Latest California Healthline Stories
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ A ‘Healthy’ State Of The Union
Health was a featured player in President Donald Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address. The president set goals to bring down prescription drug prices, end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. and cure childhood cancer, among other things. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News and Alice Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and, for “extra credit,” provide their favorite health policy stories of the week. Rovner also interviews KHN senior correspondent Phil Galewitz about the current “Bill of the Month” feature.
Analysis: Pulling Back Curtain On Hospital Prices Adds New Wrinkle In Cost Control
The Trump administration has ordered hospitals to reveal their prices. If patients and politicians pay attention, this could be a game changer for health care.
Transparent Hospital Pricing Exposes Wild Fluctuation, Even Within Miles
A new federal rule requires hospitals to post their prices online. These lists reveal the wildly different charges for basic procedures and services, but consumers will have a hard time putting this information to use.
Listen: Do Consumers Benefit When Hospitals Post Sticker Prices Online?
As of Jan. 1, hospitals must post price lists — known as chargemasters — online. These massive compendiums include the costs set by each hospital for every service or drug a patient might encounter.
TV Ads Must Trumpet Drug Prices, Trump Administration Says. Pharma Tries A Plan B.
Drug pricing is a top issue in the run-up to the midterm elections.
Putting Oversized Health Care Costs Upfront — On T-Shirts
The Maryland Health Care Commission has created a consumer education campaign that puts the costs of common health care procedures on a place where people might see them – T-shirts.
Hospital baja cuenta de $109,000 a $332… ¿qué pasa con las facturas sorpresa?
El hospital St. David’s Medical Center, en Austin, Texas, bajó una cuenta médica drásticamente. ¿Por qué fue tan alta en principio? ¿Qué pasa con las cuentas sorpresa?
The $109K Heart Attack Bill Is Down To $332. What About Other Surprise Bills?
“I don’t feel any consumer should have to go through this,” says Drew Calver, who faced a life-changing surprise bill from an Austin hospital after a heart attack last year. After attention as a “Bill of the Month” patient, he paid the hospital $332. But he worries about other patients with surprise bills.
Bill Of The Month: For Toenail Fungus, A $1,500 Prescription
How a prescription wiped out one woman’s health reimbursement account, raising questions about prescription drug price tags and about how health care professionals deal (or don’t) with medical costs.
California Drug Price Bill Sweeping In Scope, Lacking In Muscle
The proposal, which is headed to the desk of Gov. Jerry Brown, would impose new reporting requirements on drugmakers and health plans but wouldn’t have the power to bring down prices directly.