Healthcare Costs Archives - KFF Health News

Summer’s Health Policy Themes

Episode 461

Aug. 27, 2026

As summer wanes, some of the season’s major health policy stories continue to simmer, including declining insurance coverage, increasing measles cases, and cuts to federal health programs. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Dean Rosen about his work for former Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum, who died last week at 94.

Listen Now

A highway sign shows the city limit for Hanford, California.

In Toss-Up House District, Voters Crave Leadership To Fix Broken Healthcare

Voters in California’s 22nd Congressional District call healthcare a top priority in November’s midterm elections. Although challenger Randy Villegas has built a following among residents craving change, undecided voters say they want to hear more from the Democrat and from GOP incumbent Rep. David Valadao on their affordability plans.

By Samantha Rangel, KVPR

Aug. 26, 2026

A portrait of a white woman leaning on a couch by a window, casting dramatic lighting across her face.

Bill of the Month

Her Breast MRI Was Approved, But That Didn’t Mean Her Insurance Would Pay

Stephanie Halver’s doctor recommended she get a breast MRI, partly because of her family’s cancer history. Her insurer approved the scan, but unlike mammograms, breast MRIs aren’t universally covered as zero-cost preventive care.

By Lauren Sausser

Aug. 26, 2026

An older man, holding a cane and wearing a button down plaid shirt with suspenders, stands in front of a blooming garden.

The Medicare GLP-1 Discount Has One Big Catch: Some Sick Patients Don’t Qualify

The new Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program promises eligible beneficiaries access to popular weight loss drugs for as little as $50 a month. But for some, having the very medical conditions these drugs are approved to treat means they don't qualify for the discount.

By Jackie Fortiér

Aug. 25, 2026

A 3D digital illustration with the United States cut out of a 100-dollar-bill. A golden medical symbol with the staff of caduceus rests on top.

California Weighs Penalties for Healthcare Providers That Don’t Rein In Costs

About half of U.S. adults say they can’t afford healthcare. California is among at least eight states that have set spending growth targets for the healthcare sector. It may soon impose enforcement penalties aimed at pushing hospitals and other providers to meet those goals.

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Aug. 24, 2026

Health Hub

New DOJ Guidance Could Give States Cover To Cut Disability Services

A new rule from the Justice Department upends a 25-year-old interpretation of federal disability law. Advocates fear it could result in cuts to services that help many disabled Americans live at home instead of in institutions.

By Stephanie Armour

Aug. 21, 2026

How Would You Fix It?

Watch: Mark Cuban Says You Can’t Fix Healthcare Until Every Price Is Known

With his online pharmacy, Mark Cuban changed how generic drugs are sold — and he has thoughts about how to fix the healthcare system. The billionaire businessman talks to KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to answer the question: “How Would You Fix It?”

By Julie Rovner and Hannah Norman

Aug. 21, 2026

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Headless FDA Gets a New Nominee

Episode 460

Aug. 20, 2026

President Trump is nominating Heidi Overton, a physician and White House policy adviser, to lead the FDA, which has been without a Senate-confirmed leader since May. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews billionaire businessman Mark Cuban.

Listen Now

A photo of an older man sitting in a window nook. The window's curtain is drawn.

How Much of a Cancer Drug Is Too Much? Patients, Researchers Challenge FDA-Approved Dosages

Patients and researchers point to evidence that many cancer drug dosages are excessive, and that reducing the amount and frequency could save billions of dollars and prevent some of the worst side effects.

By Arthur Allen

Aug. 20, 2026

A photo of a doctor and a nurse in surgical garb working together to do cataract surgery.

Medicare’s Paying Less for Cataract Surgery. Eye Doctors Are Turning to Lucrative Lasers.

More cataract patients, wanting not only restored but improved vision, are paying extra for their doctors to use a laser when a scalpel would do.

By Phil Galewitz

Aug. 19, 2026

An exterior photo of a Walgreens in San Francisco.

Newsom Promotes Affordable Insulin, but California’s Generic Label Off to a Slow Start

California is the first to launch state-branded insulin as Gov. Gavin Newsom tries to disrupt the pharmaceutical industry. But the new CalRx drug label has been slow to reach pharmacies and patients.

By Angela Hart

Aug. 17, 2026

The Week in Brief

Hospitals, Leery of Unpaid Bills, Increasingly Seek Payments Before Care Is Delivered

Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.

By Julie Appleby

Aug. 14, 2026

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Trump’s Vaccine Agenda

Episode 459

Aug. 13, 2026

President Trump is trying to unilaterally change the number and schedule of childhood vaccines in the U.S., though it remains unclear how much of an impact his orders will have. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Paula Andalo, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month.”

Listen Now

Letters to the Editor

Readers Speak Out on Work Requirements, Federal Data Grab, Opioid Payback Cash

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

Aug. 13, 2026

A medical stethoscope on 100-dollar-bills.

Hospital Prepayment Requirements Add New Wrinkles to Patients’ Financial Responsibility

Hospitals and other medical providers are increasingly asking for payment before providing care, collecting more of what patients might owe as rising insurance deductibles add to Americans' financial pressures.

By Julie Appleby

Aug. 12, 2026

A woman poses for a portrait as she sits next to a window

Same Knee Surgery, Twice the Price: Hospital Monopolies Push Up Healthcare Costs

A federal disclosure rule is offering new insight on the effect of healthcare monopolies on pricing, following a wave of U.S. mergers.

By Peter Whoriskey

Aug. 10, 2026

What the Health? From 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.).

Listen Now

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.

Listen Now

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.

Listen Now

Trump 2.0

Public Health

Audio Reports

Special Reports

More Topics

Healthcare Costs