Latest Morning Briefing Stories
‘An Arm and a Leg’: How to Avoid a Big Bill for Your COVID Test
Tests for the coronavirus are supposed to be free. And, usually, they are. But sometimes … things happen. Here’s how to avoid getting a surprise bill for a test.
After Kid’s Minor Bike Accident, Major Bill Sets Legal Wheels in Motion
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.
Were You Notified About Missing Tax Forms for Your ACA Subsidy? Blame COVID.
Some consumers who received tax credits to purchase insurance from Affordable Care Act marketplaces report they’ve received letters in error from the government saying they didn’t file the IRS forms to account for how much money they made and how much funding they received from the government.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: For Your Next Health Insurance Fight, an Exercise in Financial Self-Defense
Veteran self-defense teacher Lauren Taylor shares some of her top strategies and how she used them this year in her health insurance fight.
Workers Who Lost Jobs Due to COVID May Need Help Getting Coverage This Fall
Millions of people have lost their jobs and health insurance since March, and experts say many of those looking for a plan on the ACA marketplace may not be able to get the assistance they need.
Cinco preguntas críticas sobre la vacuna contra COVID-19 de Pfizer
La farmacéutica anunció que en una muestra pequeña se comprobó que podría prevenir la infección en nueve de cada 10 casos. Pero se necesitan más respuestas.
Five Important Questions About Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine
The drugmaker says its mRNA vaccine worked in 90% of patients in its trial, but some observers question how long immunity will last and who will benefit.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: David vs. Goliath: How to Beat a Big Hospital in Small Claims Court
In a classic — and hilarious — David vs. Goliath story, Jeffrey Fox takes on a huge hospital over an outrageous bill, and wins.
Hospital Bills for Uninsured COVID Patients Are Covered, but No One Tells Them
The CARES Act provides funding that pays the bills for uninsured COVID-19 patients. But the death of a young man in Nashville shows some patients don’t know about the program until it’s too late.
App-Based Companies Pushing Prop. 22 Say Drivers Will Get Health Benefits. Will They?
Ride-sharing and delivery services such as Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart are bankrolling California’s Proposition 22, which would keep their drivers classified as independent contractors, not employees. But health benefits? That’s something of a stretch.
If Trump Wins, Don’t Hold Your Breath Waiting for That ACA Replacement Plan
The administration seeks to have the Supreme Court overturn the federal health law but has not explained how it would ensure Americans’ health care coverage.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: Vetting TikTok Mom’s Advice for Dealing With Debt Collectors
We first learned about Shaunna Burns when her tips on medical bills went viral. In part two of our conversation with the so-called TikTok mom, we’re back for guidance about dealing with debt collectors. Then we fact-checked her advice with a legal expert, who said: Most of Burns’ advice totally checks out.
Job-Based Health Insurance Costs Are Up 4% This Year, 55% in Past Decade
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.
Refuge in the Storm? ACA’s Role as Safety Net Is Tested by COVID Recession
Relentlessly knocked around by politics and now headed again to the Supreme Court, the ACA is covering millions who have lost their jobs during the pandemic. But not everyone.
Comienzan a popularizarse las pruebas de saliva para COVID, que son fáciles de usar
Ocho meses después del inicio de la pandemia, la prueba de saliva gana adeptos y decenas de miles de personas en todo el país se someten a estas pruebas diariamente.
Easier-to-Use Coronavirus Saliva Tests Start to Catch On
Regulators and scientists have been leery of introducing the tests, preferring to rely on tried-and-true methods, but evidence is mounting that the spit and swab tests may be more convenient and just as accurate.
‘An Arm and a Leg’: TikTok Mom Takes On Medical Bills
Shaunna Burns went viral on TikTok, partly because of a series of videos dishing out real-talk advice on fighting outrageous medical bills.
Not Pandemic-Proof: Insulin Copay Caps Fall Short, Fueling Underground Exchanges
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.
Old Drug Turned ‘Cash Cow’ as Company Pumped Price to $40K a Vial, Emails Show
The CEO of Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals defended the price hikes of Acthar gel, an orphan drug that treats infantile spasms at a House Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday.
Promises Kept? On Health Care, Trump’s Claims of ‘Monumental Steps’ Don’t Add Up
The president entered office seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act, revamp Medicaid and drive down prescription drug prices, among other things. He’s hit some stone walls.
