Category: Health Care Costs

Texas Lawmakers Take Aim At Surprise Medical Bills

A bill with bipartisan, bicameral support is on the move in Texas. It would force hospitals and insurers to settle surprise bills — instead of relying on patients to start the mediation process. The KHN/NPR “Bill of the Month” series is a catalyst for the effort.

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes

Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.

Americans Ready To Crack Down On Drug Prices That Force Some To Skip Doses

In a new poll, consumers give thumbs up to ads that display drug prices and the removal of barriers to generics, among other cost-cutting measures.

There’s A New ‘Medicare-For-All’ Bill In The House. Why Does It Matter?

The progressive proposal adds details to the discussion of this controversial approach to overhauling the nation’s health system, and Democratic primary candidates will have to be prepared to get more specific.

Cancer’s Complications: Confusing Bills, Maddening Errors And Endless Phone Calls

Carol Marley has pancreatic cancer — and dealing with its financial toll has become her full-time job.

Pharma Execs Dig In For A Fight Against Outraged Senators

The Senate Finance Committee grilled executives from seven major drugmakers on Tuesday.

Talk About Déjà Vu: Senators Set To Re-Enact Drug Price Hearing Of 60 Years Ago

Tuesday’s Senate hearing with pharma CEOs will tackle the same issues as the famous Kefauver hearings in 1960.

Today’s Concerns About Drug Prices Echo The Past

Confrontational hearings 60 years ago sparked remarkably similar quotes about drug prices and health care policy.

Is New App From Feds Your Answer To Navigating Medicare Coverage? Yes And No

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched this month the “What’s Covered” app, designed to provide yes-or-no answers about what services are covered under traditional Medicare. KHN took it for a test drive with real consumers.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ How Safe Are Your Supplements?

Alice Ollstein of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the latest national health spending estimates, another FDA crackdown on dietary supplements and lawsuits between insurers and the federal government that could result in a windfall for consumers.