High Cost Of Diabetes Drugs Often Goes Overlooked
Cost increases for both old and new diabetes drugs are forcing many patients to scramble to pay for them.
health care costs
A Change To Out-Of-Pocket Health Insurance Limits Irks Employers
In 2016, the out-of-pocket spending limit for anyone in an insured family would be set at $6,850. Employers say that would be a costly change for plans that set caps based on total family spending.
Happy 50th Birthday, Medicare. Your Patients Are Getting Healthier
The past 15 years have seen a drop in deaths and hospitalizations among Medicare patients — people 65 and older. Teasing out why is tricky, but it seems a good trend for the 50-year-old program.
Doctors Press For Action To Lower 'Unsustainable' Prices For Cancer Drugs
More than a hundred influential doctors banded together to propose seven ways to bring down the high prices of cancer drugs. They say changes are needed to preserve access to care.
Costs Of Slipshod Research Methods May Be In The Billions
Up to half of all results from biomedical research laboratories these days can't be replicated by other science teams. Why not? Myriad flubs slow progress in the hunt for cures.
How Much Does A Colonoscopy Cost In California? Help Find Out
Prices for common medical procedures vary widely, and it can be really hard to find out the true cost up front. This crowdsourcing project aims to help draw back the curtain on colonoscopy costs.
Here's A Radical Approach To Big Hospital Bills: Set Your Own Price
Some companies are refusing to pay employee hospital bills that they think are out of line. Instead, they pay what they think is reasonable. So far the gambit appears to be working.
Family Doctors Who Do More, Save More
A study suggests that coordinated care, led by a family doctor who is judicious about referring patients to specialists, leads to cost savings.
Brand-Name Medicines Dominate Medicare's $103 Billion Drug Bill
Federal officials released prescription histories of hundreds of thousands of doctors and identified the most common and costly drugs. Medicare spent the most on a purple pill for heartburn.
More Whistleblowers Say Health Plans Are Gouging Medicare
Federal authorities are investigating claims that some Medicare Advantage health plans have overcharged the government for years by claiming that patients are sicker than they are.