Health Care Costs
‘An Arm And A Leg’: Can They Freaking Do That?!?
By Dan Weissmann
Introducing a new segment on “An Arm and a Leg” podcast: “Can They Freaking Do That?!?” We take your most vexing medical bill questions and hunt down information and experts who can help.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: How Much For Stitches In The ER? Hard To Gauge Upfront
By Dan Weissmann
Consumers are admonished to be “smart shoppers,” but that’s difficult if health care prices are clear as mud. When Sarah Macsalka’s son needed stitches, she did her best to avoid the ER and still ended up with a $3,000 bill.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: A La ‘Hamilton,’ Revue Takes On History Of Health Insurance
By Dan Weissmann
Kvetching about the cost of health care is kind of what we do on the podcast “An Arm and a Leg.” This week’s episode features like-minded storytellers — from the musical troupe Heck No Techo — who have turned their frustrations into art and laughter.
Website Errors Raise Calls For Medicare To Be Flexible With Seniors’ Enrollment
By Susan Jaffe
Members of Congress and others complain Medicare’s revamped Plan Finder had problems. Federal officials say they can help consumers who got bad information change their plans next year. But details about how switching will work are yet to come.
‘An Arm And A Leg’: A Medical Bill Ninja Shares Her Secrets
By Dan Weissmann
On Season 3, Episode 2 of the podcast “An Arm and a Leg,” an Illinois woman harnesses a lifetime of experience — and frustration — with health care finances to help other people solve their medical bill problems.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: We Spend HOW MUCH On Health Care?
The annual accounting of national health spending is out. And the 2018 health bill for the U.S. was $3.6 trillion, consuming nearly a fifth of the nation’s economy. Meanwhile, Congress is nearing the end of the year without having finished either its annual spending bills or several other high-priority health items. Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Mary Agnes Carey of Kaiser Health News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, Rovner interviews KHN’s Markian Hawryluk about the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month.”
It’s Not Just You: Picking Health Insurance Is Hard. Here’s How To Be Smart About It.
By Dan Weissmann
It’s open enrollment season for health insurance. And choosing the best plan is tricky whether you have to buy insurance on your own or just figure out which plan to sign up for at work. Here’s what you need to know.
Candidates Are Betting Big On Health. Is That What Voters Really Want?
By Julie Rovner
Polls show that health care is at the top of voters’ issues, but the polls also say Democrats, let alone other Americans, are not ready for “Medicare for All.”
Candidatos apuestan fuerte por la salud. ¿Es lo que los votantes realmente quieren?
By Julie Rovner
Una nueva encuesta revela que los votantes sí quieren que se hable de salud. Pero la pregunta del millón es: ¿apoyarán en las urnas un "Medicare para Todos"?.
Last-Minute Loophole Could Undermine Texas Law Against Surprise Medical Bills
By Ashley Lopez, KUT
Texas passed a bipartisan law against surprise medical billing, but advocates warn that a proposed rule could severely weaken it, continuing to allow surprise bills outside of emergencies.
Analysis: Choosing A Plan From The Impossible Health Care Maze
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
In 21st-century US health care, everything is revenue, and so everything is billed.
Affordable Mental Health Care? It’s Getting Even Tougher to Access
By Jenny Gold
More than a decade after Congress passed a law mandating equal access for mental and physical health care, Americans struggle to find affordable, in-network mental health providers.
¿Cuidado de salud mental asequible? El acceso es cada vez más difícil
By Jenny Gold
En 2017, 70,237 estadounidenses murieron por sobredosis de drogas y 47,173 por suicidio, según los CDC. En 2018, casi el 20% de los adultos sufrieron una enfermedad mental.
Nothing To Sneeze At: The $2,659 Bill To Pluck Doll’s Shoe From Child’s Nostril
By Markian Hawryluk and Heidi de Marco
A 3-year-old girl put matching doll shoes up her nose. One came out easily. The second required an emergency department visit ― and generated a bill that is not child’s play.
UVA Doctors Decry Aggressive Billing Practices By Their Own Hospital
By Jay Hancock
In the wake of a Kaiser Health News investigation, doctors want the University of Virginia’s health system to stop suing its patients over unpaid bills.
Readers React: UVA Doctors Outraged Over Their Own Health System’s Billing Practices
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Do 160 Million Americans Really Like Their Health Plans? Kind Of
By Shefali Luthra
Former Vice President Joe Biden's claim during the latest Democratic presidential debate relies on a squishy number, and the context matters.