Health

Health
The colonoscopies were free but the 'surgical trays' came with $600 price tags
Health providers may bill however they choose, including in ways that could leave patients with unexpected bills for "free" care. Preventive care left an Illinois couple with "surgical tray" charges.
Brooklyn Park initiative offers alternative to police response to mental health crisis calls
The Brooklyn Park Police Department partnered with Hennepin County and North Memorial Health to launch a mental health Alternative Response Team which consists of a social worker and a paramedic who can handle calls police officers may not need to respond to.
Raped, pregnant and in an abortion ban state? Researchers gauge how often it happens
Researchers estimate nearly 65,000 rape-caused pregnancies have happened in states with abortion bans in effect since Roe v. Wade was overturned. The report is in JAMA Internal Medicine.
American Lung Association urges Minnesota lawmakers to crack down on flavored tobacco products
In a scathing new report released Wednesday, the organization argues products like wintergreen chewing tobacco, fruit-flavored vapes and menthol cigarettes not only harm young users but can lead to a disproportionate number of tobacco deaths among Black Minnesotans compared to their white peers.
Soul doctors: How Minnesota chaplains’ roles are changing
They’re the people who show up at some of the worst moments of our lives. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with three chaplains about helping Minnesotans through pain and suffering as society becomes both less religious and more religiously diverse. 
North Dakota judge won't temporarily block part of abortion law for doctors
A North Dakota judge has denied a requested temporary block on a part of the state's revised abortion laws so that doctors can perform the procedures to save a patient's life or health. 
Abortion opponents rally, emphasize growing number of abortions in Minnesota since legal landscape shifted
Both abortion opponents and access advocates said abortion would again be a key issue at the Capitol and on the campaign trail this year.
Woodbury takes on 'biggest capital project' ever: Rebuilding water treatment facilities after PFAS contamination
The Minnesota Department of Health issued new guidance this week, reducing the threshold for some PFAS’ presence in drinking water, after more research uncovered the harmful “forever chemicals” can cause health problems at a much lower level.