health care costs

Cyclosporine is one of the drugs that organ transplant patients take so the body won't reject the organ.

Medicare Pays For A Kidney Transplant, But Not The Drugs To Keep It Viable

11:13am December 22, 2016

by Richard Harris

The federal government pays for kidney transplants. But the program only pays for essential anti-rejection drugs for three years. Many people can't afford them and can end up losing the kidney.

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Juana Rivera (left) speaks with agent Fabrizzio Russi about buying insurance through the Affordable Care Act in Miami in 2014.

Millions Of People Are Having An Easier Time Paying Medical Bills

4:37pm November 30, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

The number of people who say they are struggling to pay medical bills has dropped by 13 million in the past five years, a study finds. An improving economy and the Affordable Care Act are why.

Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers are required to cover birth control with no copay. It's unclear what will happen to coverage if the act is repealed or amended.

Spike In Demand For Long-Acting Birth Control Strains Clinic Budgets

12:49pm November 23, 2016

by Erin Ross

Family planning centers funded by the federal government are straining to meet a post-election surge in demand for contraceptives. And it's unclear if the new Congress will continue support.

Shopping For Obamacare Opens To Mixed Reviews From Consumers

4:40pm November 01, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

Conversations with two people show how the cost of insurance through the Affordable Care Act varies widely, because subsidies and deductibles available are based on individual circumstances.

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Rates Up 22 Percent For Obamacare Plans, But Subsidies Rise, Too

9:30am October 25, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

The premiums on benchmark plans are increasing by an average of 22 percent in 2017, the government says, but more than 70 percent of people can get one for less than $75 a month after subsidies.

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Hygienist Beth Rowan cleans the teeth of Lindsay Klecker, 31, who has cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder. Rowan works at the Marshfield Clinic in Chippewa Falls, Wis.

Getting Dental Care Can Be A Challenge For People With Disabilities

11:50am October 24, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

People with serious disabilities and their caregivers often struggle to find dentists who have the ability and desire to take care of their teeth. Cost is another issue.

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A survey finds that more than half of people with insurance through work are in a high-deductible health plan.

Employees Are Paying A Bigger Chunk Of Health Insurance Costs

5:26pm September 14, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

Bosses are passing more of the cost of health insurance on to workers in an effort to keep spending under control. But that can be unfair to lower-income employees, who pay disproportionately more.

Cassie Ray (seen with her husband, Gerry) got a surprise bill from an out-of-network anesthesiologist after an operation.

California Aims To Limit Surprise Medical Bills

5:11am September 11, 2016

by Stephanie O'Neill

California Gov. Jerry Brown has on his desk a bill that aims to protect patients' pocketbooks when they're billed for treatment by an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility.

How big a deal is the spending on drugs for rare diseases?

How Much Do Drugs For Rare Diseases Add To Health Care Spending?

4:16pm September 07, 2016

by Sarah Jane Tribble

Researchers analyzing recent drug spending in the U.S. say that high-priced drugs for rare diseases aren't having a widespread or significant effect on overall health care spending.

The cost of an EpiPen two-pack has risen more than 400 percent in recent years. The drug is used to halt severe allergic reactions.

Discounts Aren't Enough to Halt Outrage At High EpiPen Prices

6:28pm August 25, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

EpiPen, the new poster child for prescription drug price gouging, may find that offering discount coupons isn't enough to mollify its critics in Congress and online.

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