‘I Can Go Anywhere’: How Service Dogs Help Veterans With PTSD
By Stephanie O'Neill Patison
The PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act means more veterans with symptoms of traumatic stress can get specially trained service dogs.
The $18,000 Breast Biopsy: When Having Insurance Costs You a Bundle
By Lauren Sausser
An online calculator told a young woman that a procedure to rule out cancer would cost an uninsured person about $1,400. Instead, the hospital initially charged almost $18,000 and, with her high-deductible health insurance, she owed more than $5,000.
His-and-Hers Cataract Surgeries, But His Bill Was 20 Times as Much
By Angela Hart
Photos by Heidi de Marco
Whether a simple operation is performed under the auspices of a hospital or at an independent surgery center can make a huge difference in cost.
Her First Colonoscopy Cost Her $0. Her Second Cost $2,185. Why?
By Michelle Andrews
Preventive care, like screening colonoscopies, is supposed to be free of charge to patients under the Affordable Care Act. But some hospitals haven’t gotten the memo.
The Case of the $489,000 Air Ambulance Ride
By Julie Appleby
Diagnosed with aggressive leukemia on a Western trip, a young man thought his insurance would cover an air ambulance ride home to North Carolina. Instead, questions about medical necessity left him with an astronomical bill.
An $80,000 Tab for Newborns Lays Out a Loophole in the New Law to Curb Surprise Bills
By Jay Hancock
Photos by Heidi de Marco
The insurance company said that the birth of the Bull family’s twins was not an emergency and that NICU care was “not medically necessary.” The family’s experience with a huge bill sent to collections happened in 2020, but it exposes a hole in the new No Surprises law that took effect Jan. 1.
After Medical Bills Broke the Bank, This Family Headed to Mexico for Care
By Paula Andalo
The Fierro family owed a Yuma, Arizona, hospital more than $7,000 for care given to mom and dad, so when a son dislocated his shoulder, they headed to Mexicali. The care was quick, good, and affordable.
Epidemic: Speedboat Epidemiology
In Bangladesh, smallpox eradication workers went to great lengths to vaccinate even one person, sometimes traveling by speedboat, crossing rickety bamboo bridges or leech-infested paddy fields. Episode 4 of the “Eradicating Smallpox” podcast is about what it takes to bring care directly to people where they are.
‘Better Than the Hospital’: Pandemic Boosts Care for Serious Illnesses at Home
By Stephanie O'Neill Patison
Covid-19 and dozens of other illnesses now qualify for home treatment under a new federal effort aimed at freeing up hospital beds during public health emergencies.
Llámalo “Mexicare”: hartos de cuentas médicas astronómicas, familia cruza la frontera para recibir atención
By Paula Andalo
La familia Fierro le debe a un hospital de Yuma, Arizona, más de $7,000 por dos situaciones médicas. Así que cuando uno de los hijos se dislocó el hombro, fueron a Mexicali, México. La atención fue rápida, buena y económica.