Category: Kaiser Health News

This Time When My Water Breaks, Take Me To A Hospital Without Surprise Bills

New research shows how an experience with surprise medical bills can guide patients’ future decision-making.

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.

Look Up Your Hospital: Is It Being Penalized By Medicare?

Each year, Medicare punishes hospitals that have high rates of readmissions and high rates of infections and patient injuries. Check out which hospitals have been penalized.

Medicare Trims Payments To 800 Hospitals, Citing Patient Safety Incidents

The penalties are part of a program set up by the Affordable Care Act to prompt hospitals to pay more attention to safety issues that can lead to injuries, such as falls or hospital-acquired infections.

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.

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ ‘Medicare-For-All’ Debate: Who’s Going To Pay

Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Jennifer Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the new “Medicare-for-all” bill introduced by House Democrats, the grilling of pharmaceutical company CEOs by a Senate committee and new Trump administration rules that take aim at Planned Parenthood. Plus, Rovner interviews KHN’s Julie Appleby about the latest “Bill of the Month” installment.

Listening To Older Patients Who Want To Stop Dialysis

Older adults with advanced kidney disease sometimes want to stop dialysis but often meet resistance from doctors, new research shows. We explore options available to these patients, including conservative care.

Despite 1991 Ruling, Foes Of New Family Planning Rules See Law On Their Side

Lawyers seeking to block the Trump administration’s decision to alter rules for the Title X family planning program say their efforts will not be stymied by the Supreme Court’s approval of similar rules 28 years ago. They point to new protections enacted in the Affordable Care Act and language in funding bills that shifts the legal calculus.

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.