Latest California Healthline Stories
When Copay Assistance Backfires on Patients
Drugmakers offer copay assistance programs to patients, but insurers are tapping into those funds, not counting the amounts toward patient deductibles. That leads to unexpected charges. But the practice is under growing scrutiny.
If You’re Poor, Fertility Treatment Can Be Out of Reach
For low-income people who are on Medicaid or whose employer health plan is skimpy, help for infertility seems unattainable.
Si eres pobre, un tratamiento de fertilidad suele ser un sueño inaccesible
Pero las personas con ingresos más bajos, a menudo de minorías, tienen más probabilidades de estar cubiertas por Medicaid o por seguros limitados que no tienen esta cobertura.
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.
New California Law Offers Fresh Protection From Steep Ambulance Bills
The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, prohibits out-of-network ground ambulance operators from billing patients more than they would pay for in-network rides. It also caps how much the uninsured must pay.
Nueva ley de California ofrece protección contra facturas por viajes en ambulancia
En California, casi tres cuartas partes de los traslados de emergencia en ambulancia generan facturas fuera de la red. La factura sorpresa promedio es de $1,209, la más alta del país
Pfizer, Moderna Push the New Covid Booster. Should You Get It? The CDC Is About to Decide.
Chances are, if you aren’t older, chronically ill, or obese, you don’t need a forthcoming covid vaccine to stay out of the hospital. But it probably wouldn’t hurt.
A pesar de las amplias recomendaciones para el refuerzo anticovid actualizado publicadas el otoño pasado, sólo el 17% de la población la recibió, y alrededor del 43% de las personas de 65 años o más.
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.
New Weight Loss Drugs Carry High Price Tags and Lots of Questions for Seniors
Although nearly 40% of Americans 60 and older are obese, Medicare doesn’t cover weight loss medications. Meanwhile, studies haven’t thoroughly examined new drugs’ impact on older adults.