Without Medicare Part B’s Shield, Patient’s Family Owes $81,000 for a Single Air-Ambulance Flight
By Tony Leys
February 27, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Sky-high bills from air-ambulance providers have sparked complaints and federal action in recent years. But a rural Tennessee resident fell through the cracks of billing protections — and a single helicopter ride could cost much of her estate’s value.
Need to Get Plan B or an HIV Test Online? Facebook May Know About It
By Darius Tahir and Simon Fondrie-Teitler, The Markup
June 30, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Twelve of the largest drugstores in the U.S. sent shoppers’ sensitive health information to Facebook or other platforms, according to an investigation by The Markup and KFF Health News.
New Social Security Report Shows Growing Overpayment Problem Tops $23B
By Jodie Fleischer, Cox Media Group and KFF Health News Staff
November 17, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Social Security has been overpaying recipients for years, then demanding the money back, leaving people with bills for up to tens of thousands of dollars or more.
Biden Said Medicare Drug Price Negotiations Cut the Deficit by $160B. That’s Years Away.
By Amy Sherman, PolitiFact
March 21, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Savings estimated by the Congressional Budget Office from allowing the federal government to negotiate Medicare drug prices are based on a 10-year cumulative projection.
Proposed PFAS Rule Would Cost Companies Estimated $1B; Lacks Limits and Cleanup Requirement
By Michael Scaturro
July 10, 2023
KFF Health News Original
A proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule calls for companies to disclose PFAS manufactured or imported since 2011. The chemical industry is upset because such compliance would cost an estimated $1 billion, while environmental health advocates worry because the rule wouldn’t ban the chemicals outright.
Patients Squeezed in Fight Over Who Gets to Bill for Pricey Infusion Drugs
By Samantha Liss
July 5, 2023
KFF Health News Original
To drive down costs, insurers are bypassing hospital system pharmacies and delivering high-priced infusion drugs, including some used in chemotherapy, via third-party pharmacies. Smarting from losing out on billing for those drugs, hospitals and clinics are trying to convince states to limit this practice, known as “white bagging.”
Payback: Tracking the Opioid Settlement Cash
April 20, 2023
Page
Featured Story Map of Opioid Settlement Cash Table of state councils Localize The Data If you are a journalist who wants to investigate opioid settlement transparency data for your area, here’s how you can do that. Curious to See How Much Opioid Settlement Cash Your Locality Received? Share Your Settlement Story Do you have concerns […]
Schools, Sheriffs, and Syringes: State Plans Vary for Spending $26B in Opioid Settlement Funds
By Aneri Pattani
November 22, 2022
KFF Health News Original
The cash represents an unprecedented opportunity to derail the opioid epidemic, but with countless groups advocating for their share of the pie, the impact could depend heavily on geography and politics.
Misinformation Clouds America’s Most Popular Emergency Contraception
By Sarah Varney
June 7, 2022
KFF Health News Original
At a moment when half of U.S. states stand poised to outlaw or sharply curtail abortion services, the nation’s most popular emergency contraception brand rests in the unlikely stewardship of two private equity firms.
An Arm and a Leg: The Medicare Episode
By Dan Weissmann
March 11, 2024
Podcast
On this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” host Dan Weissmann breaks down the complicated and expensive world of Medicare with practical tips to pick the right plan and avoid penalties.
A Needle Exchange Project Modeled on Urban Efforts Aims to Save Lives in Rural Nevada
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez
August 24, 2022
KFF Health News Original
Five years after HIV tore through a rural Indiana town as a result of widespread drug use, a syringe and needle exchange program was set up in rural Nevada to prevent a similar event.
Out for Blood? For Routine Lab Work, the Hospital Billed Her $2,400
By Rachana Pradhan
November 21, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Convenient as it may be, beware of getting your blood drawn at a hospital. The cost could be much higher than at an independent lab, and your insurance might not cover it all.
Journalists Discuss Medicaid Rules, Opioid Settlement Funds, and the Public Health Workforce
December 3, 2022
KFF Health News Original
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Medicare Enrollees Can Switch Coverage Now. Here’s What’s New and What to Consider.
By Julie Appleby
October 16, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Fall is the time when enrollees in the federal program for older people and people with certain disabilities can make changes to their health and drug plans. The decision can be complicated, but here are some key points to keep in mind.
A Government Video Would Explain When Abortion Is Legal in South Dakota
By Arielle Zionts
February 27, 2024
KFF Health News Original
South Dakota allows doctors to terminate a pregnancy only if a patient’s life is in jeopardy. Lawmakers say a government-created video would clarify what that exception actually means.
Dodging the Medicare Enrollment Deadline Can Be Costly
By Susan Jaffe
December 7, 2023
KFF Health News Original
As open enrollment ends, many people are tuning out. They could wind up with a surprise next year: higher costs and less access to health care providers.
Ohio Voted on Abortion. Next Year, 11 More States Might, Too.
By Bram Sable-Smith
November 8, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Ohio is the latest state where voters have directly weighed in on abortion, and the next wave of such ballot measures is in the works in at least 11 other states, including Missouri.
As Big Pharma and Hospitals Battle Over Drug Discounts, Patients Miss Out on Millions in Benefits
By Sarah Jane Tribble and Emily Featherston, InvestigateTV
November 16, 2021
KFF Health News Original
The number of pharmacies dispensing 340B discounted drugs soared to more than 31,000 this year. Drugmakers struck back by halting some discounts. Hospitals say they are losing millions of dollars — and cutting back services to patients — as a result.
How National Political Ambition Could Fuel, or Fail, Initiatives to Protect Abortion Rights in States
By Bram Sable-Smith and Rachana Pradhan
March 19, 2024
KFF Health News Original
As money flows to abortion rights initiatives in states, some donors focus on where anger over the “Dobbs” ruling could propel voter turnout and spur Democratic victories up and down the ballot, including in key Senate races and the White House.