Your health insurer has a ton of nonmedical data on you. It could affect your bill.

Insurers contend that they use the information to spot health issues in their clients — and flag them so they get services they need. But is that worth the cost in privacy, or the risk that a company might use all that consumer information to less noble ends?

South_agency/Getty Images Liver failure is spiking among young people as binge drinking increases The number of 25- to 34-year-olds who died annually from alcohol-related cirrhosis or liver cancer nearly tripled between 1999 and 2016. Deaths increased sharply beginning in 2009, a new study finds, and one liver specialist blames the psychological burdens that came with the global financial crisis. Risk is especially high among veterans and Native Americans, but for even the sickest patient there’s hope: Stop drinking. Facebook Twitter Sally Herships for NPR Need a new career? If you don’t mind relocating, and enjoy wearing black and shooting a blowgun, you could make $85,000 a year Japan's population is rapidly aging. It's also shrinking. That means a lot of job openings without enough applicants, including in rural Iga, which claims to be the birthplace of the ninja. The mayor — that's him above, in his high-ranking ninja gear — has been leveraging that history for tourism, but with unemployment at 2.5 percent they can't find performers for a new museum. The city, which is losing about 1,000 people a year, hopes those sorts of openings can reverse the trend. Facebook Twitter Angie Wang for NPR To grow a confident kid, take the training wheels off The authors of two new books say the best motivator you can give a child is freedom. The kind of unsupervised play and self-directed learning that earlier generations had can help kids develop the social and emotional skills that can prevent anxiety and self-control issues down the road, they say. Parents today seem to worry that such a lack of oversight is too risky, but that’s the point: They need to “have falls and scrapes and tumbles and discover that they're okay.” Facebook Twitter Justin Volz for ProPublica Your health insurer is learning about what you buy, eat and watch — and what those things mean about how much you’ll cost them Do you buy plus-size clothing? You’re not just at risk for needing medical treatment, you may need costly mental health care, too. Are you a woman who just changed her name? You may have a pricey hospital visit coming up for a pregnancy, or the stress from a divorce. It’s one way the industry can maximize profits — the topic of an ongoing investigative series by NPR and ProPublica. Advocates warn that using error-prone "lifestyle" data could lead insurers to overcharge patients — or to discriminate against them. Facebook Twitter YouTube These remixers hear new pop hits and say ‘yes, but make it all synthesizers and saxophones' — and lots of listeners think it’s rad Who knew something like Linkin Park could be retrofitted into a glittering early '80s production, or that Ariana Grande could sound perfect next to Olivia Newton-John? Videos sending today’s Hot 100 songs through a 30-year time warp are garnering millions of views on YouTube. Many extend the concept into the art, Photoshopping singers into mullets and overlaying VHS tracking lines. "I get a lot of comments saying 'WHY DOES THIS WORK?' " says Johan Ollson, a prominent remixer from Sweden. Facebook Twitter You received this message because you're subscribed to our Best of NPR emails. |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002