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Don Gregorio has lived all his life in the same home in Humacao, a city on Puerto Rico's eastern coast that was hard-hit by Hurricane Maria. Many of his old friends have since left for the mainland, the former carpenter says, and he feels very alone.

Listless And Lonely In Puerto Rico, Some Older Storm Survivors Consider Suicide

The electricity is back on across much of the island, but the disruption to community spirit continues. Isolation, anxiety and depression are up, as are suicides, especially among older adults.

The new exemptions will mostly apply to penalty payments tied to 2018 taxes and to the previous two years.

4 New Exemptions To The Tax Penalty For Lacking Health Insurance

Rule changes from the Trump administration offer exemptions for people in areas with only one marketplace plan, as well as for some who oppose abortion and can't find a health plan that excludes it.

Telemedicine is making it easier for inmates to be seen for special medical needs, like cancer or cardiac care.

When Inmates Need A Specialist, They Often See The Doctor By Video

Corrections officials are increasingly using remote appointments to handle specialized needs, such as psychiatric, cancer and cardiac care.

Sovereign Valentine, a personal trainer in Plains, Mont., needs dialysis for his end-stage renal disease. When he first started dialysis treatments, Fresenius Kidney Care clinic in Missoula charged $13,867.74 per session, or about 59 times the $235 Medicare pays for a dialysis session.

Dialysis Firm Cancels $524,600.17 Medical Bill After Journalists Investigate

This week, NPR profiled a Montana man who was billed nearly half a million dollars for 14 weeks of dialysis, after being caught in a dispute between insurer and the dialysis provider. Now he owes $0.

For 25 years, the federal Violence Against Women Act has required any state that wants to be eligible for certain federal grants to certify that the state covers the cost of medical forensic exams for people who have been sexually assaulted.

Years After Sexual Assault, Survivors Hounded To Pay Bills For The Rape Kit Exam

Under federal law, people sexually assaulted don't have to pay for their medical forensic exams. Yet some have trouble getting the hospitals or collection agencies to stop dunning them for payment.

While ailing, African elephant Noor Jehan rested on a sand pile at a zoo in Karachi, Pakistan. The photo was taken on April 14. The elephant died 8 days later.

The fate of a teenage zoo elephant in Pakistan was tragic — and a symbol of much more

As details of Noor Jehan's neglect came to light, the revelations sparked a national conversation about the neglect and abuse of animals in Pakistan — and of vulnerable humans as well.

The same steep growth and use of big data that attracted venture capital cash to companies that administer Medicare Advantage plans have led to scrutiny of the companies by government officials. Federal audits estimate such plans nationwide have overcharged taxpayers nearly $10 billion annually.

Missouri Firm With Silicon Valley Ties Faces Medicare Billing Scrutiny

A federal audit and a whistleblower lawsuit allege that Medicare Advantage plans from the St. Louis-based Essence Group Holdings Corp. have significantly overcharged taxpayers.

Plump red blood cells — tumbling amid infection-fighting white blood cells and purple platelets in this colorized, microscopic view — need adequate levels of iron to be able to carry and deliver oxygen around the body. Iron-deficiency anemia is sometimes remedied with IV iron infusions — and the bill can vary by thousands of dollars.

$2,733 To Treat Iron-Poor Blood? Iron Infusions For Anemia Under Scrutiny

Iron-deficiency anemia is often remedied with drugstore iron pills. But if that doesn't work, doctors sometimes prescribe iron infusions — and the bill for that can vary by thousands of dollars. Why?

The IRS has announced that with employer approval, employees will be allowed to add, drop or alter some of their benefits — including flexible spending account contributions — for the remainder of 2020.

IRS Rule Shift Lets Workers Make Benefits Changes Midyear — If Their Employer Agrees

The new guidance amounts to a midyear open-enrollment period and applies to firms that buy health insurance to cover their workers as well as to those that self-insure — paying claims on their own.

Elevator safety measures that take COVID-19 into account are posted at Cambridge Discovery Park, a life sciences office development in Cambridge, Mass.

The Office Elevator In COVID-19 Times: Experts Weigh In On Safer Ups And Downs

As more and more people filter back to the workplace, many face a tiny space that can create a large logjam: the elevator. Even the lobby is fraught with coronavirus questions. We have answers.

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