Health Care
David Michael Miller
Legalize it all
Fatal opioid overdoses are on the rise in Dane County. It’s time to legalize cannabis and opioid use and treat drug abuse as the public health problem it is. more
James Heimer
Broken promises
For decades, Dane County has been a model for services for the elderly and those with disabilities. Now the state is forcing the county to join Family Care. Many who have relied on the old system feel betrayed — and worry about what’s to come. more
The universal cost of sex
After Dan Levitis and his wife had two devastating miscarriages, he wondered how human reproduction, a process with such a high error rate, has persisted. He also wondered whether the high percentage of failures was limited to humans. more
Allison Geyer
Sitting in to save Obamacare
Activists occupied U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s office for more than eight hours on July 6 as part of a nationwide protest of the GOP health care bill. more
BadgerCare for all a good sign for Dems
Democrats have introduced a bill that would allow all Wisconsin residents the chance to purchase BadgerCare. This pragmatic, realistic proposal shows that the minority party is ready to govern again. more
The long game
The Republican-controlled Legislature shows little interest in allowing medical marijuana. But that hasn’t stopped advocates from pushing for reform. more
David Michael Miller
Ties that bind
The governor’s budget gives school districts a $200-per-student boost in funding, but there’s a catch. To get the money, district employees must pay 12 percent of their health insurance premiums. more
David Michael Miller
What’s happening with Obamacare?
As if the health care system weren’t confusing enough as is, the uncertainty about what will happen to Obamacare is enough to drive anyone mad. Despite daily changes on efforts to repeal and replace the plan, we try to give some perspective. more
Clear-cut fraud?
Quincy Bioscience has made a fortune on its brain enhancement supplement, Prevagen. Now, the FDA and New York State claim it’s defrauded customers of millions by making bogus claims. Will the company survive the lawsuit? more
David Michael Miller
The greater good
For progressives, the real challenge is to push back against a vision of society that says kids should only get as much health care, education and opportunity as their parents can afford. more
Lost in translation
Medical providers who receive federal funds are required to provide non-English-speaking patients with translation services. But not everyone follows the law, and enforcement is lax. more
Bryce Richter/UW-Madison
Fertility monitoring
Katie Brenner knew there had to be an easier way to monitor her fertility cycle in order to get pregnant. So she helped invent one, with a new app that has potential not just in aiding reproduction, but in monitoring women’s health. more
Steven Potter
Fatal fentanyl
Heroin mixed with fentanyl--a potent synthetic narcotic--is becoming “the new normal” around the country, officials believe. Locally, that’s coincided with a spike in overdoses. And authorities fear the worst is yet to come. more
Laura Gharrity
Plucking at the HeartStrings
The Madison Symphony Orchestra’s HeartStrings program recently received a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to continue its mission of bringing a professional string quartet into health care facilities. more
Lauren Justice
Caregiver crisis
Thousands of aging and disabled people in Wisconsin depend on personal care workers. But workforce shortages and legislative changes to the state’s long-term care plan threaten their support system. more
Steven Potter
Stepping up
A group of volunteer doctors, nurses and others has started offering free foot care for the county’s most transient population — the homeless more
Dealing with epidemics
The Ebola Survivor Corps presents a workable model for compassionate aid in times of crisis. Scientists from the UW-Madison are playing a key role. more
David Michael Miller
Plugged in
Electronic records have completely changed the way nurses do their jobs. But some need reminders to nurse the patient, not the computer. more
Talk real to me
The PATCH program trains teen educators to teach area health care providers how to provide nonjudgmental, effective communication to adolescent patients. more
Todd Hubler
Mining the data
Doctors often don’t have a good picture of which of their patients are healthy or sick. A Madison company is trying to give them to tools to figure that out. more
