Listen There’s no doubt that surgically implanted devices improve lives — drug pumps, nerve stimulators, spinal rods. But the devices can also do serious damage, like they have to Mechel Keel. “It ruined my life, yes it did. I’m sitting here with tears,” the 59-year-old grandmother says.
Latest Medical Marijuana Bill Proposes Full Use Of Cannabis Plant In Tennessee
Listen A revamped proposal to authorize medical marijuana in Tennessee is taking shape. And its sponsors are making a case that lawmakers should go farther than they’ve considered going before.
Tennessee’s New Opioid Limits Result In Sizable State Budget Savings
Listen Tennessee’s new rules on prescribing opioids are resulting in substantial cash savings for the state. TennCare says it paid $15 million less last year because fewer painkiller prescriptions are being filled.
Nashville Opens No-Fee Crisis Center For Mental Health
Listen Nashville police have a new place to drop off people who’ve been arrested and need a psychiatric evaluation. But the new 24-hour facility in Metro Center is also an emergency room for anyone else in the midst of a mental health crisis.
Vanderbilt Study Spots Economic Link With Drug-Dependent Newborns
Listen Places with high rates of joblessness also seem to have outsized problems with drug-dependent newborns. That’s the central finding in a new Vanderbilt study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Tuesday.
Finding A Doctor Who Will Take TennCare May Get A Little Easier
Listen The insurance companies who handle Medicaid in Tennessee have banded together to help patients with the most basic need: finding a doctor who will take their coverage. Medicaid patients often have difficulty locating a physician — in part since the government program pays less than most insurers but also because records are out of […]
Tennessee And 45 Other States Win $120M For Defective Hip Implants
Tennessee will get a small slice of a $120 million nationwide settlement over defective hip replacements. States accused Johnson & Johnson of misleading patients about the safety of metal-on-metal hips.
Planned Parenthood To Resume Abortions In Nashville Next Month
Listen Nashville’s only remaining abortion clinic is still closed, but it plans to resume procedures next month following an indefinite suspension that started in early December. Officials with Planned Parenthood of Tennessee say the suspension of abortions was primarily a result of a bumpy merger between the Nashville and Memphis offices.
Why Many In Nashville’s Health Care Industry Oppose ‘Medicare For All’
Listen Calls are growing among Democrats to expand Medicare. They view opening up the government insurance program for seniors as a way to achieve universal health coverage. But Nashville’s health care industry roundly rejects “Medicare for All,” despite vocally supporting efforts to expand insurance coverage.
Troubled Tennessee Hospital Chain Says It’s On The Way Out Of Rural Areas
Listen In a pitch to leery investors, Cool Springs-based Community Health Systems says the company has urbanized. The company has been selling off or closing poorly performing rural hospitals for the last several years.
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