health care costs

The No Surprises Act offers protection from many surprise bills, but that protection may be only as good as a patient’s knowledge of the law and ability to make sure it’s enforced. Here’s what you need to know.

Private and public employers are increasingly using the government’s Medicare Advantage program as an alternative to their existing retiree health plan and traditional Medicare coverage. As a result, the federal government is paying the “overwhelming majority” of medical costs, according to an industry analyst.

A new investment fund launched by one of the few Black venture capitalists in health care is focused on backing Black entrepreneurs. And the investors include some of the biggest names in for-profit health care.

A post-merger computer meltdown resulted in families not being able to pay for nursing care and other home health services for nearly three months.

State Medicaid agencies for months have been preparing for the end of a federal mandate that has prevented states from removing people from the safety-net program during the pandemic.

Some mental health providers object to the new requirement, which is part of the No Surprises Act. They say giving detailed cost estimates could discourage patients from getting care.

A toddler burned his hand on the stove. The pediatrician told mom over the phone to take him to the emergency room. But after a long wait for a doctor who never showed, they left. Then the bill came.

Medical bills are a leading reason people get stuck in a cycle of debt. The nonprofit Upsolve created an app it calls the “TurboTax of bankruptcy” to help people hit reset and rebuild their financial lives.

After baby Dorian Bennett arrived two months early and spent more than 50 days in the neonatal ICU, his parents received a bill of more than $550,000 — despite having health insurance.

Medicare billing codes for audio-only follow-up check-ins are leadng to new reimbursement battles.