Only seven states have legalized human composting as a burial practice. That’s why 29 percent of the bodies brought to Recompose, a composting facility in Seattle, come from out of state.
Category: NPR
A push is underway for voters to make Florida the next state to expand Medicaid
For a decade, Florida lawmakers have debated whether to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Advocates are trying to circumvent the legislature and take the issue directly to voters.
A look at the citizens initiative to expand Medicaid in Florida
Florida lawmakers have debated for a decade whether to expand Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. Advocates are trying to circumvent legislature and take the issue directly to voters.
Native Americans are hardest hit by syphilis surge
Rates are so bad in Native American communities that public health experts have asked the federal government to declare an emergency. Inadequate prenatal care may be partly to blame.
Most caretakers of those with dementia need help navigating services, survey shows
A national survey of people who care for someone with dementia found that the vast majority could use help navigating a maze of services.
Amid a black lung surge, Kentucky has made it harder for coal miners to get benefits
Kentucky has one black lung doctor left after the state legislature restricted who can review workers’ compensation claims for the disease. This came amid a surge in black lung cases in Appalachia.
Syphilis cases are rising in babies. Illinois has a potential solution
The number of newborns born with syphilis – a serious sexually transmitted infection – has skyrocketed 755% in the decade from 2012 to 2022. These babies have congenital syphilis, which is when the infection is passed from mother to baby during pregnan…
Standard pregnancy care is now dangerously disrupted in Louisiana, report reveals
A troubling new report from Louisiana shows how the state’s abortion ban from 2022 is forcing doctors to delay or withhold medical care in ways that make pregnancy more dangerous.
Pod Corner: ‘Lost Patients’
We hear from Lost Patients, a podcast that tries to make sense of the U.S. mental health care system.
What Do We Understand About Long COVID?
This week marks four years since the outbreak of Covid-19 was officially declared a pandemic. One of the most vexing legacies — one that science still hasn’t solved — is long Covid. That’s the debilitating condition that can develop in the aftermath of an infection.
Millions of Americans are living with the often debilitating symptoms that can include brain fog, shortness of breath, and low energy. Some struggle with simple daily living tasks like laundry and cooking.
Four years since the pandemic hit, patients with long Covid are still fighting for answers.
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