For Kids With Special Needs, More Places To Play
Parent advocates and a new federal law making accessible play areas a civil right are changing the landscape for public playgrounds.
Health & Safety
Sweet Cigarillos And Cigars Lure Youths To Tobacco, Critics Say
The flavors may be sweet, but it's still tobacco. That's why tobacco control advocates are trying to restrict sales of candy- and fruit-flavored tobacco products, which they say lure in teenagers.
Obamacare To Force Millions To Upgrade Insurance
Despite promises by President Obama that people can keep the insurance they have once Obamacare is in full effect, millions will have to upgrade their policies to meet the benefit standards laid out by the Affordable Care Act. The measure will be in full swing this January.
Panel Urges Lung Cancer Screening For Millions Of Americans
Most people get diagnosed with lung cancer when it's too late to effectively treat it. A federal panel is trying to improve the odds by saying that longtime smokers and former smokers should get annual CT scans to check for lung cancer.
You Ask, We Answer: More Of Your Questions About The Affordable Care Act
Think buying health insurance through the Affordable Care Act will be confusing? You're not alone. NPR listeners asked questions that have been bugging them about student status options and penalties. Julie Rovner, NPR's health policy correspondent, explains how it's going to work.
New Drug Study Revives Debate Over Prostate Cancer Screening
Robert Siegel speaks with Dr. Michael LeFevre, professor at University of Missouri Medical school and co-vice chair of the United States Preventive Services Task Force, about how the new drug study revives a debate over the need for a controversial prostate cancer screening tool, the PSA test.
Of Neurons And Memories: Inside The 'Secret World Of Sleep'
Think of everything your brain processes in a single day: your breakfast, a stain on a book cover, a meeting at work. If you remembered all those things, your brain would reach capacity. Author and neuroscientist Penelope Lewis says sleep helps sort through the memories that are worth keeping.
Obamacare: People With Disabilities Face Complex Choices
The Affordable Care Act sets up categories of essential health benefits that insurance plans must cover. Some categories, such as maternity care and drug abuse treatment, are straightforward. But "habilitative services" — including treatments like physical and speech therapy — are much more subjective.
Listeria Outbreak Still Haunts Colorado's Cantaloupe Growers
The contaminated fruit that killed 33 people and sickened at least 147 others in 2011 came from a farm 90 miles from Rocky Ford, Colo. But the town's many melon farmers took a huge hit nonetheless, and are still trying to convince the public their cantaloupes are safe.
Obama Delays Implementing Another Part Of Affordable Care Act
The Obama administration has delayed implementation of another part of Affordable Care Act — this time, it's the rules aimed at limiting out-of-pocket costs for patients.