Category: Cost and Quality

The Talk Seniors Need To Have With Doctors Before Surgery

Surgeons are rethinking the old notions of “informed consent.” With older patients especially, a push is on to talk candidly about what a surgery will do, its risks and how it will affect their quality of life.

Biden-Harris Debate Rematch Highlights Health Plan Differences 

The Wednesday night event marked the second night in a row for Democratic presidential hopefuls to stake claims on how to fix the health care system.

Genetic-Testing Scam Targets Seniors And Rips Off Medicare

Capitalizing on the growing popularity of genetic testing — and fears of terminal illness — scammers are persuading seniors to hand over cheek swabs with their DNA, not knowing it may lead to identity theft and Medicare fraud.

This Indiana Clinic Has Patient-Care Stats Worth Bragging About

A small health center in Goshen, Ind., near the border with Michigan, puts “listening to patients’ stories” first. “The rest is housekeeping.”

Doctor Alexa Will See You Now: Is Amazon Primed To Come To Your Rescue?

Amazon, along with a host of other technology companies, is working on ways to use its smart speaker devices to bring a range of health care services into your home.

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes

Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.

Now They Owe $0 — Half-Million-Dollar Dialysis Bill Canceled

After reporting by KHN, NPR and CBS, Fresenius has agreed to waive a Montana man’s huge bill for out-of-network dialysis care.

GOP Senators Distance Themselves From Grassley And Trump’s Efforts To Cut Drug Prices

Even some Republicans who supported a sweeping bipartisan bill to rein in drug costs may not back it in the Senate vote.

Your Go-To Guide To Decode Medical Bills

Kaiser Health News gives you a user-friendly toolkit to help patients understand some of the ins and outs of medical billing, what to do if you receive a surprise medical bill and things to keep in mind before getting medical care.

First Kidney Failure, Then A $540,842 Bill For Dialysis

He needed the lifesaving treatment — he never expected a half-million-dollar bill for 14 weeks of care.