health care costs

Because there are no caps on cost, consumers and insurers often get billed hundreds of dollars for the most reliable PCR test. Prices are rising and they can’t fight back.

The pandemic was the dominant — but not the only — health policy story of 2020. In this Kaiser Health News podcast, panelists look at some of the year's biggest non-coronavirus stories.

It was a surprise even for a family of lawyers. A process called "subrogation" began with a Nevada family's health insurer denying their claim for an ER visit after their 9-year-old fell off his bike.

A program pushed by former Gov. Rick Scott to help people compare prices and shop for medical procedures has cost taxpayers millions of dollars but has…

Molecular diagnostics are at the frontier of medical science. But along with precise information about health, the tests raise billing questions that can create a minefield for patients.

A study this month showed giving extra social services to the neediest patients didn't reduce hospital readmissions. Now health advocates say that might not be the right measurement of success.

Texas passed a bipartisan law against surprise medical billing, but advocates warn that a proposed rule could severely weaken it, continuing to allow surprise bills in many situations.

"Street medicine" programs, like one in Atlanta, seek out people living in back alleys and under highways. The public health outreach improves patients' health and is cost-effective, hospitals find.

Type 1 diabetes can be well managed with insulin if blood sugar is consistently monitored. But insurance rules can make it hard for patients to get the medical supplies their doctors say they need.

When patients can't afford to pay their medical bills, many hospitals offer a payment plan — or free or discounted care. But some try to collect by suing patients and garnishing their wages.