Health care industry sues over another transparency rule
Health care groups don't want transparency that reveals true prices. More
Higher Prices for Cancer Surgery at National Cancer Institute–Designated Cancer Centers
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Centers Program, developed as part of the National Cancer Act of 1971, recognizes 71 cancer centers across the US that meet rigorous standards for transdisciplinary and innovative research to develop new and better approaches to preventing, diagnosing, and treating cancer. Although this program was developed to advance cancer research, these cancer centers have an important role in translating scientific knowledge into effective treatments for patients with cancer. Moreover, these cancer centers, nearly all part of academic medical centers, attract top clinician researchers and clinician educators who seek to advance both cancer research and clinical care. More
Private Equity Drills into the Dental Care Industry
DSOs are overwhelmingly owned by private equity firms. 27 of the top 30 DSOs are private-equity-owned. This amounts to approximately 84% of practice locations that contract with the top 30 DSOs. More
Americans’ Medical Debts Are Bigger Than Was Known, Totaling $140 Billion
A new study finds that health care has become the country’s largest source of debt in collections. Those debts are largest where Medicaid wasn’t expanded. More
Speaking Out Against Aggressive Medical Debt Collection Practices
Medical debt and collection actions further perpetuate racial inequities by limiting economic opportunities and further contributing to the wealth divide. More
Biden admin releases first rule banning surprise medical bills
The Biden administration released the first part of regulations to implement a law that bans surprise medical bills, outlining what types of charges will be outlawed starting in 2022. More
Health insurers are threatening not to cover some patients’ ER bills
Plans like United Healthcare say it’s necessary to contain health care costs. Experts say it’s the wrong approach. More
Will Biogen’s new Alzheimer’s drug’s burden on Medicare be big, huge, or catastrophic?
Estimates vary wildly about how much Biogen’s new Alzheimer’s drug will cost Medicare — and the total will have real consequences. More
New Drug Could Cost the Government as Much as It Spends on NASA
The Alzheimer’s treatment will cost $56,000 per patient, and millions may use it. The result: “crazy numbers” for Medicare. More
RIP Medical Debt Works with Ballad Health to Abolish Over $277M of Medical Debt
Ballad Health and RIP Medical Debt (RIP) announced today a new agreement that will eliminate $277,974,370.31 million worth of non-governmental payer medical debt (i.e., non-Medicare/Medicaid) for approximately 82,000 people previously served by Ballad Health. More
Opinion | ‘That’s Heartbreaking’: How American Health Care Looks From Abroad
We asked eight people around the world what they thought. It didn’t go well. More
Frequency and Costs of Out-of-Network Bills for Outpatient Laboratory Services Among Privately Insured Patients
This cohort study uses national commercial claims data to evaluate the frequency and cost of out-of-network bills for outpatient laboratory services compared with in-network laboratory services. More
Early results from federal price transparency rule show difficultly in estimating the cost of care
As of January 1, under federal rules issued by the Trump Administration, hospitals are required to publish the price of health services by payer. More
High-Deductible Health Plans for US Children: Trends, Health Service Use, and Financial Barriers to Care
Few studies have examined children's enrollment in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and associations with health service use. We examine trends, health service use, and financial barriers to care for US children with high-deductible private insurance. More
Opinion: To really lower health-care costs, look beyond prescription drugs
All health-care services must be scrutinized for waste. More
How Much Does a C-Section Cost? At One Hospital, Anywhere From $6,241 to $60,584
New federally mandated disclosures by California’s Sutter Health illustrate the wide disparity in healthcare rates negotiated by insurers. More
Drug Prices by Committee: One Way Biden Could Lower Costs
Many countries use independent review boards to balance innovation and profit. More
No Surprises Act Is a Step Toward Ending Unexpected Medical Bills
A new law will protect patients from unexpected charges — but more must be done to make it work. More
COVID vaccine appointment canceled due to medical debt
A 72-year old Longmont man was ready to get his vaccine until a phone call put those plans on hold. By asking questions, he got back in line. More
Hospital Prices Just Got a Lot More Transparent. What Does This Mean for You?
Hospitals face the new year with new requirements to post price information they have long sought to obscure: the actual prices negotiated with insurers and the discounts they offer their cash-paying customers. More