Millions of Americans suffer from temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, disorders. The high cost and poor insurance coverage of TMJ care can bury patients in debt even as the treatments do more harm than good.
Category: Health Care Costs
If Lawsuit Ends Federal Mandates on Birth Control Coverage, States Will Have the Say
An ongoing lawsuit aims to set aside the Affordable Care Act’s requirements that insurers cover preventive care, such as contraception. If that happens, state reproductive health laws — varying across the country — would carry more weight, resuming the “wild West” dynamic from before Obamacare.
Lack of Affordability Tops Older Americans’ List of Health Care Worries
Rising health care costs are fueling anxiety among older Americans covered by Medicare. They’re right to be concerned.
The Concierge Catch: Better Access for a Few Patients Disrupts Care for Many
Increasingly, Americans pay for the privilege of seeing a doctor. Research shows concierge medicine can further hamper access to care for those who can’t afford the upgrade.
KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: SCOTUS Ruling Strips Power From Federal Health Agencies
In what will certainly be remembered as a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has overruled a 40-year-old precedent that gave federal agencies, rather than judges, the power to interpret ambiguous laws passed by Congress. Administrative experts say the decision will dramatically change the way key health agencies do business. Also, the court decided not to decide whether a federal law requiring hospitals to provide emergency care overrides Idaho’s near-total ban on abortion. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Victoria Knight of Axios, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.
1st Biden-Trump Debate of 2024: What They Got Wrong, and Right
A debate marked by President Joe Biden’s faltering performance featured clashes over insulin costs, inflation, abortion, immigration, and Jan. 6.
$2 Million Disbursed to Victims and Community Groups in Wake of Super Bowl Mass Shooting
The United Way of Greater Kansas City gave $1.2 million to victims and $832,000 to 14 community groups Thursday, hoping to reach other victims from the violence at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade, as well as those working to prevent gun violence.
Battleground Wisconsin: Voters Feel Nickel-and-Dimed by Health Care Costs
In the swing state of Wisconsin, the cost and availability of health care have emerged as key issues. Voters there say prescriptions, procedures, and health insurance policies are too expensive, and must be addressed by the next president, whether Republican or Democrat.
Los Angeles County Approves Medical Debt Relief for Residents
The most populous county in the U.S. is buying up and retiring millions of dollars in residents’ medical debt as part of its plan to tackle a $2.9 billion burden. But some health experts worry the initiative could incentivize hospitals to pursue debtors rather than boost financial assistance to patients.
An Arm and a Leg: Meet the Middleman’s Middleman
Why are patients facing bigger bills than they expect for out-of-network care? In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” the show explains the hidden mechanics of MultiPlan, a data firm that helps health insurers set these rates and make bigger returns.
