balance billing

COVID-19 Tests That Are Supposed To Be Free Can Ring Up Surprising Charges

5:07pm April 29, 2020

by Carmen Heredia Rodriguez

A graduate student in West Virginia was concerned she had come down with COVID-19. But she couldn't get tested for it until her doctor ruled out other things, a process that cost a bundle.

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California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, along with 1,500 self-funded health plans, sued Sutter Health for antitrust violations. The closely watched case, which many expected to set precedents nationwide, ended in a settlement Wednesday. Above, Sutter

Health & Safety

Hospital Giant Sutter Health Agrees To Settlement In Big Antitrust Fight

6:01pm October 16, 2019

by Jenny Gold

Health care costs in Northern California, where Sutter Health dominates, are 20% to 30% higher than in Southern California, even after adjusting for cost of living. Settlement terms aren't yet public.

In rugged, rural areas, patients often have little choice about how they'll get to the hospital in an emergency. "The presence of private equity in the air ambulance industry indicates that investors see profit opportunities," a 2017 report from the feder

Wyoming Wants To Use Medicaid To Reduce Air Ambulance Bills For All Patients

12:57pm August 23, 2019

by Markian Hawryluk

Frustrated with sky-high bills from air ambulance companies, Wyoming hopes to hammer down those charges with more regulation. The companies say such a proposal undermines free enterprise.

President Trump called for legislative action on surprise medical bills during a White House event Thursday.

Health & Safety

Trump Throws Support Behind Fix For Surprise Medical Bills, But Hurdles Remain

4:07pm May 09, 2019

by Julie Rovner

A bipartisan group of senators has been working on a plan to protect patients from unexpected medical bills. Disagreements within the health care industry could thwart those efforts.

The proposed legislation aims to reduce patients' costs by beefing up a Texas Department of Insurance program that scrutinizes surprise balance bills greater than $500 from any emergency health care provider.

Texas Sharpens Aim At Surprise Medical Bills In Bipartisan Proposal

8:24pm March 01, 2019

by Ashley Lopez

Legislation introduced in Texas this week would force the state's health care providers and health insurers to mediate payment disputes before they send bills to patients.

The total bill for Drew Calver's four-day hospital stay at St. David's Medical Center in April 2017 was $164,941. His insurer paid $55,840, leaving Calver responsible for the unpaid balance of $108,951.31.

Health & Safety

The Remedy For Surprise Medical Bills May Lie In Stitching Up Federal Law

5:11pm September 10, 2018

Gaps in a wide-ranging law covering employee benefits can blindside consumers whose health coverage is provided by company and union health plans that pay claims out of their own funds.