Russ Mitchell

29 States Get ‘F’ For Price Transparency Laws

KFF Health News Original

Wonder why you can’t get a straight answer on how much a health care procedure will cost you? One big reason: State laws which allow hospitals and other providers to keep costs hidden until they send you the bill. A report card on price transparency released today gives 29 states an “F” and seven states […]

Employers, Unions Jointly Demand Health Care Price Transparency

KFF Health News Original

Employees who feel completely mystified by the prices they’re charged for medical procedures might be surprised to know their employers feel the same way. On Thursday, a consortium of major companies and labor unions, including GE, Wal-Mart, Boeing and the AFL-CIO issued a manifesto demanding price transparency from both health care providers and insurance companies. Consumers […]

Farzad Mostashari: Man On A Digital Mission

KFF Health News Original

An eBay merchant who sells funny barbecue aprons out of his living room is better equipped to send information electronically than many physicians. Farzad Mostashari is the guy trying to change that.

Medical Wonder: Meet the CEO Who Rebuilt a Crumbling California Hospital

KFF Health News Original

Wright Lassiter is doing the seemingly impossible as CEO of the Alameda County Medical Center in Oakland, Calif.: He’s turned a mismanaged urban safety-net hospital system in one of America’s most violent cities into a model for other public hospitals by trimming costs — and did it while expanding services.