Your Doctor or Your Insurer? Little-Known Rules May Ease the Choice in Medicare Advantage
By Susan Jaffe
March 29, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Disputes between hospitals and Medicare Advantage plans are leading to entire hospital systems suddenly leaving insurance networks. Patients are left stuck in the middle, choosing between their doctors and their insurance plan. There’s a way out.
California Expands Paid Sick Days and Boosts Health Worker Wages
By Don Thompson
October 25, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation expanding paid sick leave to five days, extending bereavement leave to miscarriages and failed adoptions, and approving an eventual $25-an-hour health care minimum wage. Still, in a possible sign of national ambitions, the Democrat vetoed free condoms in schools and refused to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms.
Biden’s Blanket Statement — ‘No More Surprise Billing’ — Doesn’t Quite Cover It
By Victoria Knight
March 1, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The president used broad language to say that Americans no longer needed to worry about surprise bills, but there are exceptions to the new law that could cost unsuspecting consumers.
Olympic Dream Dashed After Bike Crash and Nightmare Medical Bill Over $200K
By Samantha Young
July 29, 2021
KFF Health News Original
A bicyclist from California competed in a Pennsylvania race that could have landed him in this month’s Tokyo Olympics. Instead, a crash on the velodrome track landed him in two hospitals where his out-of-state, out-of-network surgeries garnered huge bills.
Readers and Tweeters Are Horrified by Harm Tied to Dental Device
March 31, 2023
KFF Health News Original
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Even When IVF Is Covered by Insurance, High Bills and Hassles Abound
By Phil Galewitz
May 4, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Only 15 states require insurance to cover in vitro fertilization, a common path to parenthood for people who have trouble getting pregnant. And even for those whose insurance covers IVF, the expensive procedures and required drugs can lead to unexpected bills.
How to Avoid Surprise Bills — And the Pitfalls in the New Law
By Dan Weissmann
March 16, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The No Surprises Act offers protection from many surprise medical bills — but that protection may be only as good as a patient’s knowledge of the law and ability to make sure it’s enforced. Here’s what you need to know.
An Arm and a Leg: Mental Health ‘Ghost Networks’ — And a Ghostbuster
By Dan Weissmann
May 11, 2023
Podcast
What should you do when your search for an in-network mental health care provider comes up empty? Abigail Burman has some expertise to share.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Arizona Turns Back the Clock on Abortion Access
April 11, 2024
Podcast
A week after the Florida Supreme Court said the state could enforce an abortion ban passed in 2023, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that state could enforce a near-total ban passed in 1864 — over a half-century before Arizona became a state. The move further scrambled the abortion issue for Republicans and posed an immediate quandary for former President Donald Trump, who has been seeking an elusive middle ground in the polarized debate. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Molly Castle Work, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature, about an air-ambulance ride for an infant with RSV that his insurer deemed not medically necessary.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The Supreme Court vs. the Bureaucracy
January 18, 2024
Podcast
The Supreme Court this week heard oral arguments in a case that could radically alter the way federal agencies — including the Department of Health and Human Services — administer laws passed by Congress. A decision in the case is expected this spring or summer. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is struggling over whether to ban menthol cigarettes — a move that could improve public health but also alienate Black voters, the biggest menthol users. Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Darius Tahir, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about a lengthy fight over a bill for a quick telehealth visit.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Biden Budget Touches All the Bases
March 10, 2023
Podcast
Very little in the proposed budget released by the Biden administration is likely to become law, particularly with Republicans in charge of the U.S. House. Still, the document is an important statement of the president’s policy priorities, and it’s clear health programs are among those he feels are important. Meanwhile, five women who were denied abortions when their pregnancies threatened their lives are suing Texas. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Victoria Knight of Axios, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Harris Meyer, who reported and wrote the two latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” features. Both were about families facing unexpected bills following childbirth.
Mary Lou Retton’s Explanation of Health Insurance Takes Some Somersaults
By Julie Appleby
January 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The gold-medal gymnast’s explanation of why she remained uninsured has health policy experts doing mental gymnastics — because it makes little sense.
A Father Dreamed of a Home for His Family. Medical Debt Nearly Pushed Them Onto the Streets.
By Noam N. Levey
September 11, 2023
KFF Health News Original
As cities like Denver struggle to make homes more affordable, medical debt keeps housing out of reach for millions of Americans.
ER Doctors Vow to Pursue Case Against Envision Despite Bankruptcy
By Bernard J. Wolfson
May 12, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The lawyer for an emergency physicians group says its lawsuit against Envision Healthcare should be allowed to proceed even though the company has filed for Chapter 11 protection.
Tiny, Rural Hospitals Feel the Pinch as Medicare Advantage Plans Grow
By Sarah Jane Tribble
October 23, 2023
KFF Health News Original
More than half of seniors are enrolled in private Medicare Advantage plans instead of traditional Medicare. Rural enrollment has increased fourfold and many small-town hospitals say that threatens their viability.
Medicare Expands the Roster of Available Mental Health Professionals
By Judith Graham
November 3, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Medicare is expanding access to mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists come Jan. 1. But the belief that seniors who suffer from mental health problems should just grin and bear it remains a troubling barrier to care.
Mental Health Therapists Seek Exemption From Part of Law to Ban Surprise Billing
By Julie Appleby
February 3, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Some practitioners object to the way upfront cost estimates are designed, saying they could affect access to care and are burdensome. Other experts disagree.
With More People Giving Birth at Home, Montana Passed a Pair of Laws to Make It Easier
By Keely Larson
July 12, 2023
KFF Health News Original
The state now requires Medicaid to cover midwife services and has expanded the list of prescription drugs midwives can administer.
What the Federal ‘No Surprises Act’ Means in California
By Bernard J. Wolfson
January 26, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The new federal law will provide protection against surprise medical bills for between 6 million and 7 million Californians who are not covered under state law.
Even Well-Intended Laws Can’t Protect Us From Inaccurate Provider Directories
By Bernard J. Wolfson
July 26, 2022
KFF Health News Original
State and federal laws require health plans to offer accurate lists of participating doctors and facilities, but consumers still struggle to get timely appointments with providers.