Michelle Crouch

Freelance Writer - health, parenting, personal finance and more

United States

I'm an award-winning writer and a former newspaper reporter with more than 20 years of experience writing for some of the nation's top publications. I have a special interest in writing about health care, but editors also turn to me when they need someone who can dig deep for surprising insight or advice on any subject.

My national credits include: Reader’s Digest, Parents, Real Simple, Prevention, Dr. Oz The Good Life, Parenting, AARP, More, CreditCards.com, The Washington Post and The New York Times. As a long-time contributing editor at Reader’s Digest, I authored dozens of so-called “secrets” stories covering subjects ranging from airline pilots to convicted burglars. Two favorites: “50 secrets a surgeon won’t tell you” and “50 secrets a waiter won’t tell you.”

I write regularly for North Carolina Health News and The Charlotte Ledger. I also contribute to several Scholastic classroom magazines and to Wells Fargo's consumer-facing publications. Other corporate clients have included TIAA, Fidelity, Brighthouse Financial, USAA, Honda, WalMart and Harris Teeter.

Portfolio

Recent favorites

NC Health News/The Charlotte Ledger
04/03/2023
Hospitals get millions in property tax breaks

As Charlotte leaders discuss a tax increase, Mecklenburg County hospitals avoid $23 million per year in property taxes, a Charlotte Ledger/N.C. Health News analysis shows. Some say it's time to ask North Carolina hospitals to pay up.

AARP
01/31/2022
The danger of taking too many prescriptions

Over the past two decades, the percentage of older adults taking five or more prescriptions has tripled, from 14 to 42 percent. The more medications you take, the higher your risk for an interaction or side effect.

The Charlotte Ledger
10/25/2021
The case of the $10,000 colonoscopy

Dan Hurst’s medical procedure cost thousands more than he was quoted. Despite a push for more transparency, medical pricing remains hopelessly complicated. Here's what you can do to lower your medical costs and be a smarter patient.

Consumer Health

Reader's Digest
12/13/2021
What Exactly Is Meatless Meat?

Plant-based meats are coming soon to a dinner table near you, but what's actually inside those burgers, meatballs, nuggets, and crumbles, and do they deserve a spot on your plate?

The Charlotte Ledger
06/11/2021
The doctor won't see your newborn now

When you go to the hospital to have a baby, you might assume that a doctor will carefully examine your newborn after you deliver. But that's not always the case.

Scholastic Choices
09/01/2017
Generation Zzzzzzzz

Teens are getting less sleep than ever before, and experts are calling it a national health crisis. Read on to learn the shocking consequences—and real strategies for getting the rest you so desperately need.

Reader's Digest
04/20/2018
How to Survive Your Next Trip to the Hospital

As many as 440,000 Americans die every year from medical errors and infections contracted in the hospital. Combined, they are the third- leading cause of death in the United States. Your best defense? Take charge of your care as much as possible.

AARP
01/26/2022
Are you too old to shovel snow?

Every year, people die of a heart attack during or just after shoveling snow. Some experts say any adult over age 45 should think twice before tackling the winter chore.

Scholastic
Flying High, Landing Hard

Whether you're a cheerleader or a soccer star, the pressure to perform could be putting you in serious danger.

AARP Health Stories

AARP
04/30/2019
Innovations Help Imperfect Organs Work For Transplants

Chuck Boetsch was desperate for a new pair of lungs. A rare disease was causing the set he had carried for 72 years to harden and scar. He could barely breathe. Finally, after 10 weeks on the waiting list, Boetsch got a call that a lung was available - but there was a catch.

COVID-19 coverage

The Charlotte Ledger
01/15/2021
Some front-line doctors have trouble getting vaccinations

Good morning! Today is Friday, January 15, 2021. You're reading The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C. This post is sent to paying subscribers only.

"Secrets"

Reader's Digest
11/07/2019
21 Things a Burglar Won't Tell You

Is it a crime to spend money on a home security system these days? A look inside the mind of convicted burglars will help you decide.

Prevention
09/18/2017
Secrets Of SUPER SLEEPERS

If you're among the 164 million Americans who struggle with sleep, a friendly "Good night!" is cold comfort. It's especially galling if you've already done the obvious-cut out afternoon caffeine, closed the blinds, and put away your screens-and you still can't doze off.

Reader's Digest
01/26/2020
40 Things Your Airplane Pilot Won't Tell You

We asked pilots from across the country to give us straight answers about maddening safety rules, inexplicable delays, the air and attitudes up there, and what really happens behind the cockpit door. What they told us will change the way you fly.

Parenting

Parents
02/06/2019
Teaching Diversity to Your Kids

When Julianne Weiner's 4-year-old son, Benjamin, started flipping out about going to preschool, she thought it was typical first-day jitters. Then he told her the reason: "I don't want a teacher with brown skin." Weiner, who is white and lives in a diverse neighborhood in Boyds, Maryland, was horrified and confused.

Scholastic Action
"I Went Viral for Being Bullied"

Lauren "Lulu" Williams was in middle school when her mom found the first bald spot on her head. "When my mom showed me, I started crying," Lulu says. "I wanted to hide." Lulu, now 16, has a condition called psoriasis (sor-EYE-uh-sis). Psoriasis causes patches of dry, scaly skin.

Parents
01/07/2019
An Insider's Guide to Walt Disney World

It may be a place filled with magic, but pulling off a great trip to Walt Disney World is anything but child's play. Here's our best time-saving tips, money-saving strategies, and sanity-saving advice.

Parents
02/17/2015
39 Breastfeeding Secrets Every New Mother Should Know

Nursing your baby is no easy feat. Luckily, we've rounded up the only breastfeeding tips you'll ever need, from the experts who've figured out the smartest tricks, shortcuts, and solutions. Nursing may be natural, but it's also downright difficult.

Parents
10/18/2016
A Guide to Parental Controls By Device

Learn how to manage parental controls on iPhones, Androids, gaming systems, and every device in between to ensure anything your kid gets her hands on is safe.

Parents
08/10/2015
Delivery Day: The New Rules of Giving Birth

Listen up, expecting moms. Childbirth isn't what it used to be -- and that's good news! We asked top ob-gyns to explain the most important improvements that you'll benefit from on delivery day.

Parents
02/10/2013
4 New Ways to Play

Use your kid's cars, action figures, stuffed animals, and more to reinforce the skills he's learning in school. When your child begs for another Skylander or Lalaloopsy, it's easy to say no. But when she asks for a toy that helps with math, do you give in?

Personal Finance

Inspiring teens

Scholastic Action
09/15/2020
TikTok's Secret Star

Her Renegade dance got famous. Why didn't she? Jalaiah Harmon's quest for the credit she deserved.

Scholastic Action
03/01/2017
My illness makes me stronger

McKenzie, 17, has a serious disease called Type 1 diabetes, but she hasn't let it hold her back.

Scholastic Action
03/04/2019
"I take care of my abuela"

More than 1 million teens in the U.S. are caregivers. Daniel, 17, is one of them.

Scholastic Action
01/01/2019
Changed by fire

They watched a wildfire destroy their home.