Health Care Costs

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Tax Bill Or Health Bill?

KFF Health News Original

Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Sarah Kliff of Vox.com, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo discuss the inclusion of health policies into the current tax cut debate, including a possible repeal of the fines for people who fail to maintain health insurance.

Study Gives Mixed Reviews On Laws To Equalize Cancer Patients’ Out-Of-Pocket Costs

KFF Health News Original

Most states have laws that require that cancer patients who get their treatment orally rather than by infusion in a doctor’s office not pay more out-of-pocket. A new study finds that the impact of those laws is mixed.

Health Companies Race To Catch UnitedHealth As Amazon Laces Up

KFF Health News Original

UnitedHealth, a health industry goliath, has its hand in doctors’ offices, surgery centers, technology services and prescription drugs. It is the industry model, and CVS and Aetna, says one expert, are ‘wannabes.’

Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ How Confused Are We?

KFF Health News Original

In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post discuss the start of open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, legislative efforts on Capitol Hill on taxes and children’s health insurance, and recommendations of the president’s opioid commission.

Latest Scandal Too Much For HHS Secretary Tom Price. He’s Out.

KFF Health News Original

Tom Price resigned from running the Department of Health and Human Services after a series of news stories detailing how he tallied more than $400,000 in private plane travel paid for by taxpayers. 

¿Medicaid cubre todo eso? Cómo es el programa de salud más grande del país

KFF Health News Original

El programa federal de salud gerenciado por los estados cubre al 39% de los niños y paga por casi la mitad de los nacimientos. Pero su aporte va mucho más allá: también ayuda a personas con discapacidades, a programas especiales en escuelas y a pacientes con VIH, entre otros.

Reporter’s Notebook: In Health Care, A Good Price (Or Any Price) Is Hard To Find

KFF Health News Original

Not only are health prices hidden, industry players are contractually obligated to keep them secret. That’s why answering a simple question — how much does it cost to have a baby in Mountain View, Calif.? — became a journalistic quest.

Podcast: ‘What The Health?’ Hurricane Harvey And Health Costs

KFF Health News Original

In this episode of “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times discuss the potential health impact of Hurricane Harvey on the Texas Gulf Coast, and what impact the relief effort in Washington could have on an already jampacked September agenda. Also this week: an interview with Elisabeth Rosenthal about why medical care costs so much.

Facebook Live: The Prescription Drug Pricing Pipeline

KFF Health News Original

In this Facebook Live, KHN’s Julie Appleby talks with Stephanie Stapleton and answers readers’ questions about the prescription drug pricing pipeline and the industry stakeholders who have a role in what you pay.

Too Few Patients Follow The Adage: You Better Shop Around

KFF Health News Original

Three-quarters of participants in a newly released study said they did not know of resources for comparing health care costs, while half said that if a website were available to provide such information, they would use it.