Insurance, Coverage, and Costs: Feb. 29, 2024

Without Medicare Part B’s Shield, Patient’s Family Owes $81,000 for a Single Air-Ambulance Flight

Tony Leys

Sky-high bills from air-ambulance providers have sparked complaints and federal action in recent years. But a rural Tennessee resident fell through the cracks of billing protections — and a single helicopter ride could cost much of her estate's value.

Hacking at UnitedHealth Unit Cripples a Swath of the US Health System: What to Know

Darius Tahir

Change Healthcare, a firm recently bought by insurance giant UnitedHealth Group, reportedly suffered a cyberattack. The company processes 14 billion transactions annually, including payments and requests for insurance authorizations.

Say That Again: Using Hearing Aids Can Be Frustrating for Older Adults, but Necessary

Judith Graham

Hearing loss is more than a nuisance. It also raises the risk of cognitive decline, dementia, falls, depression, and social isolation.

If You’re Poor, Fertility Treatment Can Be Out of Reach

Michelle Andrews

For low-income people who are on Medicaid or whose employer health plan is skimpy, help for infertility seems unattainable.

In California, Faceoff Between Major Insurer and Health System Shows Hazards of Consolidation

Annie Sciacca

Even as Anthem Blue Cross and University of California Health announced a contract agreement this month, analysts say patients are increasingly at risk of being affected by such disputes.

GoFundMe Has Become a Health Care Utility

Elisabeth Rosenthal

Resorting to crowdfunding to pay medical bills has become so routine, in some cases health professionals recommend it.

Wait, Is Insulin Cheaper Now?

Dan Weissmann

Did the price of insulin go down? It’s not quite that simple. On this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” producer Emily Pisacreta explores recent changes to the cost of the diabetes medication.

Southern Lawmakers Rethink Long-Standing Opposition to Medicaid Expansion

Daniel Chang and Andy Miller

While many Republican state lawmakers remain firmly against Medicaid expansion, some key leaders in holdout states are showing a willingness to reconsider. Public opinion, financial incentives, and widening health care needs make resistance harder.

Patients See First Savings From Biden’s Drug Price Push, as Pharma Lines Up Its Lawyers

Arthur Allen

A restructuring of the Medicare drug benefit has wiped out big drug bills for people who need expensive medicines. But the legal battle over drug negotiations means uncertainty over long-term savings.

For the Love of Health Care and Health Policy

KFF Health News shares the crème de la crème of reader-submitted health policy valentines. Two of our favorites melted our hearts and inspired original illustrations.

In Fight Over Medicare Payments, the Hospital Lobby Shows Its Strength

Phil Galewitz and Colleen DeGuzman

Medicare pays hospitals about double what it pays other providers for the same services. The hospital lobby is fighting hard to make sure a switch to "site-neutral payments” doesn't become law.

States Target Health Insurers’ ‘Prior Authorization’ Red Tape

Bram Sable-Smith

Doctors, patients, and hospitals have railed for years about the prior authorization processes that health insurers use to decide whether they’ll pay for patients’ drugs or medical procedures. The Biden administration announced a crackdown in January, but some state lawmakers are looking to go further.

Halfway Through ‘Unwinding,’ Medicaid Enrollment Is Down About 10 Million

Phil Galewitz

While more Medicaid beneficiaries have been purged in the span of a year than ever before, enrollment is on track to settle at pre-pandemic levels.

Is Housing Health Care? State Medicaid Programs Increasingly Say ‘Yes’

Angela Hart

States are using their Medicaid programs to offer poor and sick people housing services, such as paying six months’ rent or helping hunt for apartments. The trend comes in response to a growing homelessness epidemic, but experts caution this may not be the best use of limited health care money.

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