“An Arm and a Leg” is back sharing stories about the ways COVID-19 intersects with the cost of health care. To tackle a listener’s question about health coverage, Dan Weissmann spoke with one of the country’s top insurance nerds.
Category: Insurance
In Fine Print, HHS Appears To Ban All Surprise Billing During The Pandemic
Language in the CARES Act says providers who take emergency funding cannot balance-bill coronavirus patients ― and “every patient” is considered a possible COVID-19 patient.
Obama: GOP’s Stance On Preexisting Conditions Off-Base, Especially During Pandemic
The former president’s statement highlights a clear difference of opinion that will likely come up often on the campaign trail.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: How Will We Reopen The Economy?
The politics of COVID-19 are pretty polarized, but health experts across the ideological spectrum agree: The U.S. will need more robust testing before it’s safe to relax social-distancing requirements. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, Congress and the nation’s governors continue to spar over who should be responsible for what. Kimberly Leonard of Business Insider, Tami Luhby of CNN and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, for extra credit, the panelists suggest their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
With Federal Nod, Consumers Could Lose The Boost They Get From Drug ‘Coupons’
The proposal being weighed by federal officials would allow employers and insurers to decide that drug companies’ assistance doesn’t count toward their members’ deductible or out-of-pocket maximum spending limits. If plans opted for that approach, only payments made by patients themselves would be included in the calculation toward reaching those limits.
Biden’s Incremental Medicare Play For Bernie’s Backers
The presumptive Democratic presidential candidate unveils a proposal to lower the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 60.
‘You’ve Been Served’: Wisconsin Hospitals Sued Patients Even During Pandemic
Wisconsin hospitals had filed at least 104 lawsuits in small claims court since the state declared a public health emergency March 12. Most now say they are suspending the cases; one hospital has dismissed them after a reporter’s calls.
Analysis: He Got Tested For Coronavirus. Then Came The Flood Of Medical Bills.
Hidden costs for ER visits and other fees could cost people thousands of dollars.
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: All Coronavirus All The Time
The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing changes to the U.S. health system that were previously unthinkable. Yet some fights ― including over the Affordable Care Act and abortion — persist even in this time of national emergency. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Also, Rovner interviews KHN’s Liz Szabo about the latest installment of KHN-NPR’s “Bill of the Month.”
Her Genetic Test Revealed A Microscopic Problem — And A Jumbo Price Tag
Molecular diagnostics are at the frontier of science, but insurance and billing questions create a minefield for patients.
