Category: Hospitals

They Got Estimates Before Surgery — And A Bill After That Was 50% More

Patients are often told to be smart consumers and shop around for health care before they use it. What happens when people actually take that advice?

They Got Estimates Before Surgery — And A Bill After That Was 50% More

Patients are often told to be smart consumers and shop around for health care before they use it. What happens when people actually take that advice?

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: All About Medicare

Before “Medicare for All,” there was just Medicare, the federal program that provides insurance to 60 million Americans. This week, KHN’s Julie Rovner talks to Tricia Neuman of the Kaiser Family Foundation about how Medicare works and whom it serves. Then, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner join Rovner to talk about some current Medicare issues being debated in Washington, D.C.

ER Redo: As Rural Hospital Closes, Emergency Care Is On The Blink With Fate Uncertain

The loss of the longtime hospital in Fort Scott, Kan., forces trauma patients to deal with changing services and expectations.

Charity Care Spending By Hospitals Plunges

The proportion of money that California hospitals spent on free and discounted care for low-income people dropped by more than half from 2013 to 2017 — even for nonprofit hospitals. Hospitals say there’s less demand for charity care because more people now have health insurance, but consumer advocates counter that people still need help.

Where Tourism Brings Pricey Health Care, Locals Fight Back

Residents in Colorado ski resort country found relief from high insurance premiums and high hospital costs by joining forces and negotiating prices directly with the local hospital.

Where Tourism Brings Pricey Health Care, Locals Fight Back

Residents in Colorado ski resort country found relief from high insurance premiums and high hospital costs by joining forces and negotiating prices directly with the local hospital.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Deciphering The Democrats’ Health Debate

Health care was a major topic at the Democratic presidential candidate debates in Detroit on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the focus on plan minutiae may have left viewers more confused than edified. Alice Ollstein of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Caitlin Owens of Axios join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss the points made by the candidates plus a series of Trump administration health initiatives on drug prices and hospital shopping.

Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes

Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.

Robotic Surgical Tool, Not Medical Evidence, Drives Free Hernia Screenings

Hospitals around the country are promoting free hernia screenings that tout their robotic surgery tools. But some experts warn such screenings could lead people to get potentially harmful operations that they don’t need.