Health Care Costs

Latest California Healthline Stories

When Hospitals and Insurers Fight, Patients Get Caught in the Middle

About 90,000 people spent months in limbo as central Missouri’s major, and often only, provider fought over insurance contracts. Patients getting caught in the crossfire of disputes has become a familiar complication, as about 8% of hospitals have left an insurer network since 2021. Trump administration policies could accelerate the trend.

An Insurer Agreed To Cover Her Surgery. A Politician’s Nudge Got the Bills Paid.

A kindergartner in Missouri needed eye surgery. Her insurer granted approval for her to see a specialist nearby, yet her parents were confused when they still owed more than $13,000. Then her uncle, a former state senator, reached out to a colleague who contacted the hospital and the insurer.

Native Americans Want To Avoid Past Medicaid Enrollment Snafus as Work Requirements Loom

As states prepare to implement changes to Medicaid required by President Donald Trump’s recent tax-and-spending law, tribal leaders say they are concerned Native American enrollees could lose their coverage, despite exemptions made by Congress.

Try This When Your Doctor Says ‘Yes’ to a Preventive Test but Insurance Says ‘No’

A joint project of NPR and KFF Health News, Health Care Helpline helps you navigate the health system hurdles between you and good care. Send us your tricky questions, and we may tap a policy sleuth to puzzle them out. Here is what to do if your preventive care gets denied.

Pandemia de miedo: redadas de inmigración empujan a pacientes a la telemedicina

Los pacientes que necesitan atención médica tienen cada vez más miedo de buscarla después que Trump derogara una política de la era Biden que prohibía redadas en zonas “sensibles” como escuelas, iglesias y hospitales.

Considering a Life Change? Brace for Higher ACA Costs

Consumers contemplating an early retirement or starting a business should calculate how Trump administration and congressional policy changes could increase their health insurance costs — and plan accordingly.