© 2024 KRWG
News that Matters.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Episode 521: The Town That Loves Death

David Wilson/Flickr

Note: This episode originally aired in February 2014.

People in La Crosse, Wisconsin are used to talking about death. In fact, 96 percent of people who die in this small, Midwestern city have specific directions laid out for when they pass. That number is astounding. Nationwide, it's more like 50 percent. La Crosse is such an exception thanks to one guy who decided that people in this town needed to make plans for their death.

In today's episode, we'll take you to a place where dying has become acceptable dinner conversation for teenagers and senior citizens alike. It's a place that also happens to have the lowest Medicare spending of any region in the country.

Music: "See the Future" and "Mabel and Me." Find us: Twitter/ Facebook.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.