An $80,000 Tab for Newborns Lays Out a Loophole in the New Law to Curb Surprise Bills
By Jay Hancock
Photos by Heidi de Marco
February 23, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The insurance company said that the birth of the Bull family’s twins was not an emergency and that NICU care was “not medically necessary.” The family’s experience with a huge bill sent to collections happened in 2020, but it exposes a hole in the new No Surprises law that took effect Jan. 1.
Listen: How the New ‘No Surprises’ Law Tackles Unexpected Medical Bills
January 5, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Years in the making, a new federal law against surprise medical bills took effect Jan. 1.
How to Get Rid of Medical Debt — Or Avoid It in the First Place
By Yuki Noguchi, NPR News
July 1, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Medical bills can add stress to the already stressful experience of dealing with a medical crisis. And if you can’t pay those bills, they can linger, wreaking havoc on your financial goals and credit. Here’s how to protect yourself.
Suit by Doctors, Hospitals Seeks Change in How Arbitrators Settle Surprise Billing Cases
By Julie Appleby
December 9, 2021
KFF Health News Original
The American Medical Association and American Hospital Association are not arguing to halt the law that protects patients from unexpected bills from providers they didn’t know were outside their insurance network. Instead, they want to change the rules for the mediators who will settle the dispute between insurers and providers.
GoFundMe Has Become a Health Care Utility
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
February 12, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Resorting to crowdfunding to pay medical bills has become so routine, in some cases health professionals recommend it.
The Ambulance Chased One Patient Into Collections
By Bram Sable-Smith
July 27, 2022
KFF Health News Original
After a car wreck, three siblings were transported to the same hospital by ambulances from three separate districts. The sibling with the most minor injuries got the biggest bill.
Betting on ‘Golden Age’ of Colonoscopies, Private Equity Invests in Gastro Docs
By Emily Pisacreta and Emmarie Huetteman
May 27, 2022
KFF Health News Original
An aging population in need of regular cancer screenings has driven private equity companies, seeking profits, to invest in many gastroenterology practices and set up aggressive billing practices. Steep prices on routine tests are one consequence for patients.
A ‘Payday Loan’ From a Health Care Behemoth
By Dan Weissmann
June 6, 2023
Podcast
UnitedHealth Group is the largest health insurer in the United States. And it keeps growing. This has led some health care experts to call for antitrust regulation of this “behemoth” company.
Health Insurance Price Data: It’s Out There, but It’s Not for the Faint of Heart
By Julie Appleby
July 27, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Health insurers and self-insured employer plans are now required to post their negotiated rates for almost every type of medical service. But navigating through the trove of information is no easy task.
Want a Clue on Health Care Costs in Advance? New Tools Take a Crack at It
By Julie Appleby
January 3, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Another effort to make upfront cost comparisons possible in an industry known for its opaqueness: an online tool for consumers to get some idea of what they may pay for medical care.
Surprise-Billing Rule ‘Puts a Thumb on the Scale’ to Keep Arbitrated Costs in Check
By Julie Appleby
October 14, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Patients soon will not have to worry about the prospect of these often-costly unexpected bills, a federal law promises. Some experts say the new policy could also slow the growth of health insurance premiums.
After Tuition, Books, and Room and Board, Colleges’ Rising Health Fees Hit a Nerve
By Phil Galewitz
December 19, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Many colleges require students to have health insurance coverage, and the college option can be costly. In addition, some schools mandate that students pay a fee to cover health services on campus.
Era of ‘Free’ Covid Vaccines, Test Kits, and Treatments Is Ending. Who Will Pay the Tab Now?
By Julie Appleby
February 10, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Insurers, employers, and taxpayers will all be affected as drug manufacturers move these products to the commercial market.
Insurance Dispute Could Kick Nearly 200,000 Patients Out Of Network In NC
October 13, 2023
Morning Briefing
UNC Health and UnitedHealthcare are in the middle of a contract negotiation and said in a letter to patients that the two parties are far apart on reimbursement policies and rate increases. In other news, Kaiser Permanente has resumed contract talks with its workers.
Watch: When a Surprise Helper During Surgery Is Out-of-Network
July 27, 2020
KFF Health News Original
“CBS This Morning” features the July installment of KHN-NPR’s Bill of the Month about a surgical assistant’s out-of-network bill for helping during knee surgery.
Readers Slam Hospital Monopolies and Blame the Feds for Understaffed Nursing Homes
December 6, 2023
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
The Case of the $489,000 Air Ambulance Ride
By Julie Appleby
March 25, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Diagnosed with aggressive leukemia on a Western trip, a young man thought his insurance would cover an air ambulance ride home to North Carolina. Instead, questions about medical necessity left him with an astronomical bill.
Shattered Dreams and Bills in the Millions: Losing a Baby in America
By Lauren Weber
September 23, 2022
KFF Health News Original
On top of fearing for their children’s lives, new parents of very fragile, very sick infants can face exorbitant hospital bills — even if they have insurance. Medical bills don’t go away if a child dies.
ER’s Error Lands a 4-Year-Old in Collections (For Care He Didn’t Receive)
By Daniel Chang
March 29, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A Florida woman tried to dispute an emergency room bill, but the hospital and collection agency refused to talk to her — because it was her child’s name on the bill, not hers.
Watch: Cyclist Hits Olympic-Size Medical Bills After Crash
July 31, 2021
KFF Health News Original
KHN Editor-in-Chief Elisabeth Rosenthal appears on “CBS This Morning” to discuss the latest installment of the KHN-NPR Bill of the Month investigative series.