Healthcare Costs Archives - KFF Health News

The Return of ‘Medicare for All’

Episode 458

Aug. 6, 2026

Michigan voters this week chose former Detroit public health director Abdul El-Sayed as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate. El-Sayed has made “Medicare for All” a major part of his campaign. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Amanda Seitz of KFF Health News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also this week, as part of the “How Would You Fix It?” series, Rovner interviews Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.).

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How Would You Fix It?

Watch: Democratic Senator Proposes a Fix for American Healthcare — Covering All Kids

Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey wants to offer universal healthcare until age 26. He sat down with KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to answer the question: “How Would You Fix It?”

By Julie Rovner and Hannah Norman

Aug. 6, 2026

An Arm and a Leg

What’s Worrying Veteran Health Reporter Julie Rovner?

Season 15, Episode 10

Aug. 5, 2026

Host Dan Weissmann talks with Julie Rovner, KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent and host of the “What the Health?” podcast, about how cuts to federal programs are reshaping American healthcare.

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What the Health? From KFF Health News

The Politics of Grant Cuts

Episode 457

July 30, 2026

The revelation in court documents that the Trump administration used politics alone to decide which grants to fund and which to cancel has provoked surprisingly little outcry from Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, Republicans renewed their campaign against Anthony Fauci’s handling of covid. Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Bloomberg News, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Liz Essley Whyte of The Wall Street Journal join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

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A man stands in the entryway to his kitchen at home.

Bill of the Month

Uninsured but Undaunted, a Surgical Patient Searched the Globe for a Deal

When surgery became unavoidable, a man with no insurance shopped around for the best price for a hernia repair — and saved thousands by traveling out of state.

By Paula Andalo

July 29, 2026

KFF Health News On Air

Journalists Assess Risks of Tick Bites, Wildfire Smoke, Rising Health Costs

KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national or local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

July 25, 2026

A photo of four older adults sitting around a dinner table.

The New Old Age

To Afford Aging in Place, Older Adults Turn to ‘Golden Girls’ Housing

A growing network of home-sharing programs is helping people find compatible housemates. And demand is rising, driven by housing shortages, rising rents, and sales prices that affect both the old and the young.

By Paula Span

July 24, 2026

How Would You Fix It?

Watch: GOP Senator Says Trump’s Tariffs Could Mean Safer Drugs — For a Price

Bill Cassidy of Louisiana chairs the Senate’s health committee. In an interview with KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner, he discusses the drug supply, his proposal to defray out-of-pocket costs, and his controversial vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary.

By Julie Rovner and Hannah Norman

July 24, 2026

How Would You Fix It?

Watch: ‘Robust’ Primary Care, Transparency Top Employers’ Reform Wish List

KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews Elizabeth Mitchell, the president and CEO of the Purchaser Business Group on Health, about systemic healthcare changes backed by large employers, which cover millions of Americans.

By Hannah Norman and Julie Rovner

July 17, 2026

A photo of Robert F. Kennedy speaking at an official HHS news conference surrounded by others on a stage.

Denied

Insurers Hedge on Trump-Backed Pledge To Improve Denials Process

Last year, the Trump administration announced a voluntary pledge by dozens of insurers to improve prior authorization, which often requires patients to seek approval before treatments. But prior authorization remains commonplace, and there's no evidence the government is trying to hold insurers to account.

By Lauren Sausser and Renuka Rayasam

July 17, 2026

What the Health? From KFF Health News

States Start Their Medicaid Cuts

Episode 455

July 16, 2026

Most of the federal Medicaid cuts don’t take effect until 2027, but many states are already cutting budgets in anticipation of getting fewer health dollars from Washington. Meanwhile, Congress is back from break, but progress on legislative priorities remains slow. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. And as part of the “How Would You Fix It?” series, Rovner interviews Elizabeth Mitchell of the Purchaser Business Group on Health.

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Letters to the Editor

Readers Share Personal Insights on Deadly Denials and Pregnancy Centers

KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

July 16, 2026

A high angle view of American dollar bills and coins with a stethoscope resting on top of them.

A Sales Tax on Doctor Visits and Medicine? In Missouri, Some Worry

A ballot measure to eliminate Missouri’s income tax would give the state legislature broad authority to levy new sales taxes to replace the lost revenue. Critics say that could mean adding a sales tax on medical services or prescription medicines. Those types of taxes are unusual, but not unheard of, in the U.S.

By Bram Sable-Smith

July 16, 2026

A pair of gloved hands harvesting three red bell peppers.

They Harvest the Nation’s Food, but a New Rule May Strip Them of Health Insurance

New Medicaid work requirements could make a complex system even harder for farmworkers to navigate.

By Paula Andalo

July 10, 2026

A nurse offers home care to an elderly male patient.

The New Old Age

A New Option for Long-Term Care Costs

Washington state has launched the first program to help cover home care and other supports. Several other states are paying attention.

By Paula Span

July 10, 2026

What the Health? From KFF Health News

The Politics of Health at Midyear

Episode 454

July 9, 2026

Just a few months before the midterm elections, Democrats appear to be doubling down on healthcare as a campaign issue as costs rise and insurance coverage declines. Meanwhile, Congress is taking aim at nonprofit hospitals. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Victoria Knight of Bloomberg Government, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Samantha Liss, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month.”

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Priced Out

Affordable Care Act Insurers Want More Premium Increases as Enrollment Sags

Insurers that sell plans in Obamacare marketplaces across 16 states and the District of Columbia have asked regulators to approve a 14% median premium increase for 2027, according to a new Peterson-KFF analysis.

By Rachel Spears

July 8, 2026

An illustration of a man with arms and legs bound by red tape.

Priced Out

Patients Face a Thicket of Red Tape Trying To Maintain Consistent Health Coverage

Many Americans are shopping around for affordable options as the cost of health insurance soars. But some who hope to keep the same doctors and medications face a thicket of red tape and disruption after they switch plans.

By Renuka Rayasam

July 8, 2026

A man sits on a sofa next to a dog. Harsh light is cast on his face from a window out of frame.

Priced Out

Copay Assistance Is Meant To Defray Patient Drug Costs. Some Insurers Keep It Instead.

Drugmakers provide financial assistance to help patients afford increasingly expensive medications. But some insurers do not count those payments toward a plan’s deductible or out-of-pocket maximum and make patients pay instead.

By Daniel Chang

July 7, 2026

A close-up shot of a hand holding two pills that have been dropped out of an orange pill bottle.

Thousands of Medicare Beneficiaries Thought Their Drug Plan Was Free. Then They Lost It.

Thousands of people who had a Medicare drug plan with zero-dollar premiums last year got small premium increases this year — and didn’t know it. They were dropped from their coverage for failing to pay amounts as little as $8, and most can’t get it again until 2027.

By Susan Jaffe

July 7, 2026

Trump 2.0

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