Catherine Fitzgerald, the author's mother, spent four nights in a hospital after falling in her home. But Medicare refused to pay for her rehab care, saying she had only been an inpatient for one night. Alison Kodjak/NPR hide caption
Alison Kodjak Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak is a health policy correspondent on NPR's Science Desk.
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Alison Kodjak
Bill Of The Month: A Tale Of 2 CT Scanners — One Richer, One Poorer
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine (center), is joined on Wednesday by Sen. Lindsey Graham (from left), R-S.C., Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore. Collins was pushing for provisions in the budget bill aimed at lowering premiums for people purchasing health insurance in the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces. That didn't happen. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption
Critics of Roger Severino, director of the Office for Civil Rights at HHS, worry Severino's efforts on behalf of some health workers will reduce women's access to reproductive health services and could aggravate discrimination against transgender people. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption
Civil Rights Chief At HHS Defends The Right To Refuse Care On Religious Grounds
A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine says that abortion is safe but that "abortion specific regulations in many states create barriers to safe and effective care." Bryce Duffy/Getty Images hide caption
Health insurer Cigna is looking to increase its muscle by buying Express Scripts, a leading manager of prescription benefits. Wilfredo Lee/AP hide caption
Experts Say There's Little Connection Between Mental Health And Mass Shootings
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaks to the House Ways and Means Committee last week in Washington about the FY19 budget. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption
Several Planned Parenthood chapters and other groups involved in prevention of teen pregnancy are suing the administration for halting funding for their programs. Daniel Acker/Bloomberg/Getty Images hide caption
Trump Administration Sued Over Ending Funding Of Teen Pregnancy Programs
A single company, Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, funneled $4.7 million to advocacy groups over the five-year period, according to the report. Toby Talbot/AP hide caption
CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald Resigns After Reports Show Investment In Tobacco Stocks
Health Stocks Drop After Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway And JPMorgan Chase Announcement
Alex Azar will take over the Department of Health and Human Services at a time when rising drug prices are a huge political issue. Carolyn Kaster/AP hide caption
The Department of Health and Humans Services is adding a Division of Conscience and Religious Freedom to protect doctors, nurses and other health care workers who refuse to take part in some kinds of care because of moral or religious objections. Mark Wilson/Getty Images hide caption