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May 29, 2012 Ashley Dias needs lungs. So do lots of other patients. Scarcity is a problem with organ transplants, and, unlike other scarce resources, organs can't be bought or sold. Here's how doctors decide who gets to be at the top of the waiting list.

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May 23, 2012 Fauquier Hospital in Warrenton, Va., offers services not usually found in your average hospital. Not only is every one of its patient rooms a private one, it offers food cooked and delivered to order, and hand massages. But experts say it's the actual involvement of patients and families in their own care that sets it apart.

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May 21, 2012 Our call-out on Facebook for people to share their experiences of the health care system yielded close to 1,000 responses. From Oregon to Florida, respondents told wrenching tales of bankruptcies, medical errors, and treatment delayed or foregone because of cost.

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May 18, 2012 Unlike many scarce resources, lungs aren't for sale. So doctors have had to figure out how to allocate them.

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May 14, 2012 Of each dollar the federal government spends, how much goes to health care? How much goes to defense? How much goes to other programs? And how has spending changed over time?

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April 23, 2012 Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, gave a fiery speech at annual meeting of Association of Health Care Journalists over the weekend. It was a no-holds-barred critique of the U.S. system of health care.

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April 9, 2012 Cancer care costs more in the U.S., but people live longer than they do in European countries, according to new research. But the numbers are 10 years old, and it will take more research to know if today's increased spending is worth it.

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March 27, 2012 On Day 2 of three days hearing legal arguments about the health care overhaul, the justices will focus on the so-called mandate.

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January 16, 2012 KHNSleep apnea is a condition that can raise the risk of several serious illnesses, including heart disease. Testing for the condition is a lucrative business, and sleep labs have sprung up across the country. But as spending skyrockets, insurers are rethinking how they pay for testing to curb costs.

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January 4, 2012 People who go on and off health insurance fare as badly as people without coverage when it comes to preventive care. A study finds that gaps in coverage lead people with diabetes to skip tests that help keep the illness in check.

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December 27, 2011 KHNHospitals may be the only places in America that aren't crazy for iPads. Security issues and incompatibility with hospital systems are two big reasons why tablet computers haven't caught on. But some doctors and patients say they're great for explaining complex medical issues.

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December 21, 2011 Patients have the legal right to see their doctor's notes, but actually getting them can be slow and expensive. Two new surveys say patients overwhelmingly want to read the notes. But doctors are much more dubious about the benefits of giving patients a window into their thoughts.

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December 1, 2011 Maybe you didn't need that MRI, but your doctor did. Scans are more likely to find no problems if doctors make money from the MRI, a study concludes. Congress and the states have tried to crack down on doctors self-referring to scanners they own, but the practice continues to drive up health care costs.

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