Health Care : NPR

What Does Obama's Health Plan Really Cost?

September 30, 2008 • Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama says his health plan would make insurance available to all Americans. But health policy analysts say that the estimated cost of the plan is far higher than what the campaign is saying.

What Does Obama's Health Plan Really Cost?

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McCain's Health Plan Focuses On High-Risk Pools

September 29, 2008 • John McCain's plan to insure more people would rely heavily on high-risk health insurance pools, where individuals with pre-existing conditions buy their own insurance. Critics argue that these pools are expensive and cover only a fraction of the uninsured and uninsurable.

McCain's Health Plan Focuses On High-Risk Pools

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Science Out Of The Box

Sun An Important Source Of Vitamin D

September 27, 2008 • Vitamin D is essential for strong bones. Our bodies use sunlight to create their own vitamin D. Bruce Hollis, a professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, talks about how the process works.

Sun An Important Source Of Vitamin D

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The Impact of War

Psychiatrists Protest Pentagon Interrogations

September 26, 2008 • The nation's leading organization of psychiatrists says the Pentagon has reneged on an agreement not to use psychiatrists in interrogations of detainees at Guantanamo and other detention sites.

Psychiatrists Protest Pentagon Interrogations

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National

Doctors Urge Research On Cell Phone-Cancer Issue

September 25, 2008 • The vast majority of scientific studies show no association between cell phone use and brain cancer. But several doctors say the issue isn't settled, and they are asking Congress for more research.

Doctors Urge Research On Cell Phone-Cancer Issue

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Intelligence Squared U.S.

Is The Government Responsible For Health Care?

September 24, 2008 • As part of the Intelligence Squared U.S. series, six experts debate the proposition "Universal health care should be the federal government's responsibility."

Panelists: Is Health Care A Federal Responsibility?

September 24, 2008 • Read about the panelists debating the proposition "Universal health coverage should be the federal government's responsibility" in the latest in the Intelligence Squared U.S. series.

Your Health

Drugs Hint At Potential Reversal Of Autism

September 23, 2008 • Fragile X is a mutation on the X chromosome that can cause mental retardation and autism. But early studies suggest several new drugs may help correct the mutation and diminish some of its effects, including autism.

Drugs Hint At Potential Reversal Of Autism

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Election 2008

Obama Ad Targets McCain's Health Care Plan

September 22, 2008 • A key element of John McCain's health care proposal is deregulation of the health insurance system. But a campaign ad for Barack Obama likens the plan to the deregulation of Wall Street and calls it a "prescription for disaster."

Obama Ad Targets McCain's Health Care Plan

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Election 2008: Issues

Health Care And The Campaigns: A Discussion

September 21, 2008 • Carrie Staton is an uninsured mother of two; her husband has multiple sclerosis and she's coping with diabetes. Ralph Smith is a small business owner struggling to pay for his employees' health benefits. Smith and Staton both live in the swing state of Virginia. Host Andrea Seabrook asks representatives of both presidential nominees to explain how their health care plans would help Smith and Staton.

Health Care And The Campaigns: A Discussion

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Why Intensive Care Leads To PTSD

September 17, 2008 • A new study shows about 20 percent of patients checking out of hospital intensive care units suffer post traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Sydney Spiesel — a practicing pediatrician and professor at Yale Medical School — talks to Madeleine Brand about why this happens and what hospitals can do.

Why Intensive Care Leads To PTSD

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Do Medical Providers Have The Right To Refuse?

September 15, 2008 • The California Supreme Court recently ruled against two doctors who allegedly refused to provide artificial insemination services to lesbians. President Bush has proposed stronger protections for heath care workers who cite religious beliefs as basis for refusing service.

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Business

Tailoring Treatments To Patients' Genetics

September 11, 2008 • Since it turns out that genes play a big role in how an individual responds to certain drugs, the pharmaceutical industry is looking at genetics. Entrepreneurs are developing and marketing products to try to determine whether a particular drug will work for a patient.

Tailoring Treatments To Patients' Genetics

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Legendary Sex Expert Still Has It

September 10, 2008 • Sue Johanson is a popular sex educator and former host of the TV program "Talk Sex with Sue Johanson" on Oxygen. In this week's Wisdom Watch, Johanson, 78, talks about her decades-long career as a sex expert, and also weighs in on debates about sex education for kids.

Legendary Sex Expert Still Has It

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Silence Strengthens Impact of Depression Among Men

September 8, 2008 • Men's Fitness magazine tackles a sensitive subject that is not often discussed: depression and men. In this week's Behind Closed Doors segment, Chris Strauss of Men's Fitness, mental health writer John Head, and Nathaniel Reynolds, who suffered from depression, explain why depression seems to be rising among men, and why it can be challenging for men, especially black men, to accept help.

Silence Strengthens Impact of Depression Among Men

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