Jaw Surgery Takes a $27,119 Bite out of One Man’s Budget
By Phil Galewitz
A Seattle patient discovers the hard way that you can still hit a lifetime limit for certain types of care. And health plans can vary a lot from one job to the next, even if the insurer is the same.
Olympic Dream Dashed After Bike Crash and Nightmare Medical Bill Over $200K
By Samantha Young
A bicyclist from California competed in a Pennsylvania race that could have landed him in this month’s Tokyo Olympics. Instead, a crash on the velodrome track landed him in two hospitals where his out-of-state, out-of-network surgeries garnered huge bills.
Her Doctor’s Office Moved One Floor Up. Her Bill Was 10 Times Higher.
By Lauren Weber
Same building. Same procedure. Same doctor. But now you’re charged a hospital facility fee. For one Ohio Medicare patient, the copay for a shot that used to cost her about $30 went up to more than $300.
After Accident, Patient Crashes Into $700,000 Bill for Spine Surgery
By Julie Appleby
Generous personal injury coverage on your car policy may not be enough to cover medical bills. Patients can get financially blindsided when auto insurance and health insurance policies differ.
Coronavirus Has Upended Our World. It’s OK To Grieve.
By Stephanie O'Neill Patison
To weather uncertain times, it’s important to acknowledge and grieve losses — even if they seem small in the scheme of the global pandemic, psychologists and grief experts say.
Nothing To Sneeze At: The $2,659 Bill To Pluck Doll’s Shoe From Child’s Nostril
By Markian Hawryluk
Photos by Heidi de Marco
A 3-year-old girl put matching doll shoes up her nose. One came out easily. The second required an emergency department visit ― and generated a bill that is not child’s play.
Swab, Spit, Stay Home? College Coronavirus Testing Plans Are All Over the Map
By Michael McAuliff and Sebastián Martínez Valdivia, KBIA and Christine Herman, Side Effects Public Media and Stephanie O'Neill Patison
2020 will be a year like no other on college campuses, as every institution makes its own rules. Some have no plans to routinely test students for the coronavirus; others aim to test every student and staff member twice a week.
Mourning Paradise: Collective Trauma In A Town Destroyed
By Stephanie O'Neill Patison
The depth of psychological damage after the fire in Paradise, Calif., may depend on how much help residents are getting now.
Day-Tripping To The Dispensary: Seniors In Pain Hop Aboard The Canna-Bus
By Stephanie O'Neill Patison
Marijuana dispensaries are reaching out to seniors seeking help with the aches and pains of aging. They’re discovering an array of products, and some interesting side effects.
Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Whither Work Requirements?
In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Joanne Kenen of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Anna Edney of Bloomberg News discuss the latest enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid work requirements in Kentucky and President Donald Trump’s proposed government reorganization plan. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health stories of the week.