Category: surprise bills

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Live from D.C. With Rep. Donna Shalala

President Donald Trump’s proposed budget includes billions of dollars in health spending cuts, Congress gets back to work on surprise medical bills, and health care remains a top issue for the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates. Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.), a former Health and Human Services secretary, joins the panel at a special taping before a live audience in Washington, D.C. Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Joanne Kenen of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, the panelists read their favorite “Health Policy Valentines.”

When Your Doctor Is Also A Lobbyist: Inside The War Over Surprise Medical Bills

As lawmakers consider bills to protect patients against surprise medical bills, doctors have waged a stealth on-the-ground campaign to win over members of Congress. Here’s how they did it.

One Defensive Strategy Against Surprise Medical Bills: Set Your Own Terms

By writing in payment limits when signing hospital forms, patients might have leverage in negotiations over disputes that arise from surprise medical bills.

Women Shouldn’t Get A Bill For An IUD … But Sometimes They Do

The Affordable Care Act requires that insurers cover birth control with no out-of-pocket costs, but the enforcement mechanism is weak and a pending court case could add further complications.

Women Shouldn’t Get A Bill For An IUD … But Sometimes They Do

The Affordable Care Act requires that insurers cover birth control with no out-of-pocket costs, but the enforcement mechanism is weak and a pending court case could add further complications.

A Guide To Following The Health Debate In The 2020 Elections

As the Democratic primary campaign nears pivotal voting, important aspects of health care policy are being overlooked.

Loopholes Limit New California Law To Guard Against Lofty Air Ambulance Bills

A new state law limits what consumers owe if they’re transported by an air ambulance that’s not part of their insurance network to the amount that they’d be charged if they used an in-network provider. But the law won’t protect millions of consumers whose health plans aren’t regulated by the state.

For Her Head Cold, Insurer Coughed Up $25,865

A New York City woman, worried that her sore throat might be strep, got swabbed at her doctor’s office. The sample was sent to an out-of-network lab for sophisticated DNA tests ― with a price tag similar to a new SUV.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: ACA Still Under A Cloud After Court Ruling

A federal appeals court in New Orleans has agreed with a lower court that a key piece of the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. But it is sending the case back to the lower-court judge to decide how much of the rest of the law can stand. Also, Congress is leaving town after finishing work on a major spending bill that includes many changes to health policy. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more.

Loophole Averted After Surprise-Bill Brouhaha In Texas

The Texas Medical Board bowed out of the rule-making process for a new law protecting consumers from surprise medical bills. Advocates hailed the new rules written by the state insurance regulators.