Health & Safety

A Baby Boomer With Parkinson's Reports Back From Front Lines Of Aging

6:50pm April 21, 2016

by NPR Staff

Journalist Michael Kinsley was diagnosed when he was in his 40s. Now in his 60s, he says he feels like he's "a scout for his generation." His new book is Old Age: A Beginner's Guide.

Queue Listen Now

Part of your brain doesn't sleep as deeply when you're in a new place.

Half Your Brain Stands Guard When Sleeping In A New Place

6:46pm April 21, 2016

by Jon Hamilton

No wonder we don't feel rested after a first night in a new place: Half of our brain has stayed alert while the other half enjoyed deeper sleep, a study finds. We really have been half-asleep.

Queue Listen Now

A small island sits in the middle of Kangeq's old harbor.

Health & Safety

The Arctic Suicides: It's Not The Dark That Kills You

5:39pm April 21, 2016

by Rebecca Hersher

Greenland has the world's highest suicide rate. And teen boys are at the highest risk.

Queue Listen Now

Teen mothers said they didn't follow advice to keep blankets and pillows out of the baby's crib, a study finds.

Teen Moms Trust Their Gut, Even When It Puts Their Babies At Risk

5:36pm April 21, 2016

by Laurel Dalrymple

Teenage mothers said they knew about safe-sleeping practices to prevent infant deaths. But they also said they weren't going to follow those rules because they knew what was best for the baby.

For Voters In Appalachian Region, Medical Care Is A Big Issue

6:40am April 21, 2016

Tennessee's alternative to Obamacare is faltering. Steve Inskeep talks to Knoxville's mayor about health and political issues. Chris Green of Berea College weighs in on the area's political leanings.

Republican state Sen. Todd Weiler, appearing on the Utah Senate floor in Salt Lake City in February, introduced a resolution to declare pornography a public health crisis, echoing an argument being made around the U.S. by conservative religious groups as

Health & Safety

Utah Declares Porn A Public Health Hazard

6:45pm April 20, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

The state's governor signed a resolution saying pornography harms individuals and society and calling for research and policy change to "address the pornography epidemic."

Employees at all Lowe's home improvement stores, including this one in South San Francisco, Calif., are eligible to have certain surgeries paid for by the company at selected hospitals.

Some Firms Save Money By Offering Employees Free Surgery

5:39pm April 20, 2016

by Michael Tomsic

The idea is this: Negotiate a flat price with a few hospitals to cover surgery, physical therapy and certain other treatments. Companies save money and hospitals gain patients.

Queue Listen Now

Watch the webcast April 20 at 12:30 p.m. ET about health care inequality from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Webcast: Health Care Inequalities In America

4:32pm April 20, 2016

by Joe Neel

NPR polls found significant differences in the quality of health care experienced by Americans, depending on income. A webcast at 12:30 p.m. ET Wednesday will examine the disparities.

CDC Finds Life Expectancy For White Women Has Declined

4:29pm April 20, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

White women are dying at a slightly younger age than in the past, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The same report shows the average life expectancy for non-Hispanic black men increased. NPR reports about the possible causes behind these numbers.

Members of Congress complained to the administration that hospitals needed more time to check the accuracy of quality ratings.

Health & Safety

Medicare Delays Plans For New Star Ratings Of Hospitals

2:19pm April 20, 2016

by Jordan Rau

Medicare's "overall hospital quality" rating aims to help consumers by boiling down a variety of measurements into a number star. But Congress asked the administration to hold off on the change.