Health & Safety

Illinois hospitals face an influx of patients traveling for complex abortion care

9:40pm August 24, 2023

by Kristen Schorsch

Hospitals in Illinois are seeing a surge of out-of-state patients who need abortion care at hospitals due to medical complications. But hospital-based abortions are more costly and harder to arrange.

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Jenny Eckart Hoyt directs her daughter Winnie's attention to an "eye gaze" device in their Portland, Ore., home.

Schools could be getting millions more from Medicaid. Why aren't they?

10:13am August 24, 2023

In 2022, schools recouped $6.6 billion from federal and state Medicaid programs. They could be getting much more.

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Years after one class of flame retardants was phased out, researchers detected other, similar flame-retardant compounds in U.S. women's breast milk in a recent study.

New flame retardants found in breast milk years after similar chemicals were banned

5:00am August 24, 2023

by Bec Roldan

After a class of flame retardants called PBDEs was phased out due to links with developmental health issues, manufacturers started using another, similar group of compounds.

Pat Bennett takes part in a research session, using a brain-computer interface that helps translate her thoughts into speech.

Health & Safety

These experimental brain implants can restore speech to paralyzed patients

7:45pm August 23, 2023

by Jon Hamilton

Two studies show how technology is allowing people to generate speech using only their thoughts.

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Brain implants are allowing people to generate speech using thoughts, studies show

6:26pm August 23, 2023

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists have been working on technologies that can turn a person's thoughts into spoken words. Two new reports show how far the field has come.

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Health & Safety

Why a stranger's hello can do more than just brighten your day

6:05pm August 23, 2023

by Rhitu Chatterjee

Researchers are exploring the impact of interactions with strangers and casual acquaintances. Their findings shed light on how seemingly fleeting conversations affect your happiness and well-being.

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Health & Safety

Abortion bans are fueling a rise in high-risk patients heading to Illinois hospitals

11:10am August 23, 2023

by Kristen Schorsch

Illinois hospitals are seeing a surge of out-of-state patients who need abortion care at a hospital due to medical complications. But hospital-based abortions are more costly and harder to arrange.

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Health & Safety

Finding a Latino doctor can be difficult, a new study points out

5:14am August 23, 2023

NPR's Michel Martin talks to Fabiola Plaza of the Latino Medical Student Association, about Latino underrepresentation in medical fields requiring advanced degrees.

Dr. Mandy Cohen testifying before a congressional committee as a leader of Medicare and Medicaid. More recently, the new director of the CDC headed North Carolina's health department.

The painful pandemic lessons Mandy Cohen carries to the CDC

5:00am August 23, 2023

President Biden and others have lauded Mandy Cohen's pandemic leadership in North Carolina. Those in the state's most vulnerable communities tell a more nuanced story about the new CDC director.

Jason Weida is the secretary for Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration, which has been named in a lawsuit.

Health & Safety

Two families sue Florida for being kicked off Medicaid in 'unwinding' process

7:01pm August 22, 2023

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Two children and their parents are suing the state of Florida, alleging that their Medicaid coverage was terminated without proper notice or a chance to contest the state agency's decision.