Category: NPR

This year’s COVID vaccine rollout is off to a bumpy start, despite high demand

Some people are finding pharmacies still don’t have supply of the shots, and others are having insurance coverage troubles. Here’s what’s going on.

An overdose drug is finally over-the-counter. Is that enough to stop the death toll?

Narcan is now available in drug stores without a prescription. The nasal spray can save a life by stopping an opioid overdose. But will people pay the price and ask for it by name?

What does the word ‘abortion’ mean?

A new Guttmacher study shared exclusively with NPR shows surprisingly little agreement among Americans about the definition of the word “abortion.”

Even the meaning of the word ‘abortion’ is up for debate

A survey of 2,000 people found no shared definition of the word “abortion,” researchers at the Guttmacher Institute report.

A son uses music to connect with his mother who suffers from Alzheimer’s

A guitar player in a Southern California cover band spends every Sunday playing music for his mother who suffers from Alzheimer’s.

Medical debt could soon be barred from ruining your credit score

The Biden administration unveiled regulations that potentially would help tens of millions of people who have medical debt on their credit reports.

She has Medicare and Medicaid. So why should it take 18 months to get a wheelchair?

About 12 million Americans are known as “dual eligibles” because they need both Medicare and Medicaid. A bipartisan bill offers hope to cut through the tangle of red tape that often ensnares them.

At new mental health courts in California, judges will be able to mandate treatment

In several California counties, new mental health courts open up in October. Officials hope to persuade people with psychosis to accept treatment. Critics say, it looks more like coercion.

These habits can cut the risk of depression in half, a new study finds

New evidence shows that people who maintain a range of healthy habits, from good sleep to physical activity to strong social connections, are significantly less likely to experience depression.

Just two doctors serve this small Alabama town. What’s next when they want to retire?

Like much of rural America, LaFayette, Alabama, has no hospital or urgent care clinic. As the town’s two primary care doctors approach retirement, some experiments are bubbling up to care for people.