Health

A second school-aged child in West Texas has died from a measles-related illness, a hospital spokesman confirmed Sunday, as the outbreak continues to swell.

It was a chaotic week for the nation's health agencies, as layoff notices rolled in along with an order for deep cuts to contract spending. NPR's health reporters tell us what they've learned.

Just because a medical bill arrives in the mail doesn't mean you have to pay that exact price. NPR's Life Kit has tips to eliminate, reduce or negotiate a medical bill.

Health agency staffers describe a week of widespread uncertainty about who still has a job and how the work will get done as thousands of "reduction in force" notices went out beginning April 1. To many it's the opposite of "government efficiency."

The U.S. agency has not released information on what global programs were cut this week. NPR spoke to current employees who provided exclusive details.

Undue Medical Debt is retiring unpaid medical bills for 20 million people. The debt trading company that owned them is leaving the market.

Federal health agencies have to slash their spending on contracts by more than a third, on top of the 10,000-person staffing cuts which started this week.

Nutritionists agree reducing the amount of sugar people consume would be good for the Nation's health. But the plan to block people from using food assistance to buy soda is getting mixed reviews.

Fentanyl overdoses occur from ingesting the synthetic opioid. But popular culture has misrepresented the risks to first responders.

Despite promises for "radical transparency," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. laid off many staff on teams that fulfill public records requests at health agencies.