Bill of the Month
³Ō¹Ļ²»“ņģČ, in collaboration with The Washington Post, examines and decodes your perplexing medical bills.
Investigations
Priced Out
Americaās Health Insurance Crisis
Common Ground
Americans are split over many issues, but helping people with cancer and other serious illnesses retains broad bipartisan support.
101 - 120 of 454 Results
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Exclusive: Emails Reveal How Health Departments Struggle To Track Human Cases of Bird Flu
Emails show how health officials struggle to track the bird flu, partly in deference to the agricultural industry. As a result, researchers donāt know how often farmworkers are being infected ā and could miss alarming signals.
By Amy Maxmen -
A California Official Helped Save a Mental Health Companyās Contract. It Flew Him to London.
The director of a California state mental health agency traveled to the U.K. courtesy of Kooth, a digital mental health company with a $271 million contract to build a therapy app for the stateās youth. Weeks earlier, he pressed key legislative staffers to restore a proposed cut to Koothās funding.
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Super Bowl Rally Shooting Victims Pick Up Pieces, but Gun Violence Haunts Their Lives
Eight months after the Feb. 14 shooting, people wounded at the Kansas City Chiefs parade are wary of more gun violence. In this installment of āThe Injured,ā survivors of the shooting say they feel gun violence is inescapable and are desperately seeking a sense of safety.
By Peggy Lowe, KCUR and Bram Sable-Smith -
Harris Backs Slashing Medical Debt. Trumpās āConceptsā Worry Advocates.
The Biden administration has taken significant steps to address a problem that burdens 100 million people in America, but gains would be jeopardized by a Trump win, advocates say.
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The Medicare Advantage Influence Machine
New court filings and lobbying reports reveal an industry drive to tamp down critics ā and retain billions of dollars in overcharges.
By Fred Schulte and Holly K. Hacker -
Nursing Aides Plagued by PTSD After āNightmareā Covid Conditions, With Little Help
A ³Ō¹Ļ²»“ņģČ investigation reveals that employers and the government have offered nursing aides little assistance for PTSD and other ongoing maladies triggered by hazardous work during the pandemic.
By Amy Maxmen -
In Chronic Pain, This Teenager āCould Barely Do Anything.ā Insurer Wouldnāt Cover Surgery.
An Alabama teen was told he needed surgery for debilitating hip pain. But his familyās insurer denied coverage for the procedure, which lacked a medical billing code. Expected to pay more than $7,000, his father charged it to credit cards.
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California Governor Signs Law Banning Medical Debt From Credit Reports
New California legislation will bar unpaid medical bills from showing up on consumer credit reports starting in January. However, the banking industry muscled in eleventh-hour amendments that weakened the protections for patients, the billās lead sponsor says.
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These Alabama Workers Were Swamped by Medical Debt. Then Their Employer Stepped In.
A decades-old manufacturing company opened a clinic and made primary care and prescriptions free for employees and their families.
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Errors in Deloitte-Run Medicaid Systems Can Cost Millions and Take Years To Fix
As states wait for Deloitte to make fixes in computer systems, Medicaid beneficiaries risk losing access to health care and food.
By Samantha Liss and Rachana Pradhan -
Patient Underwent One Surgery but Was Billed for Two. Even After Being Sued, She Refused To Pay.
A collection agency sought court authority to garnish a patientās wages to pay a disputed surgery bill. But after the patient showed up in court to argue the bill was bogus, the judge declined to let the bill collector seize her money.
By Tony Leys -
Opioid Settlements Promise Mississippi a Windfall. What Happens Next?
Millions of dollars from national opioid settlements are pouring into Mississippi. The state and localities havenāt spent much yet. In many cases, how the money will be used is up in the air.
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Kids Who Survived Super Bowl Shooting Are Scared, Suffering Panic Attacks and Sleep Problems
Six months after the Feb. 14 parade, parents of survivors under 18 years old say their children are deeply changed. In this installment of āThe Injured,ā we meet kids who survived the mass shooting only to live with long-term emotional scars.
By Bram Sable-Smith and Peggy Lowe, KCUR -
Her Hearing Implant Was Preapproved. Nonetheless, She Got $139,000 Bills for Months.
Even when patients double-check that their care is covered by insurance, health providers often send them bills as they haggle with insurers over reimbursement, which can last for months. Itās stressful and annoying ā but legal.
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$2 Million Disbursed to Victims and Community Groups in Wake of Super Bowl Mass Shooting
The United Way of Greater Kansas City gave $1.2 million to victims and $832,000 to 14 community groups Thursday, hoping to reach other victims from the violence at the Kansas City Chiefsā Super Bowl parade, as well as those working to prevent gun violence.
By Peggy Lowe, KCUR and Bram Sable-Smith -
Itās Called an Urgent Care Emergency Center ā But Which Is It?
Suffering stomach pain, a Dallas man visited his local urgent care clinic ā or so he thought, until he got a bill 10 times what heād expected.
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Super Bowl Parade Shooting Survivors Await Promised Donations While Bills Pile Up
Families of the people hurt during the Feb. 14 mass shooting are carrying what one expert calls āvictimization debt.ā In the third story of our series āThe Injured,ā we learn about the strain of paying small and large medical bills and other out-of-pocket costs.
By Peggy Lowe, KCUR and Bram Sable-Smith -
He Fell Ill on a Cruise. Before He Boarded the Rescue Boat, They Handed Him the Bill.
A man from Michigan was evacuated from a cruise ship after having seizures. First, he drained his bank account to pay his medical bills.
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Why One New York Health System Stopped Suing Its Patients
Most U.S. hospitals aggressively pursue patients for unpaid bills. One New York hospital system decided to work with them instead.
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Tribal Nations Invest Opioid Settlement Funds in Traditional Healing To Treat Addiction
Hundreds of Native American tribes are getting money from settlements with companies that made or sold prescription painkillers. Some are investing it in sweat lodges, statistical models, and insurance-billing staffers.