Healthcare Costs Archives - Page 51 of 95 - ��ýҕ�l Health News

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Finally, a Fix for the ‘Family Glitch’

President Joe Biden welcomed former President Barack Obama back to the White House this week to announce a new policy for the Affordable Care Act that would make subsidies available to more families with unaffordable employer coverage. Meanwhile, Congress struggled to find a compromise for continued federal funding of covid-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments. Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

April 7, 2022

a couple stand beside a tree they light in honor for their son who died of an overdose

Never-Ending Costs: When Resolved Medical Bills Keep Popping Up

A bill one family considered paid wrongfully resurfaced, resurrecting painful memories. It’s a scenario that’s not uncommon but grievously unsettling.

By Aneri Pattani

April 7, 2022

ACA Sign-Ups for Low-Income People Roll Out Amid Brokers’ Concerns About Losing Their Cut

The Biden administration unveiled a new special enrollment option aimed at signing up low-income Americans for Affordable Care Act coverage — even if it is outside of the usual annual open enrollment period. But insurers are cutting broker commissions at the same time.

By Julie Appleby

April 5, 2022

John Baackes stands at a desk and types on a computer. A potted plant in the foreground covers the left half of the frame.

Asking Never Hurts

Record Fines Might Mean California Is Finally Serious About Improving Medi-Cal

California regulators issued record fines against L.A. Care, the state’s largest Medi-Cal managed-care plan, for providing inadequate care to its enrollees. But whether the penalties are a sign that the state will make a more forceful effort to improve Medi-Cal’s overall quality of care remains to be seen.

By Bernard J. Wolfson

April 4, 2022

Sen. Susan Collins holds a binder and papers while walking. She is wearing a striped mask.

Insulin Copay Cap Passes House Hurdle, But Senate Looks for a Broader Bill

Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) are seeking to craft a compromise that members from both parties could accept. Their plan, still being ironed out, would not guarantee a specific limit on out-of-pocket costs but seeks to roll back insulin prices by barring rebate payments to pharmacy benefit managers.

By Michael McAuliff

April 4, 2022

Stacy Whitford sits in her house on the right, facing a window. Her son sits on the floor in the corner on the left.

Patients’ Perilous Months-Long Waiting for Medicaid Coverage Is a Sign of What’s to Come

The pandemic crisis has overwhelmed understaffed state Medicaid agencies, already delaying access to the insurance program in Missouri. As the public health emergency ends, low-income people nationwide could find it even harder to have coverage.

By Bram Sable-Smith and Rachana Pradhan

April 4, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Funding for the Next Pandemic

In his proposed budget, President Joe Biden called for a boost in health spending that includes billions of dollars to prepare for a future pandemic. But that doesn’t include money he says is needed immediately for testing and treating covid-19. Also this week, federal regulators authorized a second booster shot for people 50 and older yet gave little guidance to consumers about who needs the shot and when. Amy Goldstein of The Washington Post, Jennifer Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times, and Rachana Pradhan of KHN join KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Julie Rovner interviews KHN’s Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a very expensive air ambulance ride.

March 31, 2022

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‘An Arm and a Leg’: A Fight for the Right to Help

It's illegal for a person who isn't a lawyer to give even basic legal advice to people being sued for medical debt. Two New Yorkers are suing to change that.

By Dan Weissmann

March 28, 2022

Sean Deines sits at a table in his home with his wife, Rebekah, standing behind him with her hands on his shoulders.

Bill of the Month

The Case of the $489,000 Air Ambulance Ride

Diagnosed with aggressive leukemia on a Western trip, a young man thought his insurance would cover an air ambulance ride home to North Carolina. Instead, questions about medical necessity left him with an astronomical bill.

By Julie Appleby

March 25, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The ACA Turns 12

Although its fate was in doubt more than a few times, the Affordable Care Act turned 12 this week. Year 13 could be pivotal in determining how many Americans receive ACA health insurance, and at what price. Meanwhile, three leading credit bureaus agreed to stop using most medical debt to measure U.S. consumers’ creditworthiness. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

March 24, 2022

Campaign Contributions Tracker

Pharma Cash to Congress

A ��ýҕ�l Health News database tracks campaign donations from drugmakers over the past 10 years.

