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Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
Insulin’s Steep Price Leads To Deadly Rationing
Alec Raeshawn Smith was 23 when diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and 26 when he died. He couldn’t afford $1,300 per month for his insulin and other diabetes supplies. So he tried to stretch the doses.
The High Cost Of Hope: When The Parallel Interests Of Pharma And Families Collide
Desperate for help in finding a lifesaving drug for a fatal genetic disease, families banded together to fund early research and then worked with drug companies on clinical trials and marketing. Yet, this small patient advocacy group is stunned by pharma’s pricing.
Surprise Medical Bills Are What Americans Fear Most In Paying For Health Care
Two-thirds of Americans worry about unexpectedly large bills from doctors, hospitals or other medical providers, a poll shows. Four in 10 have received one in the past year.
As California Hospitals Sweep Up Physician Practices, Patients See Higher Bills
A Health Affairs study quantifies the financial effects of such mergers on consumers and their insurers. The hospital industry and doctor practices say the consolidation leads to better coordination of care.
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?
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health articles from the week so you don’t have to.
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.
Watch: What Happened To That $109,000 Heart Attack
The story of a Texas teacher who faced a surprise “balance bill” of almost twice his annual salary gets a surprise happy ending.
CalPERS Health Chief Wields The Power Of Data To Tame Costs
Liana Bailey-Crimmins brings her information-technology expertise to CalPERS’ health division, aiming to curtail spending on otherwise costly procedures and drugs.