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Showing 21-40 of 3,578 results for "bill of the month"

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What the Health? From KFF Health News: Hello, Trump. Bye-Bye, Biden.

January 16, 2025 Podcast

With just days to go before the official launch of a new administration, the GOP-led Congress is putting together plans on how to enact incoming President Donald Trump’s agenda, with a particular emphasis on cutting spending on the Medicaid program. Meanwhile, the Biden administration makes major moves in its last days, including banning a controversial food dye and ordering cigarette companies to minimize their nicotine content. Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Harris Meyer, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News “Bill of the Month” feature, about a colonoscopy that came with a much larger price tag than estimated.

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What the Health? From KFF Health News: Abortion Heats Up Presidential Race 

August 1, 2024 Podcast

The elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the presumed Democratic presidential ticket is newly energizing the debate over abortion, while former President Donald Trump attempts to distance himself from more sweeping proposals in the “Project 2025” GOP blueprint put together by his former administration officials and the conservative Heritage Foundation. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Elisabeth Rosenthal, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” about a preauthorized surgery that generated a six-figure bill.

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Patient Underwent One Surgery but Was Billed for Two. Even After Being Sued, She Refused To Pay.

By Tony Leys August 21, 2024 KFF Health News Original

A collection agency sought court authority to garnish a patient’s wages to pay a disputed surgery bill. But after the patient showed up in court to argue the bill was bogus, the judge declined to let the bill collector seize her money.

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A Toddler Got a Nasal Swab Test but Left Before Seeing a Doctor. The Bill Was $445.

By Bram Sable-Smith November 27, 2024 KFF Health News Original

A mom in Peoria, Illinois, took her 3-year-old to the ER one evening last December. While they were waiting to be seen, the toddler seemed better, so they left without seeing a doctor. Then the bill came.

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What the Health? From KFF Health News: At GOP Convention, Health Policy Is Mostly MIA

July 18, 2024 Podcast

After an assassination attempt last weekend sent former President Donald Trump to the hospital with minor injuries, the Republican National Convention went off with little mention of health care issues. And Trump’s newly nominated vice presidential pick, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, has barely staked out a record on health during his 18 months in office — aside from being strongly opposed to abortion. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Renuka Rayasam, who wrote June’s installment of KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month,” about a patient who walked into what he thought was an urgent care center and walked out with an emergency room bill. 

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What the Health? From KFF Health News: A Colorful Cast Could Lead Key Health Agencies

December 5, 2024 Podcast

President-elect Donald Trump has made his choices to fill some top jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services. They include controversial figures who were vocal critics of the Biden administration’s handling of the covid pandemic and have proposed sweeping changes to the agencies they would lead. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court heard its first two health-related cases of the term, challenging a Tennessee law barring transgender medical care for minors and, separately, challenging the FDA’s handling of e-cigarettes. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins University and Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Bram Sable-Smith, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-Washington Post Well+Being “Bill of the Month” feature, about an emergency room bill for a visit that didn’t get past the waiting room.

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What the Health? From KFF Health News: Nursing Home Staffing Rules Prompt Pushback

June 6, 2024 Podcast

The nursing home industry — as well as a healthy number of Congress members — are all pushing back on the Biden administration’s new rules on nursing home staffing. Industry officials say that there are not enough workers to meet the requirements and that the costs would be prohibitive. Meanwhile, Democrats on Capitol Hill are trying to force Republicans to explain their exact positions on assuring access to contraceptives and in vitro fertilization. Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Bram Sable-Smith, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about a free cruise that turned out to be anything but.

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Scorpion Peppers Caused Him ‘Crippling’ Pain. Two Years Later, the ER Bill Stung Him Again.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal December 19, 2025 KFF Health News Original

Homemade hot sauce sent a Colorado man to the emergency room with what he called “the worst pain of my life.” But stomach cramps were only the beginning. Two years later, the bill came.

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An older woman wearing glasses stands in her kitchen.

Blurry Line Between Medical and Vision Insurance Leaves Patient With Unexpected Bill

By Tony Leys January 30, 2026 KFF Health News Original

A Wisconsin retiree with glaucoma needed her eyes examined. Her Medicare Advantage plan from UnitedHealthcare listed her optometrist’s clinic as in-network, but she learned the hard way that a clinic can be in-network and out-of-network at the same time.

