Hour - Health

Apr 13 2025 25 ep. 6 mins 2.1k
PBS News Hour - Health Podcast artwork

The latest medical news, analysis and reporting. (Updated periodically) PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

  Health & Fitness
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Why insurance companies are denying coverage for prosthetic limbs

Apr 13 2025 5 mins  
More than 2 million Americans are living with limb loss. A federal report says that number is expected to almost double by 2050. Recent reporting by KFF Health News found that many who have lost limbs are hitting roadblocks when they try to get insurance to cover the cost of prosthetic limbs. Ali Rogin speaks with KFF Health News contributing writer Michelle Andrews to learn more.

Why patients are getting hit with surprise hospital fees for routine medical care

Apr 12 2025 8 mins  
In recent years, hospital systems have been buying up medical practices at a rapid pace. Now, patients getting routine medical care are being hit with high costs and unexpected hospital fees — even if they never visited a hospital. Special correspondent Megan Thompson reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Man whose blood helped develop measles vaccine weighs in on recent outbreak

Apr 08 2025 5 mins  
A second child died from measles-related causes in Texas where an outbreak has infected at least 505. Until this year, the U.S. had no reported measles deaths in a decade. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former anti-vaccine advocate, now says the MMR vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles. Deema Zein spoke with someone who had a front-row seat to

Are gummy vitamins as effective as traditional vitamin pills?

Apr 05 2025 5 mins  
Making sure you get the right amount of daily vitamins can be difficult. Today, a booming multi-billion-dollar industry of gummy vitamins and supplements claims its products make it both easier and tastier. But how do they compare with traditional vitamin pills? Ali Rogin speaks with registered dietitian Shyla Davis-Cadogan to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.

How private equity’s increasing role in health care is affecting patients

Apr 02 2025 8 mins  
Economics correspondent Paul Solman is exploring the impact on communities in Massachusetts after a private equity firm bought struggling hospitals. In his second report, he looks at how private equity's increasing role in health care is affecting patients. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

CDC the latest federal agency to face leadership shakeup and cuts

Mar 26 2025 6 mins  
President Trump has put into place a very different team than his predecessors when it comes to public health and research. The CDC is very much in the thick of it. Five senior leaders at the CDC have announced their departures and staff are anticipating cuts that could affect as much as a third of its workforce. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Lena Sun of The Washington Post. PB

Why IUD insertions are painful for many patients and what can be done better

Mar 23 2025 6 mins  
Millions of American women use some form of contraception to prevent pregnancy, and one of the most popular forms is an intrauterine device, or IUD. Lately, IUDs have been going viral not because of their popularity, but because of the pain associated with getting them. Ali Rogin speaks with Dr. Aaron Lazorwitz, a professor at Yale School of Medicine, to learn more. PBS News is sup

Nurse reflects on struggles of working the frontlines during COVID

Mar 21 2025 4 mins  
As we mark five years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we're speaking with a small handful of the countless people whose lives were turned upside down by the virus. Our latest reflection is from a nurse who worked on the frontlines in New York. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The COVID pandemic’s lingering physical and mental toll, five years later

Mar 09 2025 8 mins  
Five years ago this week, the World Health Organization called the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. In the United States, officials declared a national emergency, triggering travel bans for non-U.S. citizens and shutdowns nationwide. Now, many who lived through the pandemic, including those who treated infected patients, are still dealing with the fallout. Ali Rogin reports. PBS News

What’s behind the growing measles outbreak and how the Trump administration is responding

Mar 08 2025 4 mins  
The growing measles outbreak in the U.S. Southwest claimed a second life this week. So far this year, more than 220 cases have been reported across 12 states, with the majority in Texas. John Yang speaks with infectious disease epidemiologist Jessica Malaty Rivera to learn more about the outbreak and how it differs from previous ones in recent years. PBS News is supported by - http