Category: Health Care Costs

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.

On A Mission To Help People Control Diabetes — And Save Money On Insulin

Patients with Type 2 diabetes are often steered toward medicine or insulin treatment. But with additional support, it’s possible to use diet and exercise to control blood sugar. The rising price of insulin drives patients to lower their dependence on the medicine.

On A Mission To Help People Control Diabetes — And Save Money On Insulin

Patients with Type 2 diabetes are often steered toward medicine or insulin treatment. But with additional support, it’s possible to use diet and exercise to control blood sugar. The rising price of insulin drives patients to lower their dependence on the medicine.

‘An Arm And A Leg’: Real Lessons Doctors Can Learn From Fake Patients

Are physicians asking patients the right questions in order to provide good care? Laser-focused on biomedical symptoms, some doctors miss the psychosocial factors that can be a barrier to good health. In Episode 7 of the podcast, we hear about a creative study that uncovers how some medical errors happen.

Summer Setbacks: The Long Road To Lower Drug Prices Hits Some Potholes

Efforts to control drug prices seemed on a glide path earlier this year after gaining traction at the White House and in Congress. But prospects today look less certain and highly controversial.

Why It’s So Hard To Predict How Much Funding 9/11 First Responders Need

Eighteen years ago, most first responders were not thinking about their future health when they spent hours searching “The Pile” for the remains of terror victims. Today, their illnesses are a slow-moving epidemiological nightmare that has been as difficult for scientists to study as it has been easy for politicians to overlook.

Federal Suit Alleges ‘Staggering’ Urine Drug Testing Fraud At Tennessee Pain Clinics

Tennessee company’s Medicare billings for urine tests were examined by Kaiser Health News in 2017.

Retiring Abroad? Prepare To Possibly Mix And Match Health Insurance

More than 400,000 U.S. workers have retired in foreign countries and their ranks are rising. But Medicare doesn’t cover most expenses overseas, so these expats will need to confront the cost of finding alternative insurance.

Biden’s ‘Incremental’ Health Plan Still Would Be A Heavy Lift

The proposal is far from minimal and includes several provisions that Congress has failed repeatedly to enact, including some that were part of the original Affordable Care Act debate.