Health & Safety

For one woman, getting blood drawn at a hospital led to a surprise bill

11:04am November 21, 2023

Convenient as it may be, beware of getting your blood drawn at a hospital. As one Texas woman discovered, the cost could be higher than at an independent lab, and your insurance might not cover it.

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For this student newly arrived from India, Thanksgiving came to feel like home

9:46am November 21, 2023

by Rhitu Chatterjee

She came to the U.S. for grad school. She was lonely. Then came an invitation for Thanksgiving — no turkey (strictly vegan) but a spirit that touched her soul. And her mango lassi was a hit!

Health & Safety

In a Tel Aviv hotel, a band tries to bridge divides

7:22am November 21, 2023

by Daniel Estrin

A moment of music from a hotel in Tel Aviv, where a multi-cultural band plays to lift the spirits of displaced Israelis. (Story aired on Weekend Edition Sunday on Nov. 19, 2023.)

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Reesha Ahmed of Venus, Texas, was billed nearly $2,400 for standard blood tests following her first prenatal checkup.

Health & Safety

She was elated about her pregnancy. Then came a $2,400 bill for blood tests

7:12am November 21, 2023

Convenient as it may be, beware of getting your blood drawn at a hospital. The cost could be much higher than at an independent lab, and your insurance might not cover it all.

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Health & Safety

COVID is still around and there are precautions to take over the holidays

5:07am November 21, 2023

by Will Stone

As the country enters its fourth holiday season with COVID-19, experts offer advice about how Americans should navigate the risks, and what precautions still make sense.

Two different brain circuits influence our taste for salt, study finds

5:58pm November 20, 2023

by Jon Hamilton

Two different brain circuits help regulate salt intake, according to a study in the journal Cell. One adjusts salt cravings, the other determines whether we find salty food delicious or disgusting.

Two women are sitting and talking. Woman psychologist practicing with patient women. Coach session between girlfriends. Therapist's gestures. Female talking and drinking a cup of tea

Health & Safety

Close friends can help you live longer but they can spread some bad habits too

12:33pm November 20, 2023

by Maggie Mertens

Don't skip Friendsgiving. A large new study confirms that close friendships are vital to our health. But BFFs tend to share certain vices, too.

Health & Safety

Sauratown Mountain blaze grows to cover nearly 350 acres

11:39am November 20, 2023

by Neal Charnoff

Guilford County Ranger Jimmy Holt says that in addition to regional fire departments, crews from Oregon, Utah, Washington State, and Montana are assisting in suppressing the blaze, which he estimates has grown to almost 350 acres.

A worker in a Bangladeshi lead mill, without safety protection. A new analysis finds the death toll from lead exposure is about six times higher than the previous estimate.

A new study says the global toll of lead exposure is even worse than we thought

11:35am November 20, 2023

by Nicole Estvanik Taylor

A new study finds that 5.5 million adults worldwide died in 2019 from cardiovascular disease attributable to lead exposure, more than six times higher than a previous estimate.

Governor Roy Cooper signs Medicaid expansion law.

Health & Safety

Medicaid expansion starts December 1, but what about those left behind?

10:36am November 20, 2023

by David Ford

On December 1, roughly 600,000 North Carolinians will become eligible for health care coverage, many for the very first time. But there are NC residents will remain ineligible for these benefits and other subsidies in the health insurance marketplace due to their immigration status.

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