Latest KFF Health News Stories
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
The $109K Heart Attack Bill Is Down To $332. What About Other Surprise Bills?
“I don’t feel any consumer should have to go through this,” says Drew Calver, who faced a life-changing surprise bill from an Austin hospital after a heart attack last year. After attention as a “Bill of the Month” patient, he paid the hospital $332. But he worries about other patients with surprise bills.
Watch: What Happened To That $109,000 Heart Attack
The story of a Texas teacher who faced a surprise “balance bill” of almost twice his annual salary gets a surprise happy ending.
¡Puñalada! Tienes seguro, pero igual debes pagar $109 mil por un ataque al corazón
Un maestro de Austin, Texas, quien sufrió un ataque cardíaco, tuvo que vivir una odisea cuando recibió una cuenta astronómica.
A Jolt To The Jugular! You’re Insured But Still Owe $109K For Your Heart Attack
A Texas teacher, 44, faces a “balance bill” of almost twice his annual salary for a heart attack he never expected to have.
Babies Dependent On Opioids Need Touch, Not Tech
One doctor in Kansas works to make sure every hospital in the state can provide the soft start, ideally with their mothers, that babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome need.
Hospitals Battle For Control Over Fast-Growing Heart-Valve Procedure
Medicare limits payments for valve replacement via a catheter to hospitals with large numbers of heart procedures. But smaller facilities are crying foul.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ See You In Court!
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner talk about a spate of lawsuits involving the Affordable Care Act, as well as the latest in state and federal efforts regarding the Medicaid program for the poor.
Energy-Hog Hospitals: When They Start Thinking Green, They See Green
Some hospitals have taken steps to be more energy-efficient. Though at times these changes barely represent rounding errors in their budgets, comprehensive efforts are beginning to make a difference.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
Doctors Reckon With High Rate Of Suicide In Their Ranks
The devastating loss of a promising young doctor prompts soul-searching and action at one of the nation’s largest emergency room staffing companies.
Community Frets As Buyer For Cherished Rural Hospital Slips From View
Some residents of remote Surprise Valley in Northern California fear their hospital will close like so many others around the country, as hope wanes for financial support from a Denver entrepreneur. The businessman, Beau Gertz, had planned to raise money through lab billing for faraway patients.
A Transgender Woman’s ‘Bait-And-Switch’ $92,000 Surgery Bill
After being promised a significant discount for paying cash upfront and forgoing insurance, a Wisconsin patient gets caught in the middle between hospital and insurer — and feels snookered by a last-minute surprise and billing snafu.
¿Llegó el momento de la colonoscopía? Asegúrate que el instrumental esté esterilizado
Las infecciones por duodenoscopios contaminados pueden ser fatales. Qué hacer para ayudar a garantizar que el instrumental médico esté esterilizado.
Time For That Colonoscopy? Probe Your Doc First On How The Scopes Are Cleaned
Millions of Americans undergo procedures each year requiring medical scopes, but there’s growing concern about the risk of infection from dirty devices. Be prepared to ask questions — and bail if you’re not satisfied with the answers.
Hospitales están listos para un nuevo diagnóstico: tráfico humano
En Nueva York y California, centros de salud comienzan a entrenar a su personal para detectar señales de que el paciente puede ser víctima de esta particular forma de abuso.
Hospitals Gear Up For New Diagnosis: Human Trafficking
Many people forced into labor or the sex trade seek medical help at some point, and health care workers are being trained to identify them to offer assistance.
Can A Community Hospital Stay True To Its Mission After Sale To Large Corporation?
After 130 years as a nonprofit with deep roots in western North Carolina, Mission Health announced in March that it was seeking to be bought by HCA Healthcare, the nation’s largest for-profit hospital chain.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Drug Prices And Unicorns
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico, and Erin Mershon of Stat News discuss a series of health policy court decisions on everything from prescription drug discounts to soda taxes. Plus, Rovner, interviews health care futurist and consultant Jeff Goldsmith.
El toque humano en un hospital: por qué importa que los médicos sean compasivos
La actitud de los médicos al momento de hablar de temas difíciles como el final de la vida pueden hacer la diferencia en la calidad de vida del paciente y las preocupaciones de la familia.
