unexpected bills

Medicare suddenly stopped paying for the pricey drug that prolongs his life. As he waits for an appeal, this retired physician wonders if he should give up treatment to spare his family the cost.

Medical breakthroughs mean cancer is less likely to kill, but survival can come at an extraordinary cost as patients drain savings, declare bankruptcy or lose their homes, a KHN-NPR investigation finds.

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.

A gynecologist in New Mexico tested the 60-year-old grandmother for various sexually transmitted infections without her knowledge, she says. Her share of the lab fee was more than $3,000.

Recovering from a medical procedure is always a challenge, but getting hit with unexpected insurance fees can add financial hardship to the process.As…