Martha Bebinger is a correspondent for WBUR. She covers health care and other general assignments for the outlet.
Recently published
20 years after passing nation-leading health care law, Mass. braces for new challenges
A landmark health coverage law passed 20 years ago gave Massachusetts among the lowest uninsured rates in the country. It inspired the sweeping federal overhaul known as the Affordable Care...
Why Mass. plays 'a huge role' in national abortion access since the fall of Roe v. Wade
The latest abortion numbers in Massachusetts signal dramatic changes in national abortion dynamics — and the Bay State’s role in that picture — since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v....
Mass. reports dramatic abortion rise in 2024, driven by pills shipped out of state
The number of abortions provided by doctors and nurse practitioners in Massachusetts doubled in 2024, according to the latest numbers from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Fear and anxiety at Mass. health centers amid federal funding cuts
A change in federal grant rules has added new uncertainty about what services might trigger a grant cancellation notice. Employees don’t know what further precautions to take. Administrators are afraid...
Life expectancy gap grows between Black Bostonians and others
A new Boston Public Health Commission report found Black women in Boston die at 80, on average, six years earlier than other women. Black men average nine fewer years of...
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Some Mass. hospitals at capacity as flu surges; and, remembering Stuart Altman
Flu season is surging, with more than 30 deaths in Massachusetts so far. Plus, remembering a national health care leader and local professor who never quit trying to bring Americans...
Your next primary care doctor could be online only with an AI partner
The primary care provider shortage is a national problem, and it’s particularly acute in Massachusetts. Some medical groups, including the state’s largest hospital network, Mass General Brigham, are turning to...
This Thanksgiving season, a note of gratitude to the army of Mass. volunteers fighting hunger
Until the recent SNAP freeze, I had no idea about the size of the army of volunteers across Massachusetts who help stave off hunger. I learned that many nonprofits have...
Mass. wants to transform rural health care. But it needs the feds to help fund it
In about six weeks, Massachusetts and all 50 states expect to learn whether they’ll receive some of a $50 billion federal fund for rural health care — and if so,...
Mass. residents line up for food donations to fill SNAP gap
Massachusetts residents who receive SNAP benefits may get about half their usual monthly payment of $324, on average. Food pantries are trying to do more to help. Recipients say they're...