Never-Ending Costs: When Resolved Medical Bills Keep Popping Up
By Aneri Pattani
April 7, 2022
KFF Health News Original
A bill one family considered paid wrongfully resurfaced, resurrecting painful memories. It’s a scenario that’s not uncommon but grievously unsettling.
Medicare Plans’ ‘Free’ Dental, Vision, Hearing Benefits Come at a Cost
By Phil Galewitz
October 27, 2021
KFF Health News Original
The ads for supplemental Medicare Advantage plans describe vision and dental benefits, even grocery discounts and food deliveries. But look at the fine print.
After Medical Bills Broke the Bank, This Family Headed to Mexico for Care
By Paula Andalo
April 27, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The Fierro family owed a Yuma, Arizona, hospital more than $7,000 for care given to mom and dad, so when a son dislocated his shoulder, they headed to Mexicali. The care was quick, good, and affordable.
Watch: What Happens When Car and Health Insurance Collide
April 27, 2021
KFF Health News Original
KHN Editor-in-Chief Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal helps accident victims avoid pitfalls in seeking medical care — a conundrum profiled in KHN-NPR’s most recent Bill of the Month installment.
Billing Arbitration Comes To An End After Changes To No Surprises Act
August 8, 2023
Morning Briefing
Last week, a court ruling saw parts of the surprise billing law vacated, and this has now resulted in the federal government stopping processing payment disputes between providers and insurers over out-of-network bills, Modern Healthcare reports. Axios notes insurers sometimes pay double for the same procedure versus Medicare Advantage prices.
As Workers Struggle With Pandemic’s Impact, Employers Expand Mental Health Benefits
By Michelle Andrews
November 10, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Many job-based health plans broadened their mental health and substance use coverage to make sure workers had the support they needed this year as pandemic stress lingered, the annual KFF survey finds. Also, the proportion of employers offering health insurance to their workers remained steady, and increases for premiums and out-of-pocket health expenses were moderate.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': The Open Enrollment Mixing Bowl
October 19, 2023
Podcast
Open enrollment for Medicare beneficiaries with private health plans began Oct. 15, to be followed Nov. 1 by open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans. The selection for both is large — often too large to be navigated easily alone. And people who choose incorrectly can end up with unaffordable medical bills. Meanwhile, those on both sides of the abortion issue are looking to Ohio’s November ballot measure on abortion to see whether anti-abortion forces can break their losing streak in statewide ballot questions since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Surprise! Congress Takes Steps to Curb Unexpected Medical Bills
By Julie Appleby
December 22, 2020
KFF Health News Original
A long-debated measure to stop doctors, hospitals and other health care providers from billing patients for charges not covered by their insurance will gain congressional approval as part of the sweeping government spending package.
New Parents Slapped With Surprise Bills for Treating Newborns
By Jay Hancock
December 22, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Regular use of a more advanced screening method turns a low-cost procedure into a pricier one.
Readers and Tweeters Diagnose Greed and Chronic Pain Within US Health Care System
January 19, 2023
KFF Health News Original
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Final Rule Issued On How Surprise Bill Disputes Should Be Settled
August 22, 2022
Morning Briefing
The Biden administration regulation continues to largely rely on median in-network rates in such dispute settlements, which providers have objected to. But one modification from an earlier plan says other information can shape arbiters’ determinations of an out-of-network rate.
New Health Plans Offer Twists on Existing Options, With a Dose of ‘Buyer Beware’
By Julie Appleby
November 4, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Fueled by consumer frustration with high premiums and deductibles, two new offerings promise a means for consumers to take control of their health care costs. But experts say they pose risks.
Readers and Tweeters React to Racism, Inequities in Health Care
June 2, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Hospital Prices Must Now Be Transparent. For Many Consumers, They’re Still Anyone’s Guess.
By Julie Appleby
July 2, 2021
KFF Health News Original
A Trump administration rule mandating that hospitals disclose true prices on their websites took effect this year. But compliance is spotty and even when the data is public, it’s hard to find and understand.
Readers and Tweeters Urgently Plea for a Proper ‘Role’ Call in the ER
February 27, 2023
KFF Health News Original
KHN gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Officials Struggle to Regulate Pop-Up Covid Testing Sites — And Warn Patients to Beware
By Michelle Andrews
January 18, 2022
KFF Health News Original
High demand for covid screening and scarce supply have opened the door to bad actors, and officials in some states are sounding the alarm about dubious street testing operators that could put people’s personal data, their health or wallets at risk.
Analysis: Don’t Want a Vaccine? Be Prepared to Pay More for Insurance.
By Elisabeth Rosenthal and Glenn Kramon
August 4, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Health insurers could do more to encourage vaccination, including letting the unvaccinated foot their bills.
Covid Testing Has Turned Into a Financial Windfall for Hospitals and Other Providers
By Jay Hancock and Hannah Norman
May 7, 2021
KFF Health News Original
Because there are no caps on cost, consumers and insurers often get billed hundreds of dollars for the most reliable PCR covid test. Prices are rising and they can’t fight back.
Arizona Doctors Aim To Twist Surprise Billing Law Into Pay-Booster
June 1, 2022
Morning Briefing
A draft ballot initiative concerning the surprise billing law obtained by Stat has a surprising goal, according to the publication: It strips out key parts of the federal arbitration process and ultimately could boost physician’s incomes in out-of-network disputes, with consumers paying extra.
As Overdose Deaths Soar, DEA-Wary Pharmacies Shy From Dispensing Addiction Medication
By Aneri Pattani
November 9, 2021
KFF Health News Original
A West Virginia pharmacy cleared a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation. But it shut down anyway, highlighting how the agency’s policies reduce the availability of buprenorphine, an important tool for recovery from opioid addiction.