This summer, Oklahoma’s Medicaid program was approved for a value-based purchasing program -- a first-in-the-nation drug pricing experiment that hopes to incentivize drug companies to stand behind their product. Jackie Fortier reports on health policy for StateImpact Oklahoma, a collaboration of NPR member stations in Oklahoma that focuses on how government policy affects people’s lives. Fortier spoke to us this August on "Take Care," right before the new drug-pricing model began. She said

Americans who suffer from a severe mental illness, including depression and bipolar disorder, have a life expectancy 15 to 30 years shorter than those without mental illnesses, according to a New York Times article published earlier this year. Dr. Dhruv Khullar , an attending physician at New York - Presbyterian Hospital and a researcher at the Weill Cornell Department of Healthcare Policy and Research , wrote the article after caring for patients with mental illnesses and watching the effects

An opinion piece published in STAT, a health-centered media group, detailed the paradoxical struggle of physicians spending too much time reporting quality data to actually deliver quality medical care to their patients. Dr. Jerry Penso , president and chief executive officer at AMGA (formerly the American Medical Group Association), wrote that though there are well-meaning intentions behind mandatory quality reporting, the ultimate result is detrimental both to physicians and their patients. We

The Arc New York supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities with programs, services and advocacy work. Their aim is inclusion. By providing guidance to family members and focusing on indepencence and comfort, they believe people with disabilities can have quality of life within their community. This time on "Take Care," we spoke with Tania Seaburg , chief policy and operations officer for the organization. Our conversation centers on employment efforts, one of The Arc's key

Access to health care is important for individuals overall physical, social and mental health. But there are barriers for many Americans according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion -- including the high cost of care, inadequate insurance coverage (or no coverage at all), or lack of available services. As Ellen Abbott reports, there are attempts in many communities to remove these barriers. Summer can be a tough time of year to lose weight. Family reunions, barbecues and

Alzheimer’s disease currently afflicts 5.7 million Americans, according to the Alzheimer’s Institute . That fact has led researchers in Massachusetts to discover non-invasive treatments for it and other neurodegenerative conditions. Dr. Diane Chan is a neurologist helping to lead research at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . Her research focuses on brain rhythms and how they can be studied and stimulated to counteract the effects of

For many years, American society has presented males and females as inherently different, including in the way they think, but a professor of neuroscience said though some differences exist between males and females on a biological level, their brains are largely the same. Dr. Lise Eliot is a neuroscience professor at the Chicago Medical School of Rosalyn-Franklin University of Medicine & Science. In her book, “Pink Brain, Blue Brain,” she explored sex differences and how those differences

Recent health trends have put a lot of emphasis on consuming healthy diets that are great for our body and overall wellness, but what's good for the body may not always be good for the brain, according to a neuroscientist, nutritionist and author. Dr. Lisa Mosconi is associate director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College New York Presbyterian Hospital. Her book, “Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power,” discusses how one’s diet can

It's a well-established scientific fact that each hemisphere of the brain serves different functions in the body. That fact led to the popular belief that some people are more right-brained or left-brained in their personality. However, neuroscientific research proves that this theory is entirely false. Dr. Jeff Anderson , assistant professor of radiology at the University of Utah’s School of Medicine, discussed his work with “ Take Care ,” which proves that though each side of the brain serves

Though current American society often demands a monotonous daily routine for both adults and adolescents, a Seattle-based scientist and author argues workplaces and schools operate in a way counter to how the human brain functions best. John Medina is a developmental molecular biologist and affiliate professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine. In his book, “ Brain Rules ,” he asserts that everybody’s brain is different, but none are perfectly suited for the