Category: Health Care Costs

Biden’s on Target About What Repealing ACA Would Mean for Preexisting Condition Protections

A Biden campaign ad highlighting how an Obamacare repeal would affect people with preexisting conditions is mostly true.

Biden Administration Advances Plan To Remove Medical Debt From Credit Scores

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed federal regulations that would prevent unpaid medical bills from being counted on consumers’ credit reports.

Biden Plan to Save Medicare Patients Money on Drugs Risks Empty Shelves, Pharmacists Say

President Joe Biden is campaigning for reelection on his efforts to cut costs for Medicare patients at the pharmacy counter. But independent pharmacists say one strategy makes it unaffordable for them to keep some brand-name medicines in stock.

Biden Plan to Save Medicare Patients Money on Drugs Risks Empty Shelves, Pharmacists Say

President Joe Biden is campaigning for reelection on his efforts to cut costs for Medicare patients at the pharmacy counter. But independent pharmacists say one strategy makes it unaffordable for them to keep some brand-name medicines in stock.

California Becomes Latest State To Try Capping Health Care Spending

California is the ninth state to set annual health spending targets for the industry. Already hospitals and doctors are voicing resistance to the fledgling Office of Health Care Affordability, even as they avoid overtly opposing its goals.

End of Pandemic Internet Subsidies Threatens a Health Care Lifeline for Rural America

As the Affordable Connectivity Program runs out of money, millions of people face a jump in internet costs or lost connections if federal lawmakers don’t pass a funding extension.

An Arm and a Leg: Medicaid Recipients Struggle To Stay Enrolled

In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” the show takes its first look at Medicaid. The program has dropped more than 22 million people since spring 2023, when covid-era protections ended.

Readers Issue Rx for Clogged ERs and Outrageous Out-of-Pocket Costs

KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

Farmworkers Face High-Risk Exposures to Bird Flu, but Testing Isn’t Reaching Them

Federal officials are offering $75 to dairy workers who agree to be tested for bird flu. Advocates say the payments aren’t enough to protect workers from lost wages and health care costs if they test positive.

Los Angeles County Launches Ambitious Plan To Tackle Medical Debt. Hospitals Groan.

Los Angeles County, the nation’s most populous county, is spearheading a comprehensive plan to tackle a $2.9 billion medical debt crisis. Hospitals are still getting on board with the project, which is helmed by the public health department.