Getting mental health care can be hard enough. Then comes paying for it.
Despite two recent federal laws meant to bring parity between mental and physical health-care coverage, gaping holes remain in how behavioral health costs are paid. More
America’s Most Powerful Medical-Debt Collector
Treatment at a military hospital can leave you tens of thousands of dollars in debt—and hounded by the federal government. More
Family gets $40,000 invoice for air ambulance on the day their 4-year old son dies
A grieving family in Wayne County who lost everything in a fire, including their 4-year old son, got an unexpected surprise in the mail on the day they took the little boy off of life support. More
Dental patients face years of debt, inflated bills with ‘out-of-pocket’ credit cards
California dentists have been promoting out-of-pocket medical credit cards for their patients. Documents show some dentists have inflated bills for Medi-Cal patients using these cards, which carry high interest rates. More
Where the Frauds Are All Legal
Much of what we accept as legal in medical billing would be regarded as fraud in any other sector. I have been circling around this conclusion for this past five years, as I’ve listened to patients’ stories while covering health care as a journalist and author. Now, after a summer of firsthand experience — my husband was in a bike crash in July — it’s time to call out this fact head-on. Many of the Democratic candidates are talking about practical fixes for our high-priced health care system, and some legislated or regulated solutions to the maddening world of medical billing would be welcome.
Locked into poverty: Impossible choices forced on the disabled
Nearly 30 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act first outlawed workplace discrimination on the basis of disability, more disabled people live in poverty than when the law was passed. It’s a complex problem with many factors. More
With Medical Bills Skyrocketing, More Hospitals Are Suing for Payment
As deductibles and co-pays grow, insured patients owe a larger share of their medical bills. More and more are being taken to court. More
Financial Hardships Of Medicare Beneficiaries With Serious Illness
In a national survey, seriously ill Medicare beneficiaries described financial hardships resulting from their illness—despite high beneficiary satisfaction with Medicare overall and the fact that many have supplemental insurance. About half reported a serious problem paying medical bills, with prescription drugs proving most onerous. More
How One Employer Stuck a New Mom With a $898,984 Bill for Her Premature Baby
Dignity Health said its employee, an ER nurse, failed to meet the deadline to add her premature newborn to its health plan, so she was responsible for the medical bills. It rejected her appeals for a year until ProPublica called. More
‘The Price We Pay’ Argues Rising Health Care Costs Undermine Public Trust In Medicine
Americans are losing trust in their doctors, says Dr. Marty Makary in his new book, The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Care — and How to Fix It. The reason, he argues, is that medical care is just too expensive. More