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Latest KFF Health News Stories

Becerra Says Surprise Billing Rules Force Doctors Who Overcharge to Accept Fair Prices

KFF Health News Original

The Health and Human Services secretary says the administration has heard complaints from doctors and hospitals about the rules it unveiled for implementing the law to end surprise medical bills. But he says providers who have exploited a complicated system to charge exorbitant rates will have to bear their share of the cost — or close.

‘An Arm and a Leg’: The Insurance Warrior’s Battle Plan

KFF Health News Original

Health care — and how much it costs — is scary. But knowledge is power. Take a master class in winning insurance appeals. In the case of Matthew Lientz, taking on his insurance also meant going up against his employer.

Success of Covid Antiviral Pills Hinges on Access to Speedy and Accurate Tests

KFF Health News Original

The promising antiviral drugs to treat covid can halt hospitalizations and deaths, but only if they’re given to patients within three to five days of their first symptoms, a narrow window many people won’t meet. Here’s why.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Boosting Confusion

KFF Health News Original

Federal health officials appear poised to extend a recommendation for covid boosters to all adults, following moves by some governors and mayors to broaden the eligible booster pool as caseloads rise. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration finally has a nominee to head the agency: former FDA chief Robert Califf. And Medicare premiums for consumers will likely rise substantially in 2022, partly due to the approval of a controversial drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Tami Luhby of CNN, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Dan Weissmann, host of the “An Arm and a Leg” podcast.

Public Opinion Is Unified on Lowering Drug Prices. Why Are Leaders Settling for Less?

KFF Health News Original

Politicians and many health experts have done their best to see the glass half-full in the plan put forward by congressional Democrats and the president. But it’s “a far cry” from what other nations do to rein in drug prices, and polls show most voters demand more protection.

Schools, Pediatricians Look to Make Up Lost Ground on Non-Covid Vaccinations

KFF Health News Original

Health officials hope the rollout of covid shots for young children and other initiatives will boost routine vaccine rates that dropped during the pandemic and narrow socioeconomic disparities.

Stranded by the Pandemic, He Had Only Travel Insurance. It Left Him With a $38,000 Bill.

KFF Health News Original

Although it’s possible to buy travel insurance that provides some health coverage, the devil is in the fine print. Obama-era laws that prevent refusal of payment for preexisting conditions don’t apply to travel insurance.

Texas Abortion Law Harms Survivors of Rape and Incest, Activists Say

KFF Health News Original

While anti-abortion activists say abortion exceptions are a “punishment” to “innocent human life,” social workers say Texas’ new abortion law rigidly curtails options for rape and incest survivors at a moment when they need the “power and control” of choice to begin healing.

Congressional Doctors Lead Bipartisan Revolt Over Policy on Surprise Medical Bills

KFF Health News Original

Congress last year shielded consumers from unexpected out-of-network charges, but hospitals and doctors have decried the arbitration plan put forward by the Biden administration for negotiating these bills as favoring insurers. More than 150 members of the House agree.