Bill of the Month

 

This crowdsourced investigation by KFF Health News dissects and explains your medical bills every month in order to shed light on U.S. health care prices and to help patients learn how to be more active in managing costs.

Do you have a medical bill that you’d like us to see and scrutinize? Submit it here and tell us the story behind it.

Watch: One Father’s Fight Against ‘Predatory’ Drug Price

“CBS This Morning” looks at the latest “Bill of the Month” installment. A drug implant for children has a price tag of $37,300, while one used in adults with the same active ingredient goes for $4,400.  

Appendicitis Is Painful — Add A $41,212 Surgery Bill To The Misery

A young man averted medical disaster after a friend took him to the nearest hospital just before his appendix burst. But more than a year later, he’s still facing a $28,000 balance bill for his out-of-network surgery.

Le cobran $41,212 por sacarle el apéndice

Nadie le dijo que el hospital estaba fuera de la red del plan médico que tenía a través de su trabajo. En cualquier caso, no hubiera podido irse a otro lugar. Su apéndice estaba a punto de reventar.

Paying It Forward: ‘Bill Of The Month’ Series, A Vital Toolkit For Patients, Wraps Year 2

In our ongoing, crowdsourced investigation with NPR and CBS, we’ve armed future health system pilgrims with the tools they need to avoid exorbitant medical bills and fight back against unfair charges. Here’s a look back at 2019’s stories.

For Her Head Cold, Insurer Coughed Up $25,865

A New York City woman, worried that her sore throat might be strep, got swabbed at her doctor’s office. The sample was sent to an out-of-network lab for sophisticated DNA tests ― with a price tag similar to a new SUV.

The Air Ambulance Billed More Than His Surgeon Did For A Lung Transplant

After Tom Saputo underwent double lung transplant surgery in 2018, he was stunned by a surprise bill of more than $11,000 for the 27-mile air ambulance ride to the hospital. State and federal proposals would crack down on extreme air ambulance charges, including a new California law that will limit how much some patients pay for air ambulance rides.

Watch: What Happened To That $500K Dialysis Bill

After journalists investigate, Fresenius, one of the largest dialysis providers in the U.S., has agreed to waive a half-million-dollar bill. Sovereign Valentine, from Plains, Mont., said it’s a “huge relief.”

Tu guía para entender las cuentas médicas

Kaiser Health News te brinda este conjunto de herramientas fáciles de usar, para ayudar a los pacientes a comprender el entretejido de la facturación médica, qué hacer si se recibe una cuenta médica sorpresa y cosas que debes tener en cuenta antes de recibir atención médica.