Martha Bebinger

Martha Bebinger covers health care and other general assignments for WBUR. She also created and frequently contributes to HealthCareSavvy, WBUR’s community of patients starting to shop for health care. She was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, class of 2010.
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New England Governors Converge To Address Opioid Epidemic
June 07, 2016
The governors spoke to an international conference of physicians who prescribe or study opioids and urged them to reduce prescribing on their own.
At ‘Pain School,’ Veterans Learn To Manage With Fewer Pills
May 31, 2016
Bedford’s is one of 67 VA Pain Schools across the country. Through the schools, the VA is trying to shift the way patients think about pain.
New Addiction Treatment Implant Will Hit The Market Next Month At $4,950
May 27, 2016
The FDA has approved the implant, but the debate over how effective it will be and whether insurers will cover its $4,950 price tag continues.
Deal Would Take Controversial Hospital Pricing Question Off Ballot
May 26, 2016The consensus deal announced Wednesday includes some more money for community hospitals — at least $20 to $25 million a year, divided between several dozen hospitals.
The Promise And Price Of New Addiction Treatment Implant
May 19, 2016
A drug company is touting the benefits of a new implant designed to deliver a continuous dose of an existing and popular opioid treatment drug.
Boston Medical Center Launches First Comprehensive Transgender Medical Center In Northeast
May 18, 2016
The center brings together services including primary care, hormone therapy and mental health support as well as chest and facial reconstruction procedures. Its creation reflects a shift within mainstream medicine about how to treat transgender patients.
MIT Researchers Aim To Create An On-Demand Pharmacy
May 16, 2016
They’ve created a device the size of a refrigerator that can turn out 1,000 pills in just 24 hours. It’s a whole new way to make drugs, but questions about cost and safety remain.
Policies For Transgender High School Athletes Vary From State To State
May 09, 2016
There’s a lot of attention on bathrooms in the debate about transgender rights. The next battleground may be locker rooms, basketball courts and soccer fields. For high school students, the debate centers on Title IX, the federal law that bans discrimination based on gender.
‘Can’t Imagine Life Without It’: 10 Years After Mass. Health Reform, Residents Speak About Law’s Impact
April 12, 2016We hear from Massachusetts residents on the how the state’s landmark health care law has affected their lives, including several who did not have insurance before the law’s passage.
On Mass. Health Law’s 10th Anniversary, Here Are 12 Things To Know
April 12, 2016
The uninsured rate and emergency room visits are down, but health care spending is up. Here are 12 facts and figures.
After South Carolina, Gov. Kasich Moves North To Massachusetts
February 21, 2016With just 7.6 percent of the vote in South Carolina, Kasich finished in fifth place.
With Homeless Shelters Already Full, Boston And State Collaborate On Winter Plan
January 12, 2016
At Pine Street Inn in Boston, for instance, winter demand is up more than 20 percent in two years.
Head Of JFK Library Foundation Resigns
December 02, 2015CEO Heather Campion’s departure comes after months of turmoil at the library and the foundation.
Dell Buys EMC In One Of The Biggest Tech Deals In U.S. History
October 13, 2015
Dell, known for personal computers, is buying Hopkinton-based EMC in a sale valued at $67 billion.
In Visit To Boston, Clinton Pushes For Stronger Federal Regulation Of Opioids
October 02, 2015
Hillary Clinton says the federal government must do a better job of regulating opiate painkillers during a forum on substance abuse in Boston Thursday.
Tensions Build Amid Resignations At Kennedy Library
September 16, 2015
The library’s long-time and widely respected director, Tom Putnam, is the latest in a string of departures that coincide with the tenure of Heather Campion, the CEO of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.
Where It Began: Mass. Reacts To Supreme Court’s Landmark Gay Marriage Ruling
June 26, 2015
“Now we’ll be able to take our marriage with us,” said David Wilson, one of the couples whose lawsuit led to Massachusetts’ gay marriage law.
Bombing Survivors Share Mixed, Emotional Reactions To Tsarnaev Death Penalty
May 15, 2015
Death, “that’s the easy way out for him,” says Carol Downing. “I was hoping that he would go away and never be heard from again,” continues Downing, “and suffer the rest of his life like everybody is going to suffer that’s been involved in this.” Downing’s two daughters spent months in the hospital after the […]
Community Rocked By ‘Unprovoked’ Shooting Leaving Boston Cop In Coma
March 29, 2015Officer John Moynihan, 34, is in a medically induced coma after being shot in the face by a suspect getting out of his car. The suspect was later killed in a police shootout.
Pine Street Inn Transitions To Permanent Housing
March 09, 2015
With the opening of new apartments, Pine Street Inn — a roof of last resort for more than 40 years — now manages more permanent than temporary beds.