Category: Kaiser Health News

Becerra Says Surprise Billing Rules Force Doctors Who Overcharge to Accept Fair Prices

The Health and Human Services secretary says the administration has heard complaints from doctors and hospitals about the rules it unveiled for implementing the law to end surprise medical bills. But he says providers who have exploited a complicated system to charge exorbitant rates will have to bear their share of the cost — or close.

Lifting DC’s Strict Indoor Mask Mandate Triggers Mix of Confusion, Anxiety and Relief

Some business owners, wondering whether it’s too soon to ease the requirement, long for more guidance and support from the mayor.

‘An Arm and a Leg’: The Insurance Warrior’s Battle Plan

Health care — and how much it costs — is scary. But knowledge is power. Take a master class in winning insurance appeals. In the case of Matthew Lientz, taking on his insurance also meant going up against his employer.

Why You Can’t Find Cheap At-Home Covid Tests

You probably won’t be testing everyone at your Thanksgiving table for covid because the tests are expensive and hard to find. Why? The federal government is partly to blame.

Success of Covid Antiviral Pills Hinges on Access to Speedy and Accurate Tests

The promising antiviral drugs to treat covid can halt hospitalizations and deaths, but only if they’re given to patients within three to five days of their first symptoms, a narrow window many people won’t meet. Here’s why.

The ER Charged Him $6,500 for Six Stitches. No Wonder His Critically Ill Wife Avoided the ER.

With few options for health care in their rural community, a Tennessee couple’s experience with one outrageous bill could have led to a deadly decision the next time they needed help.

Vaccine-or-Test Requirements Increase Work and Costs for Governments

But state and local officials embrace the requirement because it creates a safer workplace while allowing employees to continue working.

What Happens After a Campus Suicide Is a Form of Prevention, Too

The scientific term is “postvention,” and it informs how to navigate the emotional challenges that follow such a tragedy.

A Covid Head-Scratcher: Why Lice Lurk Despite Physical Distancing

With kids back in school, business is picking back up for professional nitpickers. But how are kids getting head lice if they’re physically distancing in the classroom?

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Boosting Confusion

Federal health officials appear poised to extend a recommendation for covid boosters to all adults, following moves by some governors and mayors to broaden the eligible booster pool as caseloads rise. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration finally has a nominee to head the agency: former FDA chief Robert Califf. And Medicare premiums for consumers will likely rise substantially in 2022, partly due to the approval of a controversial drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Tami Luhby of CNN, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Dan Weissmann, host of the “An Arm and a Leg” podcast.