California Joins States That Protect Patients Against Nasty Surprise Bills
By Emily Bazar
June 30, 2017
KFF Health News Original
A California law that takes effect July 1 prohibits out-of-network charges if you visit a medical facility that’s in your health plan’s network. New York and Florida also offer strong consumer protections.
Infusion Treatments — Needed or Not — Can Deplete Patients’ Wallets
By Shefali Luthra
August 2, 2019
KFF Health News Original
When it comes to physician-administered infusion drugs, doctors sometimes have a financial reason for their choice and patients often aren’t aware of cheaper options.
In India’s Slums, ‘Painkillers Are Part Of The Daily Routine’
By Sarah Varney
August 29, 2019
KFF Health News Original
As the Indian government reluctantly loosens its prescription opioid laws after decades of lobbying by palliative care advocates desperate to ease their patients’ pain, the nation’s sprawling, cash-fed health care system is ripe for misuse.
FAQ: How Does New Trump Fetal Tissue Policy Impact Medical Research?
By Michelle Andrews
June 7, 2019
KFF Health News Original
The scientific use of tissue from aborted fetuses has frequently been a hot point of contention between anti-abortion forces and researchers. It heats up again as federal officials announced this week they were ending NIH research using the tissue.
Blue Shield’s Trims To Out-Of-State Coverage Give Some Californians The Blues
By Barbara Feder Ostrov
December 12, 2018
KFF Health News Original
To keep costs down, Blue Shield of California next year will scale back on a program allowing members to receive a wide range of care beyond the state’s borders. Customers with individual plans mostly won’t be able to get coverage out of state except for emergencies or other exceptional circumstances.
California Takes On Health Giant Over High Costs
By Chad Terhune and Ana B. Ibarra
April 1, 2018
KFF Health News Original
The lawsuit is a bold move against Northern California’s dominant hospital chain, whose prices have drawn complaints for years. It has disputed such allegations in the past.
Why Some CEOs Figure ‘Medicare For All’ Is Good For Business
By Phil Galewitz
June 7, 2019
KFF Health News Original
While national business groups fight the single-payer concept, the founder and CEO of a large Pennsylvania picture frame manufacturer tries to convince other employers that it’s the only way to control costs and fix the U.S. health system.
Meow-ch! The $48,512 Cat Bite
By Julie Appleby
February 27, 2019
KFF Health News Original
An animal lover stopped to feed a hungry-looking stray cat outside Everglades National Park in Florida. First, the cat bit her finger — then the hospital billed her close to $50,000 for a treatment that typically costs about $3,000.
For Millions of Insured Americans, State Health Laws Don’t Apply
By Emily Bazar
November 16, 2017
KFF Health News Original
Many states have adopted strong consumer regulations, but they don’t protect the millions of Americans with a specific type of job-based coverage.
Trump Thinks Testing Is No Longer A Problem, But Governors Beg To Disagree
March 31, 2020
Morning Briefing
President Donald Trump said in a phone call with governors that he hadn’t heard about testing concerns in weeks. “It would be shocking to me that if anyone who has had access to any newspaper, radio, social networks or any other communication would not be knowledgeable about the need for test kits,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said about the president’s comments. Meanwhile, The New York Times takes a deep dive into the lost month where testing flaws set the country back in its efforts to contain the outbreak. Meanwhile, companies race to put out a fast test, but the virus may be moving even faster.
When Needs Arise, These Older Women Have One Another’s Backs
By Judith Graham
December 20, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Many women aging alone want to hold on to their independence. But, when illness or disability strikes, they often need assistance. A program in New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco offers numerous ways to help.
Beset By Lawsuits And Criticism In U.S., Opioid Makers Eye New Market In India
By Sarah Varney
August 28, 2019
KFF Health News Original
What began in India as a populist movement to bring inexpensive morphine to the diseased and dying poor has paved the way for a booming pain management industry. Now, new customers are being funneled to U.S. drugmakers bedeviled by a government crackdown back home.
The Collapse Of A Hospital Empire — And Towns Left In The Wreckage
By Barbara Feder Ostrov and Lauren Weber
Photos by Heidi de Marco
August 20, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Jorge A. Perez and his management company, EmpowerHMS, helped run an empire of rural hospitals. Now, in a staggering implosion, 12 of them have entered bankruptcy and eight have closed their doors, leaving hundreds of residents without jobs and their communities without lifesaving emergency medical care. So, what happened?
Refund On The Way To Latest ‘Bill Of The Month’ Patient
By Jordan Rau
December 21, 2018
KFF Health News Original
Ski buff Sarah Witter will get $6,358.26 back from her hospital and insurer after a careful review of her bill following the KHN-NPR story on her case.
How Black Pharmacists Are Closing The Cultural Gap In Health Care
By Cara Anthony
June 27, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Independent black-owned pharmacies fill a void for African American patients looking for care that’s sensitive to their heritage, beliefs and values.
Doughnut Hole Is Gone, But Medicare’s Uncapped Drug Costs Still Bite Into Budgets
By Michelle Andrews
March 29, 2019
KFF Health News Original
Beneficiaries pay 25 percent of the price of their brand-name drugs until they reach $5,100 in out-of-pocket costs. After that, their obligation drops to 5 percent. But it never disappears.
In 10 Years, Half Of Middle-Income Elders Won’t Be Able To Afford Housing, Medical Care
By Victoria Knight
April 24, 2019
KFF Health News Original
An eye-opening study of demographics and income finds that the costs of assisted-living care will soon be out of reach for people on fixed incomes — and their children.
On The Border, Volunteer Doctors Struggle To Provide Stopgap Care To Immigrants
By Anna Maria Barry-Jester
April 5, 2019
KFF Health News Original
As recent arrivals are released from detention with severe medical problems ranging from diarrhea to gaping wounds, a makeshift health system of volunteers is overwhelmed. The work is taking a financial and emotional toll.
New Hampshire Moves To Ban Practice That Can Lead To Astronomical Surprise Hospitals Bills
March 6, 2018
Morning Briefing
The practice of “balance billing” involves hidden fees added by in-network hospitals quietly employing out-of-network specialists. The insurance company picks up the tab for the in-network services, then the hospital, facing an unpaid balance from the out-of-network care, passes on the remainder to the customer.
Hope You’re Sitting Down: Hospital Charges $4,700 For A Fainting Spell
By Phil Galewitz
January 28, 2019
KFF Health News Original
A 39-year-old man fainted after getting a flu shot at work, and a colleague called 911. He turned out to be fine, but the trip to the ER cost him his whole deductible.