Uninsured but Undaunted, a Surgical Patient 吃瓜不打烊ed the Globe for a Deal
When surgery became unavoidable, a man with no insurance shopped around for the best price for a hernia repair 鈥 and saved thousands by traveling out of state.
Bill of the Month
This crowdsourced investigation by 吃瓜不打烊 dissects and explains your medical bills every month in order to shed light on U.S. health care prices and to help patients learn how to be more active in managing costs.
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She Struggled To Get a Lifesaving Drug Even After Insurers Vowed To Help
Margaret Hvatum ended up in the hospital after her insurer denied coverage of a medicine she relies on to boost her immune system. Hvatum got entangled in the preapproval process, which the insurance industry has vowed to improve.
Send us your medical bill
Do you have a medical bill that is exorbitant, baffling, infuriating, or all of the above? Send it to us and tell us about your experience.
41 - 60 of 194 Results
Arizona Turns Back the Clock on Abortion Access
Episode 342A week after the Florida Supreme Court said the state could enforce an abortion ban passed in 2023, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that state could enforce a near-total ban passed in 1864 鈥 over a half-century before Arizona became a state. The move further scrambled the abortion issue for Republicans and posed an immediate quandary for former President Donald Trump, who has been seeking an elusive middle ground in the polarized debate. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, and Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post join 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Molly Castle Work, who reported and wrote the latest 吃瓜不打烊-NPR 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 feature, about an air-ambulance ride for an infant with RSV that his insurer deemed not medically necessary.
The Supreme Court and the Abortion Pill
Episode 340The Supreme Court this week heard its first abortion case since overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, about an appeals court ruling that would dramatically restrict the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone. But while it seems likely that this case could be dismissed on a technicality, abortion opponents have more challenges in the pipeline. Meanwhile, health issues are heating up on the campaign trail, as Republicans continue to take aim at Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act 鈥 all things Democrats are delighted to defend. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 吃瓜不打烊 chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews 吃瓜不打烊鈥 Tony Leys, who wrote a 吃瓜不打烊-NPR 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 feature about Medicare and a very expensive air-ambulance ride. Plus, for 鈥渆xtra credit,鈥 the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.
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A Mom鈥檚 $97,000 Question: How Was Her Baby鈥檚 Air-Ambulance Ride Not Medically Necessary?
There are legal safeguards to protect patients from big bills like out-of-network air-ambulance rides. But insurers may not pay if they decide the ride wasn鈥檛 medically necessary.
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Without Medicare Part B鈥檚 Shield, Patient鈥檚 Family Owes $81,000 for a Single Air-Ambulance Flight
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 鈥 and a single helicopter ride could cost much of her estate's value.
By Tony Leys -
The Colonoscopies Were Free. But the 鈥楽urgical Trays鈥 Came With $600 Price Tags.
Health providers may bill however they choose 鈥 including in ways that could leave patients with unexpected bills for 鈥渇ree鈥 care. Routine preventive care saddled an Illinois couple with his-and-her bills for 鈥渟urgical trays.鈥
The Supreme Court vs. the Bureaucracy
Episode 330The Supreme Court this week heard oral arguments in a case that could radically alter the way federal agencies 鈥 including the Department of Health and Human Services 鈥 administer laws passed by Congress. A decision in the case is expected this spring or summer. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is struggling over whether to ban menthol cigarettes 鈥 a move that could improve public health but also alienate Black voters, the biggest menthol users. Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join 吃瓜不打烊 chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Darius Tahir, who reported and wrote the latest 吃瓜不打烊-NPR 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 feature about a lengthy fight over a bill for a quick telehealth visit.
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In Year 6, 吃瓜不打烊-NPR鈥檚 鈥楤ill of the Month鈥 Helps Patients in a Changing System
In the sixth year of the 吃瓜不打烊-NPR 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 series, patients shared more than 750 tales of medical billing problems, and reporters analyzed more than $730,000 in charges 鈥 including more than $215,000 owed by 12 patients and their families.
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When a Quick Telehealth Visit Yields Multiple Surprises Beyond a Big Bill
For the patient, it was a quick and inexpensive virtual appointment. Why it cost 10 times what she expected became a mystery.
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Out for Blood? For Routine Lab Work, the Hospital Billed Her $2,400
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.
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When That Supposedly Free Annual Physical Generates a Bill
Completing a routine depression screening questionnaire during an annual checkup is cost-free under federal law. But, as one woman discovered, answering a doctor鈥檚 follow-up questions might not be.
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She Received Chemo in Two States. Why Did It Cost So Much More in Alaska?
A breast cancer patient who received similar treatments in two states saw significant differences in cost, illuminating how care in remote areas can come with a stiffer price tag.
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She Paid Her Husband鈥檚 Hospital Bill. A Year After His Death, They Wanted More Money.
A widow encountered a perplexing reality in medical billing: Providers can come after patients to collect well after a bill has been paid.
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His Anesthesia Provider Billed Medicare Late. He Got Sent to Collections for the $3,000 Tab.
Medicare was supposed to cover the entire cost of his procedure. But after the anesthesia provider failed to file its claims in a timely manner, it billed the patient instead.
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A Mom Owed Nearly $102,000 for Hospital Care. Her State Attorney General Said to Pay Up.
As politicians bash privately run hospitals for their aggressive debt collection tactics, consumer advocates say one North Carolina family鈥檚 six-figure medical bill is an example of how state attorneys general and state-operated hospitals also can harm patients financially.
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The Hospital Bills Didn鈥檛 Find Her, but a Lawsuit Did 鈥 Plus Interest
Recovering from emergency gallbladder surgery, a Tennessee woman said she spent months without a permanent mailing address and never got a bill. She was sued by the health system two years later.
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He Returned to the US for His Daughter鈥檚 Wedding. He Left With a $42,000 Hospital Bill.
After emergency surgery, an American expatriate with Swiss insurance now carries the baggage of a five-figure bill. Costs for medical care in the U.S. can be two to three times the rates in other developed countries, so foreigners and expats with good insurance in their home countries need travel insurance to protect themselves from 鈥渃razy prices.鈥
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Expectant Mom Needed $15,000 Overnight to Save Her Twins
Doctors rushed a pregnant woman to a surgeon who charged thousands upfront just to see her. The case reveals a gap in medical billing protections for those with rare, specialized conditions.
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ER鈥檚 Error Lands a 4-Year-Old in Collections (For Care He Didn鈥檛 Receive)
A Florida woman tried to dispute an emergency room bill, but the hospital and collection agency refused to talk to her 鈥 because it was her child鈥檚 name on the bill, not hers.
By Daniel Chang Biden Budget Touches All the Bases
Episode 288Very little in the proposed budget released by the Biden administration is likely to become law, particularly with Republicans in charge of the U.S. House. Still, the document is an important statement of the president鈥檚 policy priorities, and it鈥檚 clear health programs are among those he feels are important. Meanwhile, five women who were denied abortions when their pregnancies threatened their lives are suing Texas. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Victoria Knight of Axios, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times join KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Harris Meyer, who reported and wrote the two latest KHN-NPR 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 features. Both were about families facing unexpected bills following childbirth.
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Surprise-Billing Law Loophole: When 鈥極ut of Network鈥 Doesn鈥檛 Quite Mean Out of Network
Billing experts and lawmakers are playing catch-up as providers find ways to get around new surprise-billing laws, leaving patients like Danielle Laskey of Washington state with big bills for emergency care.
By Harris Meyer