Healthcare Costs Archives - Page 12 of 96

Public Health Further Politicized Under the Threat of More Firings

Episode 415

Sept. 25, 2025

In a rambling news conference that shocked public health experts, President Donald Trump — without scientific evidence — blamed the over-the-counter drug acetaminophen, and too many childhood vaccines, for the increase in autism diagnoses in the U.S. That came days after a key immunization advisory panel, newly reconstituted with vaccine doubters, changed several long-standing recommendations. Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official Demetre Daskalakis joins KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories. Meanwhile, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join Rovner with the rest of the news, including a threat by the Trump administration to fire rather than furlough federal workers if Congress fails to fund the government beyond the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year.

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A photo of a person holding receipts and a cell phone while sitting at a table covered in letters and bills.

Diagnosis: Debt

As Trump Punts on Medical Debt, Battle Over Patient Protections Moves to States

Some states are enacting medical debt laws as the Trump administration pulls back federal protections. Elsewhere, industry opposition has derailed legislation.

By Noam N. Levey, Katheryn Houghton, and Arielle Zionts

Sept. 25, 2025

Big Loopholes in Hospital Charity Care Programs Mean Patients Still Get Stuck With the Tab

Even if people qualify for financial help with their hospital bills, the care they receive may not be covered.

By Michelle Andrews

Sept. 25, 2025

A photo of a woman standing outside on a dock by a gazebo.

Bill of the Month

She Had a Broken Arm, No Insurance — And a $97,000 Bill

Deborah Buttgereit knew piecing together the broken bone in her elbow would be expensive. But complications the doctor deemed a surprise, midsurgery, drove the total bill tens of thousands of dollars above the original estimate.

By Katheryn Houghton

Sept. 24, 2025

A woman embraces a young boy, feeding him a liquid from a small cup

States Are Cutting Medicaid Provider Payments Long Before Trump Cuts Hit

North Carolina and Idaho are cutting their Medicaid programs to bridge budget gaps, raising fears that providers will stop taking patients and that hospitals will close even before the brunt of a new federal tax-and-budget law takes effect.

By Bram Sable-Smith and Sarah Jane Tribble

Sept. 22, 2025

HealthCare Helpline

Listen: The Surprising Power of Pushback When Health Insurance Won’t Pay

Denied coverage for preventive care? You’re not powerless. In this new episode of NPR’s “Life Kit” podcast, KFF Health News reporter Jackie Fortiér explores why denials happen and how to avoid common pitfalls.

By Jackie Fortiér

Sept. 19, 2025

A photo of a doctor sitting by an exam chair in her office.

Projected Surge in Uninsured Will Strain Local Health Systems

In South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, many people go without health insurance, and the health system struggles as a result. Similar communities dot the nation, and more could face such difficulties under President Donald Trump’s tax-and-spending law.

By Sam Whitehead and Renuka Rayasam

Sept. 17, 2025

A photo of an older couple seated at a table. A man in the foreground is seen from behind. His shirt reads, "Obamacare. Enroll now."

Team Trump’s Answer to Ballooning Obamacare Premiums: Less Generous Coverage

Tens of millions of people face sticker shock enrolling in Affordable Care Act insurance for 2026. To save money, the Trump administration wants them to consider less generous coverage.

By Julie Appleby

Sept. 17, 2025

A photo of an unidentifiable doctor and pregnant patient facing one another in conversation.

Watch: Why Is Having a Baby So Expensive in the US?

KFF Health News video producer Hannah Norman breaks down why new parents are getting billed thousands of dollars for births.

By Hannah Norman

Sept. 12, 2025

A photo of Phoenix Children's Hospital illuminated at night as cars drive by.

Trump’s Medicaid Cuts Were Aimed at ‘Able-Bodied Adults.’ Hospitals Say Kids Will Be Hurt.

The GOP said its overhaul of Medicaid was aimed at reducing fraud and getting more adult beneficiaries to work. Among the likely side effects: fewer services and doctors for treating sick children.

By Phil Galewitz

Sept. 10, 2025

A photo of a Texas State Guard member checking a patient with a stethoscope.

