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After Kid’s Minor Bike Accident, Major Bill Sets Legal Wheels in Motion

By Julie Appleby November 25, 2020 KFF Health News Original

It was a surprise even in a family of lawyers. The process called “subrogation” began with one Nevada family’s health insurer denying their claim for an emergency room visit after 9-year-old fell off his bike.

Coronavirus Deranges the Immune System in Complex and Deadly Ways

By Liz Szabo March 4, 2021 KFF Health News Original

Researchers are testing treatments to overcome autoimmune reactions that begin when the body’s defenses respond to the coronavirus.

Moved by Plight of Young Heart Patient, Stranger Pays His Hospital Bill

By Laura Ungar October 8, 2020 KFF Health News Original

A retired college professor in Las Vegas saw Matthew Fentress’ story and felt called to help. So she paid off $5,000 of his medical bill. “When you help other people, it gives you joy,” the Good Samaritan said.

Legislation To End Surprise Medical Bills Has High Public Support — In Both Parties

By Emmarie Huetteman September 12, 2019 KFF Health News Original

Almost 80% of Americans support efforts in Congress to protect patients from bills that come from doctors or hospitals that were outside their insurance network.

Feds Look to Pharmacists to Boost Childhood Immunization Rates

By Carmen Heredia Rodriguez December 3, 2020 KFF Health News Original

Fears over COVID-19 have contributed to a slump in inoculations among children. Now the federal government is looking to pharmacists for help, but many of them do not participate in a program that offers free shots to half the kids in the U.S.

Not Pandemic-Proof: Insulin Copay Caps Fall Short, Fueling Underground Exchanges

By Markian Hawryluk October 5, 2020 KFF Health News Original

Although sharing prescription medicines is illegal, many people with diabetes are turning to underground donation networks when they cannot afford their insulin. Caps on insulin copays enacted in Colorado and 11 other states were designed to help. But the gaps between insulin costs and many patients’ financial realities are only widening amid the economic crisis of the COVID pandemic.

Constraining Specialists From Billing Out-Of-Network Prices Would Lower Health Spending By $40B A Year

December 17, 2019 Morning Briefing

Specialists like anesthesiologists have more power to negotiate higher in-network payments because they’re able to bill so much out-of-network. Limiting that power would have a significant effect on spending, a new study finds. Congress has been working to find a way to curb out-of-network surprise bills, but although they’ve made progress in recent weeks, nothing has passed yet.

Job-Based Health Insurance Costs Are Up 4% This Year, 55% in Past Decade

By Phil Galewitz October 8, 2020 KFF Health News Original

A family plan costs, on average, more than $21,000 this year and workers pay nearly $5,600 toward that cost, the annual KFF survey of employers finds.

Pandemic Backlash Jeopardizes Public Health Powers, Leaders

By Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Hannah Recht and Michelle R. Smith, The Associated Press and Lauren Weber December 15, 2020 KFF Health News Original

At least 181 public health leaders in 38 states have resigned, retired or been fired amid the turmoil of the pandemic. The departures come as backlash against public health is rising with threats to officials’ personal safety and legislative and legal efforts to strip their governmental public health powers.

A $200 Debit Card Won’t Do Much for Seniors’ Drug Costs

By Harris Meyer October 30, 2020 KFF Health News Original

President Donald Trump wants to send seniors $200 apiece. Beyond the legal and logistical problems, health care experts point out it does little to help someone with even typical prescription costs.

Obamacare Co-Ops Down From 23 to Final ‘3 Little Miracles’

By Phil Galewitz September 9, 2020 KFF Health News Original

Once there were 23 of these nonprofit plans across 26 states; in January there will be only three, serving Maine, Wisconsin, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

When A Plan Will Cover Virtually All Out-Of-Network Costs, Specialists Like Acupuncturists Come Out Of Woodwork

December 19, 2019 Morning Briefing

ProPublica investigates how much a New Jersey plan that covers teachers paid out for specialists because it doesn’t have limits on out-of-network bills. More than 70 acupuncturists and physical therapists earned more than $200,000 in 2018 from their teacher clients alone, and one brought in more than $1 million.

Hospital Giant Sutter Health Faces Legal Reckoning Over Medical Pricing

By Jenny Gold September 10, 2019 KFF Health News Original

A long-awaited class-action lawsuit against Sutter is set to open this month in San Francisco Superior Court. The hospital giant stands accused of violating California’s antitrust laws by leveraging its market power to drive out competition and overcharge patients.

Are Surprises Ahead For Legislation To Curb Surprise Medical Bills?

By Rachel Bluth May 22, 2019 KFF Health News Original

This high-profile issue has gained bipartisan attention, but it remains unclear if that’s enough to move it to the finish line. Here’s a review of the current state of play.

Fighting COVID And Police Brutality, Medical Teams Take To Streets To Treat Protesters

By LJ Dawson June 11, 2020 KFF Health News Original

Off-duty medical professionals joined protests in Denver and elsewhere sparked by George Floyd’s death to treat injured protesters, risking injury themselves.

A Year After Spinal Surgery, A $94,031 Bill Feels Like A Back-Breaker

By Jon Hamilton, NPR News June 17, 2019 KFF Health News Original

A service called neuromonitoring can cut the risk of nerve damage during delicate surgery. But some patients are receiving unexpected and large bills for the service.

Only a Smokescreen? Big Tobacco Stands Down as Colorado and Oregon Hike Cigarette Taxes

By Vignesh Ramachandran January 12, 2021 KFF Health News Original

After spending tens of millions of dollars to oppose past efforts, Altria didn’t oppose Colorado’s tobacco tax initiative and could benefit from the law’s minimum-price provision.

In Combating Surprise Bills, Lawmakers Miss Sky-High Air Ambulance Costs

By Rachel Bluth June 14, 2019 KFF Health News Original

The median cost of an air ambulance bill is more than $36,000 and seldom covered by insurance, sparking many consumer complaints. Yet none of the proposals introduced or circulating in Congress to fix surprise medical bills address these services.

Clots, Strokes and Rashes: Is COVID a Disease of the Blood Vessels?

By Will Stone November 13, 2020 KFF Health News Original

COVID-19 can cause symptoms that go well beyond the lungs, from strokes to organ failure. To explain these widespread injuries, researchers are studying how the virus affects the vascular system.

What Seniors Can Expect When COVID Vaccines Begin to Roll Out

By Judith Graham December 9, 2020 KFF Health News Original

At least two vaccines could get federal emergency use authorizations this month. Nursing home and assisted living residents will be among the first to receive inoculations. Here’s a guide on how that rollout may proceed.

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