Doctor on Call? Lawmakers Debate How Much to Pay for Phone Appointments
Phone visits became an option for many Medicare and Medicaid patients during the pandemic. Now policymakers are deciding whether theyâre worth the money.
Health Care Costs
1,121 - 1,140 of 1,852 Results
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Change to Gilead Assistance Program Threatens PrEP Access, HIV Advocates Say
Safety-net clinics especially are bracing for how the drugmakerâs policy shift could reduce their budgets and hamstring their ability to provide care to an at-risk population.
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New Montana Laws Enshrine Health Care Alternatives, for Better or Worse
Direct primary care and health care sharing ministries can offer people more accessible or cheaper health care options, but they lack the benefits of traditional insurance and arenât regulated.
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With Restrictions Tightening Elsewhere, California Moves to Make Abortion Cheaper
California lawmakers are debating a bill that would eliminate out-of-pocket costs that often prevent people from obtaining abortions, proponents say.
By Rachel Bluth -
KHNâs âWhat the Health?â: The Drug Price Dilemma
Republicans, Democrats and the public at large agree that prices for prescription drugs are too high. But no one seems to know how to fix it. Vanderbilt University drug price researcher Stacie Dusetzina explains the basics of why drugs cost so much and why itâs hard to do something about it. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News join KHNâs Julie Rovner to discuss the prospects for policy changes.
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Biden Administration Signals Itâs in No Rush to Allow Canadian Drug Imports
Federal officials asked a court to dismiss a suit by drugmakers over the policy enacted by the Trump administration that would allow states to bring in cheaper prescription medications from Canada. The filing said the lawsuit was moot because itâs unclear when or if the FDA would approve any stateâs importation plan.
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Data Visualizations
Caring for an Aging Nation
The number of Americans 65 and older is expected to nearly double in the next 40 years. Finding a way to provide and pay for the long-term health services they need won't be easy.
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Enough to Wreck Their Rest: $10,322 for a Sleep Study
The University of Miami Health System charges a truck driver six times what Medicare would pay for an overnight test.
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Pandemic Leads Doctors to Rethink Unnecessary Treatment
Covid-caused delays in medical treatments and surgeries are producing data for health care providers to take another look at whatâs needed and what isnât.
By Bruce Alpert -
Why Your Dentist Might Seem Pushy
Dentists know how to maximize the profits in your mouth. But sometimes itâs outright fraud â to the tune of billions every year.
By Daryl Austin -
âKicking You When Youâre Downâ: Many Cancer Patients Pay Dearly for Parking
Patients often fork over payments comparable to valet rates to park while receiving care. A recent study found that some of the countryâs most prestigious cancer centers charge nearly $1,700 over the course of treatment for some types of the disease.
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KHNâs âWhat the Health?â: Drug Price Effort Hits a Snag
Democratic leaders in Congress have vowed to pass legislation to address high prescription drug prices this year, but some moderates in their own party appear to be balking. Meanwhile, younger teens are now eligible for a covid-19 vaccine and the Biden administration reinstated anti-discrimination policy for LGBTQ people in health care. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join KHNâs Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
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Covid Testing Has Turned Into a Financial Windfall for Hospitals and Other Providers
Because there are no caps on cost, consumers and insurers often get billed hundreds of dollars for the most reliable PCR covid test. Prices are rising and they canât fight back.
By Jay Hancock and Hannah Norman -
Hit by Higher Prices for Gear, Doctors and Dentists Want Insurers to Pay
The costs of personal protective equipment and disinfecting offices while seeing fewer patients have some doctors and dentists demanding that insurance companies step up.
By Rachel Bluth -
A Primary Care Physician for Every American, Science Panel Urges
Itâs time to consider primary care a âcommon goodâ akin to public education and shore up the foundation of the pandemic-battered U.S. health system, report says.
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Democrats Disagree About How to Spend Potential Prescription Drug Windfall
After a year of uncharacteristically being on the same page when it comes to health care, Democratic lawmakers are at loggerheads about what to do next. Most agree the time is ripe to tackle high drug prices. But they divide over whether to take savings from that to move to a âMedicare for Allâ insurance system, enhance the current Medicare program or strengthen benefits under the Affordable Care Act.
By Julie Rovner -
KHNâs âWhat the Health?â: 100 Days of Health Policy
Itâs 100 days into Joe Bidenâs presidency and a surprisingly large number of health policies have been announced. But health is notably absent from the administrationâs $1.8 trillion spending plan for American families, making it unclear how much more will get done this year. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention loosens its mask-wearing recommendations for those who have been vaccinated, but the new rules are confusing. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Mary Ellen McIntire of CQ Roll Call and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHNâs Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Rovner interviews KHNâs Julie Appleby, who reported the latest KHN-NPR âBill of the Monthâ episode.
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What a Difference a Year Makes in Coloradoâs Case for a Public Option Plan
Before the pandemic, Colorado was building momentum to pass whatâs known as a âpublic optionâ health plan that would lower insurance premiums and force hospitals to accept lower payments. But now with hospitals and health care providers enjoying support as front-line heroes in the pandemic, state legislators have stripped the option from their bill.
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Watch: What Happens When Car and Health Insurance Collide
KHN Editor-in-Chief Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal helps accident victims avoid pitfalls in seeking medical care â a conundrum profiled in KHN-NPR's most recent Bill of the Month installment.
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KHNâs âWhat the Health?â: Picking Up the Pace of Undoing Trump Policies
The Biden administration has started to speed efforts to reverse health policies forged under Donald Trump. Most recently, the administration overturned a ban on fetal tissue research and canceled a last-minute extension of a Medicaid waiver for Texas. That latter move may delay the Senate confirmation of President Joe Bidenâs nominee to head the Medicare and Medicaid programs, as Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) seeks to fight back. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Rachel Cohrs of Stat and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHNâs Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.