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Readers Weigh In on Making American Health Care Affordable Again

July 31, 2025 KFF Health News Original

KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

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A photo of a woman holding her toddler outside.

Not Serious Enough To Turn on the Siren, Toddler’s 39-Mile Ambulance Ride Still Cost Over $9,000

By Tony Leys November 25, 2025 KFF Health News Original

After her son contracted a serious bacterial infection, an Ohio mother took the toddler to a nearby ER, and staffers there sent him to a children’s hospital in an ambulance. With no insurance, the family was hit with a $9,250 bill for the 40-minute ride.

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What the Health? From KFF Health News: Let the General Election Commence

August 23, 2024 Podcast

Abortion and reproductive health issues headlined the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, as expected. But what Vice President Kamala Harris has in mind for other health policies as the Democratic nominee remains something of a mystery. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump says he would not use the 19th-century Comstock Act to impose, in effect, a national ban on abortion, which angered his anti-abortion backers. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Johns Hopkins University, and Shefali Luthra of The 19th join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Tony Leys, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about a woman who fought back after being charged for two surgeries despite undergoing only one.

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A photo of a concrete office building with the words "Social Security Administration" and "www.socialsecurity.gov" on a sign on the front entrance. An American flag on a pole is posted near the entrance.

Trump Administration Retreats From 100% Withholding on Social Security Clawbacks

By David Hilzenrath and Jodie Fleischer, Cox Media Group April 28, 2025 KFF Health News Original

The Social Security Administration will now withhold 50% of many recipients’ monthly benefits to claw back alleged overpayments — down from the 100% it announced in March, but way up from the 10% cap imposed under former President Joe Biden.

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A photo of a woman standing outside on a dock by a gazebo.

She Had a Broken Arm, No Insurance — And a $97,000 Bill

By Katheryn Houghton September 24, 2025 KFF Health News Original

Deborah Buttgereit knew piecing together the broken bone in her elbow would be expensive. But complications the doctor deemed a surprise, midsurgery, drove the total bill tens of thousands of dollars above the original estimate.

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What the Health? From KFF Health News: The Struggle Over Who Gets the Last Word

February 1, 2024 Podcast

As science skepticism pervades politics, the Supreme Court will soon consider two cases that seek to define the power of “experts.” Meanwhile, abortion opponents are laying out plans for how Donald Trump, if reelected as president, could effectively curtail abortion even in states where it remains legal. Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Samantha Liss, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about a husband and wife who got billed for preventive care that should have been fully covered.

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A Medicaid Patient Had a Heart Attack While Traveling. He Owed Almost $78,000.

By Arielle Zionts May 29, 2025 KFF Health News Original

Federal law says Medicaid must cover out-of-state emergency care. But a Florida man got a five-figure bill after a South Dakota hospital declined to charge his state’s Medicaid program.

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A photo of a woman sitting in her home.

Doctor Tripped Up by $64K Bill for Ankle Surgery and Hospital Stay

By Julie Appleby October 29, 2025 KFF Health News Original

A doctor in Colorado became the patient after an accident totaled her car and sent her to the operating room. The hospital kept her overnight, but her insurer stopped paying after she left the emergency room.

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A young boy sits on his father's lap on a mattress covered in a green fitted sheet on the floor.

A Texas Boy Needed Protection From Measles. The Vaccine Cost $1,400.

By Julie Appleby June 30, 2025 KFF Health News Original

A family living in Galveston was surprised to be charged thousands of dollars for immunizations for their children. Their insurance plan didn’t cover the shots, and the cost of the measles vaccine in particular was more than five times what health officials say it goes for in the private sector.

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To Knock Down Health-System Hurdles Between You and HIV Prevention, Try These 6 Things

By Zach Dyer Illustrations by Oona Zenda January 5, 2026 KFF Health News Original

It’s been more than 10 years since the FDA first approved an HIV prevention drug. Today, people who could benefit from preexposure prophylaxis often struggle to access the lifesaving medicine or run into doctors without the education or empathy to offer affirming care. And those lapses can produce billing headaches.

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A portrait of a woman sitting at a dining room table.

A Tourist Ended Up With a Wild Bat in Her Mouth — And Nearly $21,000 in Medical Bills

By Tony Leys July 31, 2025 KFF Health News Original

Health insurance generally doesn’t cover treatment for injuries sustained shortly before a customer buys a policy. A Massachusetts woman found that out the hard way.

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