Uninsured but Undaunted, a Surgical Patient ³Ō¹Ļ²»“ņģČed the Globe for a Deal
When surgery became unavoidable, a man with no insurance shopped around for the best price for a hernia repair ā and saved thousands by traveling out of state.
Bill of the Month
This crowdsourced investigation by ³Ō¹Ļ²»“ņģČ 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.
121 - 140 of 194 Results
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Savvy Patient Fought for the Price She Was Quoted ā And Didnāt Give Up
A California woman thought the discount on her coinsurance before an operation sounded too good to be true. Turns out, she was right.
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Moved by Plight of Young Heart Patient, Stranger Pays His Hospital Bill
A retired college professor in Las Vegas saw Matthew Fentressā story and felt called to help. So she paid off $5,000 of his medical bill. āWhen you help other people, it gives you joy,ā the Good Samaritan said.
By Laura Ungar -
Watch: Young Man Faces Medical Bankruptcy ā Even With Insurance
"CBS This Morning" tells the story of Matthew Fentress, a young man who has had serious heart disease for six years. It's the latest story in the ongoing crowdsourced Bill of the Month investigation.
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Heartbreaking Bills, Lawsuit and Bankruptcy ā Even With Insurance
With health insurance that can leave him on the hook for more than a quarter of his salary every year, a Kentucky essential worker who has heart disease is one of millions of Americans who are functionally uninsured. At only 31, he has already been through bankruptcy and being sued by his hospital. This year, he faced a bill for more than $10,000.
By Laura Ungar -
Veteranās Appendectomy Launches Excruciating Months-Long Battle Over Bill
An uninsured Colorado man owed $80,232 after two surgeries ā the second to correct a complication from the first. After months of negotiating with the hospital, he still owes far more than most insurers would pay for the surgery he had.
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āAn Arm and a Legā: How to Fight Bogus Medical Bills Like a Bulldog
When a colleague brings a medical billing problem to human resources director Steve Benasso ā he goes to battle. āI am a bulldog on this stuff,ā he said. In this episode, Benasso tells how he does it.
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Watch: When a Surprise Helper During Surgery Is Out-of-Network
"CBS This Morning" features the July installment of KHN-NPR's Bill of the Month about a surgical assistant's out-of-network bill for helping during knee surgery.
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Ever Heard of a Surgical Assistant? Meet a New Boost to Your Medical Bills
A college studentās bill for outpatient knee surgery is a whopper ā $96K ā but the most mysterious part is a $1,167 charge from a health care provider she didnāt even know was in the operating room.
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Bill Of The Month
COVID Catch-22: They Got A Big ER Bill Because Hospitals Couldnāt Test For Virus
Americans who had coronavirus symptoms in March and April are getting big hospital bills ā because they were not sick enough to get then-scarce COVID tests. Some insurers say they are trying to correct these bills, but patients may have to put up a fight.
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Essential Worker Shoulders $1,840 Pandemic Debt Due To COVID Cost Loophole
Carmen Quintero had symptoms of COVID-19, couldnāt get tested and ended up with a huge bill. She also was told to self-isolate and assume she had the coronavirus ā which is hard when you live with elders.
By Sarah Varney -
Bill Of The Month
COVID-Like Cough Sent Him To ER ā Where He Got A $3,278 Bill
A dad in Denver tried to do everything right when COVID symptoms surfaced. Still, he ended up with a huge bill from an insurer that had said it waived cost sharing for coronavirus treatment. What gives?
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Congress Said COVID-19 Tests Should Be Free ā But Who’s Paying?
Some large employers interpreted themselves as exempt from new federal laws that say tests for the coronavirus should be free to patients. Large academic medical centers are holding back from sending bills to these patients to avoid a backlash over surprise billing.
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āAn Arm And A Legā: If Insurer Bills You For COVID Testing, Talk ā And Maybe Tweet ā It Out
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act requires private insurers to pay for certain services related to coronavirus testing at no cost to the patient. But gaps in the protections expose patients to unexpected medical bills.
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COVID Tests Are Free, Except When Theyāre Not
Her doctor worried she had COVID-19 but couldnāt test her for it until she ruled out other things. That test cost a bundle.
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Her Genetic Test Revealed A Microscopic Problem ā And A Jumbo Price Tag
Molecular diagnostics are at the frontier of science, but insurance and billing questions create a minefield for patients.
By Liz Szabo -
Watch: One Father’s Fight Against ‘Predatory’ Drug Price
"CBS This Morning" looks at the latest "Bill of the Month" installment. A drug implant for children has a price tag of $37,300, while one used in adults with the same active ingredient goes for $4,400.Ā Ā
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Hormone Blocker Shocker: Drug Costs 8 Times More When Used For Kids
Two drug implants are nearly identical. The one for children has a list price of $37,300. For adults, the list price is $4,400. One dad fought for his daughter to be able to use the cheaper drug.
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Appendicitis Is Painful ā Add A $41,212 Surgery Bill To The Misery
A young man averted medical disaster after a friend took him to the nearest hospital just before his appendix burst. But more than a year later, heās still facing a $28,000 balance bill for his out-of-network surgery.
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Watch: Woman Hit With $28K Bill For A Throat Swab
A routine doctor's visit for a sore throat brought more than $28,000 in charges for one New York City woman in our latest "Bill of the Month" installment.
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Paying It Forward: āBill Of The Monthā Series, A Vital Toolkit For Patients, Wraps Year 2
In our ongoing, crowdsourced investigation with NPR and CBS, weāve armed future health system pilgrims with the tools they need to avoid exorbitant medical bills and fight back against unfair charges. Hereās a look back at 2019ās stories.