Severe Sleep Apnea Diagnosis Panics Reporter Until He Finds a Simple, No-Cost Solution
An industry has grown up around sleep apnea, stirring concerns about overdiagnosis and overtreatment.
Jay Hancock
Jay Hancock was a senior correspondent for 吃瓜不打烊 until he retired in Feburary 2022.
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Covid Expert Joins Exodus Into Business, Where Science Parlays Into Profits
Like others in academia or government who鈥檝e served as public health advisers during the pandemic, Dr. Michael Mina traded his university role for a commercial venture. He recently took a top job at eMed, a startup that charges a premium price for monitoring at-home covid tests. Can experts do well by trying to do good?
By Jay Hancock -
An $80,000 Tab for Newborns Lays Out a Loophole in the New Law to Curb Surprise Bills
The insurance company said that the birth of the Bull family鈥檚 twins was not an emergency and that NICU care was 鈥渘ot medically necessary.鈥 The family鈥檚 experience with a huge bill sent to collections happened in 2020, but it exposes a hole in the new No Surprises law that took effect Jan. 1.
By Jay Hancock Photos by Heidi de Marco -
An Anesthesiology Practice鈥檚 Busy Day in Court Collecting on Surprise Bills
Legislative crackdowns on out-of-network bills haven鈥檛 kept specialists from hitting patients with unexpected charges running into thousands of dollars.
By Jay Hancock -
New Parents Slapped With Surprise Bills for Treating Newborns
Regular use of a more advanced screening method turns a low-cost procedure into a pricier one.
By Jay Hancock -
Major Insurers Running Billions of Dollars Behind on Payments to Hospitals and Doctors
Patients are caught in the middle as insurers clamp down on paying for treatments or force prior authorizations for care.
By Jay Hancock -
Pfizer Court Fight Could Legalize Medicare Copays and Unleash 鈥楪old Rush鈥 in Sales
Pharmaceutical companies routinely cover the cost of patient copays for expensive drugs under private insurance. A federal judge could make the practice legal for millions on Medicare as well.
By Jay Hancock -
Hospital 鈥楾rauma Centers鈥 Charge Enormous Fees to Treat Minor Injuries and Send People Home
Only severely injured patients are supposed to be billed for 鈥渢rauma team alert鈥 fees that can exceed $50,000.
By Jay Hancock -
In Alleged Health Care 鈥楳oney Grab,鈥 Nation鈥檚 Largest Hospital Chain Cashes In on Trauma Centers
HCA charges patients an 鈥渁ctivation fee鈥 of up to $50,000 for trauma teams at centers located in half its 179 hospitals 鈥 and they often don鈥檛 need trauma care, an analysis of insurance claims data shows.
By Jay Hancock -
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 can鈥檛 fight back.
By Jay Hancock and Hannah Norman -
UVA Health Will Wipe Out Tens of Thousands of Lawsuits Against Patients
The Virginia hospital giant had already stopped suing patients with less than $107,000 in household income.
By Jay Hancock -
Counterfeit N95 Scam Widens as Senator Demands FTC Investigation
Authorities seized 1.7 million fake masks in New York and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell called for a national probe.
By Christina Jewett and Jay Hancock -
Why Even Presidential Pressure Might Not Get More Vaccine to Market Faster
Even invoking the widely heralded Defense Production Act to pressure drugmakers wouldn鈥檛 overcome vast obstacles.
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Inside the First Chaotic Days of the Effort to Vaccinate America
After missteps in Washington, each state and county is left to juggle where to send vaccines first and how to get them to each nursing home, hospital local health department and even school.
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UVA Health Still Squeezing Money From Patients 鈥 By Seizing Their Home Equity
The University of Virginia promised reforms but has stopped short of announcing them, while hospital giant VCU Health has freed tens of thousands from property liens.
By Jay Hancock -
As Trump Touts His 鈥楪reat鈥 COVID Drugs, the Pharma Cash Flows to Biden, Not Him
President Donald Trump has been heralding drugmakers as 鈥済reat companies.鈥 Yet in the final stretch of the presidential campaign, Trump is not feeling the love in pharma contributions. Former Vice President Joe Biden is, even though his proposed policies could dent the industry鈥檚 profitability.
By Jay Hancock -
In The Line Of Fire
Cities and States Look to Crack Down on ‘Less-Lethal’ Weapons Used by Police
Dozens of protesters were injured in recent protests, triggering efforts to limit or ban the use of rubber bullets and other projectiles.
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They Pledged to Donate Rights to Their COVID Vaccine, Then Sold Them to Pharma
Advocates of cheap and widely available vaccines thought the pandemic might change business as usual. They were wrong.
By Jay Hancock -
In The Line Of Fire
Less-Lethal Weapons Blind, Maim and Kill. Victims Say Enough Is Enough.
Time and again over the past two decades, peace officers have targeted demonstrators with munitions designed only to stun and stop. Protests this year in reaction to George Floyd鈥檚 death in police custody have reignited a controversy surrounding their use.
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In The Line Of Fire
Fractured Skulls, Lost Eyes: Police Often Break Own Rules Using ‘Rubber Bullets’
Around the country, police responded to protests in the wake of George Floyd鈥檚 death by shooting 鈥渓ess lethal鈥 projectiles, which can seriously hurt and kill. In a joint investigation, KHN and USA TODAY found some officers appear to have violated their department鈥檚 own rules when they fired.
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