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The median cost of an air ambulance bill is more than $36,000 and seldom covered by insurance, sparking many consumer complaints. Yet none of the proposals introduced or circulating in Congress to fix surprise medical bills address these services.
Lawmakers and patients want to eliminate āsurpriseā out-of-network medical bills. Hospitals, doctors and insurers say they want to eliminate them, too, but their opposition to one anotherās proposals could complicate legislative efforts. Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner join KHNās Julie Rovner to discuss this, plus the latest in news about reproductive health and health care sharing ministries.
An unexpected hospital bill can bust the family budget. That leaves lots of people with bills they canāt pay. Turns out, thatās a crisis for hospitals too, and some are getting creative about collecting debt.
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don't have to.
Health care ā and how much it costs ā is scary. But you're not alone with this stuff, and knowledge is power. "An Arm and a Leg" is a podcast about these issues, and its second season is co-produced by KHN.
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to help an estimated 850,000 Californians pay their health insurance premiums and would fund his plan with a tax penalty on people who donāt have coverage. If he succeeds, California would be the first state to subsidize middle-income people who make too much to qualify for federal financial aid.
KHN correspondent Rachel Bluth appeared on "PBS NewsHour Weekend" to talk with host Megan Thompson about the continuing problem of surprise medical bills and how the issue is playing on Capitol Hill.
In a mission of forgiveness, churches around the country are buying up medical debt for pennies on the dollar then erasing the debts of strangers. Since the start of 2018, at least 18 churches nationwide have abolished more than $34 million burdening Americaās most debt-ridden patients.
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don't have to.
More than half of Americans contacted about an overdue bill said it related to medical debt. A federal agency has proposed new guidance for what debt collectors are allowed to do when pursuing many types of overdue consumer bills, including medical debt. But some consumer advocates have panned the effort.
Hospitals are eager to get particular specialists on staff because they bring in business that can be highly profitable. But those efforts, if they involve unusually high salaries or other enticements, can violate federal anti-kickback laws.
As nitrous oxide makes a comeback for pain relief during childbirth, one medical professional fights back over an overblown charge for using it.
Millions of Californians are vulnerable to hefty surprise medical bills from their trips to the emergency room. Now, state lawmakers are considering a measure to cap how much out-of-network hospitals can charge privately insured patients for emergency care, which could serve as a model for other states.
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don't have to.
Reform has a cost. But the point of a health care system is to treat patients, not to buttress the economy.
Joanne Kenen of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner join KHNās Julie Rovner to discuss the latest Democratic efforts to push āMedicare for Allā in the U.S. House. They also review new initiatives to raise the federal minimum age to purchase tobacco to 21 and new lawsuits challenging the Trump administrationās actions on reproductive health. Also, for extra credit, the panelists suggest their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
The Republicanās legislation, prepared with Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on Alexanderās health committee, would be an ambitious lift because it also deals with prescription drug patents, health transparency and vaccine messaging.
Health care ā and how much it costs ā is scary. But youāre not alone with this stuff, and knowledge is power. "An Arm and a Leg" is a podcast about all these issues, and its second season, co-produced by Kaiser Health News, starts on June 4.
At Wednesdayās House Budget Committee, Congressional Budget Office experts outlined the complexities of implementing an overhaul of Americaās health insurance system.
This high-profile issue has gained bipartisan attention, but it remains unclear if thatās enough to move it to the finish line. Hereās a review of the current state of play.
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