Health & Safety

The California Public Employees' Retirement System has capped how much it will pay for some common medical procedures and tests.

More Insurers Put Spending Limits On Medical Treatments

3:29pm October 21, 2014

by Michelle Andrews

To contain costs, some plans are capping how much they will pay for certain routine procedures, such as knee replacements. Patients can be on the hook for anything over the limit.

Thomas Nellon (left), 17, and his brother Johnson Nellon, 14, of Liberia smile at their mother in the arrivals area at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York earlier this month. The brothers received a health screening upon arrival. The U.S. sa

DHS: Travelers From West Africa Limited To 5 U.S. Airports

2:48pm October 21, 2014

by Scott Neuman

Passengers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea will be subject to secondary screening at JFK, Newark, Dulles, Atlanta and Chicago.

Photos from Liz Paul's blog entries on Prior Fat Girl. The blog chronicles women's weight loss journeys.

Social Media, The New Weapon In The Battle To Lose Weight

2:25pm October 21, 2014

by Patti Neighmond

Liz Paul has struggled with her weight for years. A diet group helps, but it only meets once a week. So she has turned to social media for daily feedback and support. Studies find it can help.

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A technician opens a vessel containing women's frozen egg cells in April 2011 in Amsterdam.

Silicon Valley Companies Add New Benefit For Women: Egg-Freezing

1:10pm October 21, 2014

by Laura Sydell

The addition of the benefit by Facebook and Apple comes as tech companies face mounting pressure to hire more women, but some warn it may increase pressure those employees feel to put off having kids.

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Smartphones can now capture high-quality images of the front and back of an eye.

Eye Phone? Your Next Eye Exam Might Be Done With Your Phone

10:54am October 21, 2014

by Nancy Shute

Doctors need to look at the eyes to diagnose disease, but the machines they use are big and expensive. An iPhone or tablet may do as well, scientists say, bringing eye care to the underserved.

The cruise ship Carnival Magic floats behind a catamaran off Cozumel, Mexico on Oct. 17. The ship skipped a planned stop there Friday, the cruise line says, after Mexican authorities delayed granting permission to dock.

When Reassuring Isn't: The Rush To Test Cruise Passenger For Ebola

10:41am October 21, 2014

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Galveston, Texas, officials meant well when they tested a passenger while she was still at sea. But some say airlifting a blood sample in a Coast Guard helicopter was needlessly alarming.

The Ebola virus as seen under an electron microscope.

Health & Safety

Why Won't The Fear Of Airborne Ebola Go Away?

10:19am October 21, 2014

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Infectious disease specialists say Ebola can't spread through the air, but many Americans remain deeply skeptical. The history of past outbreaks suggests airborne transmission isn't a threat.

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Kitibe, 26, has recovered from Ebola and was ready to go home. Then the hospital told him he might have TB.

The Ebola Survivors Who Can't Go Home

9:39pm October 20, 2014

by Anders Kelto

They beat the deadly virus, but transportation back home is hard to come by. So they're living in an abandoned hospital ward, hoping someday to resume the life they had before Ebola struck.

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Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders (center) speaks with Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn (second from left) and British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond (right) during a round table meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday. The m

Latest Developments In The Ebola Story

5:33pm October 20, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The family of the first patient to be diagnosed in the U.S. with the deadly disease ends a 21-day observation period with no symptoms. Meanwhile, the WHO declared Nigeria Ebola-free.

Yes, visitors are still coming — and they want to help fight the virus.

Health & Safety

Plane Of Good Samaritans: Why Fly To (And From) West Africa

1:03pm October 20, 2014

by Michaeleen Doucleff

On the plane to Monrovia, our NPR correspondent saw the best of human nature in the passengers on board. Almost all of them were headed to Liberia to lend a helping hand.