In the Fallout From Trump’s Health Funding Cuts, States Face Tough Budget Decisions

The Trump administration has pushed a significant amount of health costs to states, whose budgets may already be strained by declining state tax revenues, a slowdown in pandemic spending, and economic uncertainty. State and local governments now face difficult decisions.

By Stephanie Armour, Christine Mai-Duc, Sam Whitehead, and Arielle Zionts

Sept. 9, 2025

What the Health? From KFF Health News

On Capitol Hill, RFK Defends Firings at CDC

Episode 412

Sept. 5, 2025

A combative Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the U.S. secretary of health and human services, appeared before a Senate committee Thursday, defending his firing of the newly confirmed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as other changes that could limit the availability of vaccines. Meanwhile, Congress has only a few weeks to complete work on annual spending bills to avoid a possible government shutdown and to ward off potentially large increases in premiums for Affordable Care Act health plans. Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Tony Leys, who discusses his “Bill of the Month” report about a woman’s unfortunate interaction with a bat — and her even more unfortunate interaction with the bill for her rabies prevention treatment.

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A photo of a man in a suit wearing a KN-95 mask at an official event.

He Built Michigan’s Medicaid Work Requirement System. Now He’s Warning Other States.

Michigan’s former top health official spent a year and $30 million building a system to implement work requirements for Medicaid recipients. The difficulties he encountered have him worried about 40 states and Washington, D.C., having to launch such systems by 2027.

By Kate Wells, Michigan Public

Sept. 5, 2025

Sheldon Ekirch with her hands folded on a table next to her pill bottles.

Deadly Denials

Fighting a Health Insurance Denial? Here Are 7 Tips To Help

Many people don’t know they can fight a health insurance denial, let alone how to do it. Here are practical tips for consumers who want to appeal a prior authorization decision.

By Lauren Sausser

Sept. 4, 2025

A photo of someone using a Zepbound injector pen on their stomach.

As Insurers Struggle With GLP-1 Drug Costs, Some Seek To Wean Patients Off

Conventional wisdom says GLP-1 drugs must be taken indefinitely to maintain weight loss. But a growing number of researchers, payers, and providers are challenging that consensus and exploring whether — and how — to taper patients off expensive GLP-1 drugs.

By Jamie Ducharme

Sept. 4, 2025

A photo of a woman pushing a grocery cart through a produce aisle in a grocery store.

Listen: Limiting Benefits and Adding Restrictions, ‘MAHA’ Reshapes Food Aid

The White House and congressional Republicans have made historic changes to the federal anti-hunger program SNAP. They say the changes will boost healthy eating for low-income Americans. Some nutrition experts aren’t so sure.

By Renuka Rayasam

Sept. 4, 2025

When Hospitals and Insurers Fight, Patients Get Caught in the Middle

About 90,000 people spent months in limbo as central Missouri’s major, and often only, provider fought over insurance contracts. Patients getting caught in the crossfire of disputes has become a familiar complication, as about 8% of hospitals have left an insurer network since 2021. Trump administration policies could accelerate the trend.

By Bram Sable-Smith

Sept. 2, 2025

A photo of a mother with her daughter outside. The young girl is holding a doll and looking at flowers with her mom.

Bill of the Month

An Insurer Agreed To Cover Her Surgery. A Politician’s Nudge Got the Bills Paid.

A kindergartner in Missouri needed eye surgery. Her insurer granted approval for her to see a specialist nearby, yet her parents were confused when they still owed more than $13,000. Then her uncle, a former state senator, reached out to a colleague who contacted the hospital and the insurer.

By Cara Anthony

Aug. 26, 2025

An illustration of a man pushing a grocery cart full of medical supplies up a hill that looks like a stock arrow pointing upward.

Perspective

The Price Increases That Should Cause Americans More Alarm

The cost of health insurance is rising faster than the price of eggs or gasoline.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

Aug. 22, 2025

A photo of a Native American mother holding her daughter.

Native Americans Want To Avoid Past Medicaid Enrollment Snafus as Work Requirements Loom

As states prepare to implement changes to Medicaid required by President Donald Trump’s recent tax-and-spending law, tribal leaders say they are concerned Native American enrollees could lose their coverage, despite exemptions made by Congress.

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez

Aug. 22, 2025

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