By Elizabeth Lucas and ��ýҕ�l Health News Staff

March 23, 2022

A woman is seen holding a bill in her hands while talking on the phone with a distraught expression. The camera shows her from a birds-eye view with a notebook and pen on the table beside her.

How to Avoid Surprise Bills — And the Pitfalls in the New Law

The No Surprises Act offers protection from many surprise medical bills — but that protection may be only as good as a patient’s knowledge of the law and ability to make sure it’s enforced. Here’s what you need to know.

By Dan Weissmann

March 16, 2022

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‘An Arm and a Leg’: Need an Expensive Drug? Here’s What You Need to Know

Even a personal finance expert can get stuck with a huge unexpected bill for a drug. Listen up for what you need to know about "copay accumulators."

By Dan Weissmann

March 15, 2022

A woman is seen lying down in an operating room, a tear in her eye. A doula holds a hand to her cheek.

Want Vulnerable Californians to Have Healthier Pregnancies? Doulas Say the State Must Pay Up.

California was supposed to start paying doulas this year to help Medicaid enrollees have healthy pregnancies. But the benefit has been delayed because doulas feel lowballed by the state’s proposed reimbursement rate, which is below what most other states pay.

By Rachel Bluth

March 15, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Congress Shelves Covid Funding for Now

The Biden administration’s request for billions more in funding to fight covid-19 hit a snag on Capitol Hill this week, as Democrats objected to Republican demands that money allocated to states but not yet spent be reclaimed. Meanwhile, the big annual spending bill about to cross the finish line addresses other health policy changes, such as giving the FDA authority to regulate “synthetic” nicotine. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, and Jessie Hellmann of Modern Healthcare join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

March 10, 2022

13-year-old Joshua Davis stands up as people around him applaud and smile during the State of the Union address.

$35 Insulin Cap Is Welcome, Popular, and Bipartisan. But Congress May Not Pass It Anyway.

Spun off from the ailing but not-quite-dead Build Back Better legislation, a popular proposal to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 a month faces tough political realities that could kill it.

By Michael McAuliff

March 4, 2022

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks from behind a podium, gesturing with his arms outside of a restaurant. A blue sign sits in front of the microphone at the podium that says, "The California Blueprint."

California Governor’s Big Promises on Drug Prices Are Slow to Materialize

Gov. Gavin Newsom has launched several initiatives to cut rising drug prices, but the savings haven’t been as monumental as he promised. And his plan to have California make its own generic drugs hasn’t gotten off the ground.

By Angela Hart, Rachel Bluth, and Samantha Young

March 4, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: A Health-Heavy State of the Union

President Joe Biden spent a large portion of his first State of the Union address talking about foreign affairs, but he also spent time on an array of health topics, including mental health, nursing home regulation, and toxic burn pits. Also this week, the administration unveiled a strategy to address the covid pandemic going forward. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Amy Goldstein of The Washington Post, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

March 3, 2022

Seeking to Shift Costs to Medicare, More Employers Move Retirees to Advantage Plans

Private and public employers are increasingly using the government’s Medicare Advantage program as an alternative to their existing retiree health plan and traditional Medicare coverage. As a result, the federal government is paying the “overwhelming majority” of medical costs, according to an industry analyst.

By Susan Jaffe

March 3, 2022

A bottle of Truvada, an HIV prevention drug, tips out blue pills onto a pill counting tray.

HIV Preventive Care Is Supposed to Be Free in the US. So, Why Are Some Patients Still Paying?

The Department of Labor issued rules in July clarifying that health plans need to cover the costs of prescription drugs proven to prevent HIV infection, along with related lab tests and medical appointments, at no cost to patients. More than half a year later, the erroneous billing continues.

By Sarah Varney

March 3, 2022

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