Last week, we argued that the benefits of the Orphan Drug Act are more elusive than commonly assumed. But what are its costs? That's the topic of this week's Healthcare Triage.

Medicare for All has become wildly popular among Democrats running for office these days. But what does that mean exactly? It's complicated, if you can believe that. Does this include universal coverage? What happens to employer-based...

Things sometimes go wrong with airbags, food and drugs, prompting recalls. It can also happen with medical devices, though you'd think lifesaving devices like heart defibrillators or artificial hips would be closely monitored.

We've already discussed drug names, generic and "brand" ones. But are there differences beyond the words? That's the topic of this week's Healthcare Triage.

Have you ever taken an over the counter medication for heartburn? How about an antibiotic for an ear infection? At some point pretty much all of us have visited a pharmacy to pick up a drug, but likely didn't consider where these drugs...

HCT 2016 Year in Review

In the United States, the median price for an orphan drug is about $100,000 per year, twenty times the price of the median non-orphan drug. Given the staggering cost, you'd think we'd have a solid handle on whether that money is...

I read a study a few weeks ago on blood pressure treatment for nursing home residents, and I almost ignored it. There are so many like it. But it's just ridiculous that this kind of stuff continues, and that we can't seem to do anything...

The idea behind cost-sharing in healthcare costs goes something like this: If the patient is responsible for some part of the cost of their care, they'll be more judicious in their choices of treatment, and healthcare spending will...

For a lot of patients, prescriptions build up over time, and older people end up taking A LOT of different drugs. Doctors don't always have the time or will to assess these mounting prescriptions. Empowering pharmacists to recommend...

The US healthcare system has a lot of issues, but one thing it's got going for it is innovation. More clinical trials originate in the United States, and more Nobel Physiology and Medicine Laureates are from here than from any other...

On this Healthcare Triage News, we're talking about an outbreak of Yellow Fever in South America, and why there aren't enough doses of the highly effective vaccine on the market. We'll also look at developments in the huge and...

A few more patients are cured of Ebola in the US, and placebos can help kids with the cold. This is Healthcare Triage News.

John Green asks the questions you submitted, and Dr. Aaron Carroll answers them. Also, great job with the questions. They were really good.

The History of Opioids - We will give a historical overview of people and opioids. We will look at when people first started using opioids, how they've changed over the years, and ways that they've been both amazingly positive as really...

What are biologic drugs? What about biosimilars? In a previous video we compared brand name and generic drugs. But we kind of left out a major player in the world of medicines; biologic drugs. These complicated little guys probably...

Last week we covered CBD and mental health, finding that data to backup health claims are scarce and consumer CBD products are often sketchy. In this week’s episode on CBD and other health ailments, we find that many of the same caveats...

The drug approval process in the United States is complicated. There are many stakeholders and varying agendas when bringing a drug to market, and profit motives often are as big a factor as helping patients. The loopholes and shortcuts...

Smoking prevalence is way down in the US, and you likely don't need to be screened about Vitamin D deficiency. It's good news all around on Healthcare triage News.

A couple weeks ago, John had a great Vlogbrothers video on racism. It was fantastic, and I assume all of you already watched, but if you didn't, you should. One of the things he mentioned is that differences in life expectancy can be...

We've been getting a lot of requests to talk about the health care systems of different countries. It's really hard to compress the complexities of each into an episode, but we're going to try. First up is the United States. Others will...

Welcome back to the Fluctus Channel, as we explore the complex world of presidential transportation, from armored motorcades on the ground to Marine One and Air Force One in the air.



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Welcome back to the Fluctus Channel, as we examine how the United States Customs and Border Protection agency and the military work together to secure the United State's land and maritime borders.



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Updates with health insurance next year.