Alison Kodjak Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak is a health policy correspondent on NPR's Science Desk.
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Alison Kodjak
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Monday
Robyn Adcock (left), a University of California, San Francisco pain relief specialist, gently guides Jessica Greenfield to acupressure points on her son's foot and leg that have helped relieve his chronic pain. Alison Kodjak/NPR hide caption
Friday
A Guatemalan teen asylum-seeker (left), who isn't able to hear or speak, signs with his mom in Florida. He was brusquely separated from her and held in a shelter for nearly three months, unable to readily communicate, according to a civil rights complaint filed with the Department of Homeland Security. Susan Ferriss/Center for Public Integrity hide caption
Homeland Security's Civil Rights Unit Lacks Power To Protect Migrant Kids
The Center for Public Integrity
Homeland Security's Civil Rights Unit Lacks Power To Protect Migrant Kids
Wednesday
Dr. Rebekah Gee, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, negotiated a deal with a drugmaker to get the state a better price for expensive hepatitis C medications for its Medicaid and prison populations. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. hide caption
Friday
The drug buprenorphine blocks the cravings associated with addiction. It comes in tablets and dissolvable film. The only injectable form available is a drug called Sublocade; a rival drug is ready for market but may be blocked for several years by the FDA. Tetra Images/Getty Images hide caption
In Midst Of Opioid Crisis, FDA May Block New Addiction Drug From Market
Roger Severino, director of the Office for Civil Rights, announced Friday a new proposed rule rolling back anti-discrimination protections for transgender patients. Those protections had been written in 2016 but enjoined in court. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption
Friday
Trump Rule Helps Health Care Workers Who Refuse Care For Religious Reasons
Thursday
Health care workers may now refuse to be involved with providing services that offend their religious beliefs. The new rule, issued by the HHS Office for Civil Rights, affirms existing conscience protections established by Congress, director Roger Severino says. Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images hide caption
New Trump Rule Protects Health Care Workers Who Refuse Care For Religious Reasons
Thursday
The Issue Of Medicare For All Is Dominating The 2020 Democratic Field
Monday
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, will lead the Senate Finance Committee's questioning Tuesday of executives from pharmacy benefit managers about drug costs. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption
Wednesday
A medical assistant administers insulin to an adolescent patient who has Type 1 diabetes. Cigna's pharmacy benefit manager, Express Scripts, says it covers 1.4 million people who take insulin. Picture Alliance/Getty Images hide caption
Insulin Is A Major Focus In The Debate Over Rising Prescription Drug Prices
Wednesday
Federal Judge Strikes Down Medicaid Work Requirements In Arkansas And Kentucky
Tuesday
Justice Department Shifts Policy, Says Entire Affordable Care Act Should Be Overturned
Trump Administration Moves Forward In Attempt To Invalidate Affordable Care Act
Friday
One of the Trump administration's proposals would change the prices Medicare pays for certain prescription drugs by factoring in the average prices Europeans pay for the same medicines. Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
It Will Take More Than Transparency To Reduce Drug Prices, Economists Say
Monday
The Trump administration aims to boost competition among hospitals and cut costs by letting consumers see how widely prices can vary for the same medical or surgical procedure. But health economists say patients typically have little choice in choosing their hospital. teekid/Getty Images hide caption
U.S. Hospitals And Insurers Might Be Forced To Reveal The True Prices They Negotiate
Wednesday
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb Says He'll Leave The Agency Next Month
Tuesday
Commissioner Of Food And Drug Administration Announces He Will Resign
Friday
Drug prices in the United States support spending on research and development, said AbbVie CEO Richard Gonzalez (far left) in testimony by drug company executives before the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP hide caption
Tuesday
Leaders Of 7 Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Face Tough Questioning On Capitol Hill
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., left, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, right, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, asked drug company CEOs some tough questions about drug prices on Tuesday during a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP hide caption
Thursday
CVS plans to transform some of its stores into "health hubs," retail locations revamped to include more health care services and products. One of the first is in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston. Alison Kodjak/NPR hide caption
Monday
Their research is still in early stages, but Kristin Myers (left), a mechanical engineer, and Dr. Joy Vink, an OB-GYN, both at Columbia University, have already learned that cervical tissue is a more complicated mix of material than doctors ever realized. Adrienne Grunwald for NPR hide caption
Friday
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar delivers remarks to reporters while participating in a roundtable about health care prices at the White House on Jan. 23. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption