Medical Prices Higher In Areas Where Large Doctor Groups Dominate, Study Finds
Researchers report that prices for a dozen procedures and tests were 8 to 26 percent higher in counties with the highest level of physicians concentrated in large group practices.
Consumers Can Shift Health Savings Accounts For Better Options
KHN consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers readers’ questions about trying to get a better return on a health savings account, the Cadillac tax’s impact on a marketplace plan and finding insurance for a grandchild.
Adults With Insurance Often Still Have Unmet Dental Needs, Survey Finds
Dental care is the health service that people most frequently avoid because of cost, researchers at the Urban Institute found.
Prisons And Jails Forcing Inmates To Cover Some Medical Care Costs
Although the government is responsible for providing health services to people in jail, prisoners are still often expected to pay for the treatment.
D.C. Women To Get Access To Full Year’s Worth Of Contraceptives
The new law is only the second in the country that allows women to get a year’s prescription at one time.
Tech Options Helping Patients Wrest Control From Doctors
Dr. Eric Topol says smartphones and other technology allow patients to monitor and control their chronic health issues.
Small Changes Can Have Notable Effects In Workers’ Coverage Or Costs
As the fall enrollment window begins for job-based insurance, workers may see a number of changes in provisions such as wellness programs, dependents’ coverage and specialty drug spending.
Readers Ask About Concierge Medicine And Medicare; Insulin Costs And The Doughnut Hole
KHN consumer columnist Michelle Andrews answers questions about Medicare beneficiaries’ costs associated with doctors who have concierge medicine practices, insulin pumps and respite care.
Consumers With COBRA Coverage Should Weigh Moving To Health Law Plans
COBRA, which employees can buy when they leave a workplace if they pick up the entire cost of the plan, can be more expensive.
Few Health Savings Accounts Owners Choose To Invest That Money, Study Finds
Many people who have high-deductible insurance plans and own health savings accounts to help pay for their medical expenses opt to keep the money in low-return savings accounts instead of investing in the financial markets, according to new research.
States Looking For More Effective Ways To Encourage Vaccinations
A new study finds that state policies that require officials to sign off on nonmedical exemptions or impose punishments for students or parents reduce efforts to evade vaccinations.
Study: 2 Million Exchange Enrollees Miss Out On Cost-Sharing Assistance
Consumers must enroll in a silver-level plan in order to be eligible for reductions in out-of-pocket spending.
Cost Of Diabetes Drugs Often Overlooked, But It Shouldn’t Be
Much of the recent debate about drug costs has centered on high-priced specialty drugs, such as those to cure hepatitis C. But millions more people have diabetes and their drugs are also expensive.
Business Leaders, GOP Question HHS’ Change On Families’ Out-Of-Pocket Limits
The Obama administration has announced a change in how the out-of-pocket health spending limits will be calculated for families, but employers object that it will leave them holding the bill.
Women In Combat Zones Can Face Difficulty Getting Some Contraceptives
Tricare, the military’s health plan for active and retired servicemembers, covers most contraceptives approved by the Food and Drug Administration. But women who are deployed can have trouble refilling specific types of birth control.
Study Casts Doubt On Assumptions About Hospital ‘Frequent Fliers’
New research finds that patients who repeatedly use costly hospital and emergency room services, known often as super-utilizers or frequent fliers, generally don’t seek such intense care for a lifetime but instead for a short period of time.
Hospital Deductibles Are For Admitted Patients Only
KHN consumer columnist Michelle Andrews also answers reader questions about how insurance-provider networks function and parents’ responsibility to provide coverage for children who are not yet 26.
Prevention Task Force Recommends Depression Screenings For Pregnant Women, New Moms
Less than 20 percent of those diagnosed with perinatal depression report their symptoms, research shows.
To Boost Patient Health, Rehab Sometimes Starts Before Cancer Treatment
“Prehabilitation” may help patients recover more quickly, early research suggests, but insurance coverage can be tricky.
Consumers’ Satisfaction With Coverage Linked To Out-Of-Pocket Expenses
People with traditional health insurance plans are happier with their coverage than those with high-deductible plans, but the groups also say the quality of their coverage is similar.
