Your Health

The guy with empty pockets might also be missing health insurance.

IRS Could Help Find Many Uninsured People, But Doesn't

10:49am April 05, 2016

by Phil Galewitz

Many low-income households that claim the earned income tax credit lack health insurance. That status on tax returns could provide a clue about people who would benefit from outreach.

Just Turned 40? An Architect Says It's Time To Design For Aging

6:30pm April 04, 2016

by Meredith Rizzo

An architect looked at communities that serve older adults, and didn't like what he saw. By changing habits earlier in life, he says, we can create vibrant communities that will sustain us.

Along with the diagnosis, patients often want to talk about how much treatment will cost.

Health & Safety

Patients Miss Out On Savings When Doctors Fail To Talk About Costs

4:45pm April 04, 2016

by Shefali Luthra

Doctors aren't used to discussing financial barriers to care, and many think it's inappropriate to bring up money at all during conversations with patients.

Kids' Grades Can Suffer When Mom Or Dad Is Depressed

7:29am April 04, 2016

by Patti Neighmond

Children with a depressed parent do worse in school than peers, a study finds. But other research shows that early diagnosis and treatment can help turn that around for the whole family.

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Volunteers search for used needles near Rural Street in Austin, Ind. Scott County, in southeastern Indiana, experienced the worst outbreak of HIV in the state's history after people began injecting the prescription painkiller Opana.

How A Painkiller Designed To Deter Abuse Helped Spark An HIV Outbreak

4:59pm April 01, 2016

by Tom Dreisbach

When a special coating was added to the opioid Opana, it deterred people from abusing the pills by crushing and snorting them. But some users soon learned how to prepare the pills for injection.

Health & Safety

On The Rise: Workers' Desire For Raises Over Health Benefits

4:06pm April 01, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

A survey finds that the number of workers who say they would give up some health benefits to get a pay raise has increased to 20 percent from 10 percent in 2012.

"The beautiful thing about Crisis Text Line is that these are strangers counseling other strangers on the most intimate issues." — Nancy Lublin

How Can Text Messaging Save Lives?

8:55am April 01, 2016

by NPR/TED Staff

Activist Nancy Lublin explains how Crisis Text Line, the first 24/7 text line of its kind, has helped millions of people by providing direct support as well as anonymous data about people in crisis.

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"Everyone that's in there right now has probably done it," Clyde Polly says about Opana injections at his home.

Inside A Small Brick House At The Heart Of Indiana's Opioid Crisis

2:29pm March 31, 2016

by NPR Staff

Prescription painkiller abuse sparked an HIV outbreak in rural Indiana. Kelly McEvers takes NPR's new podcast, Embedded, inside the home where IV drug users meet.

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A characteristic bull's-eye rash indicating Lyme disease.

Study: Prolonged Antibiotic Treatment Gave No Relief For Lasting Lyme Symptoms

5:01pm March 30, 2016

by Angus Chen

A clinical trial found that three months of antibiotic treatment wasn't effective in relieving persistent Lyme disease symptoms. It's the latest study to suggest the approach is ineffective.

What not to do when dating: fold your arms.

Health & Safety

To Catch Someone On Tinder, Stretch Your Arms Wide

4:35pm March 30, 2016

by Angus Chen

How people sit or where their arms and legs are in the images they share loom large in potential daters' calculations, according to experiments involving speed dating and an online dating app.