health care

Hospital bills can be as painful as the injury that lands you there — especially if insurance doesn't cover the costs.

Surprise! Some Job-Based Health Plans Don't Cover Hospitalization

11:51am June 18, 2015

by Jay Hancock

Better read the fine print of your health insurance policy. An unlucky woman in Minnesota learned her policy was woefully skimpy only after she fell while walking her dogs, and faced a $19,000 bill.

Hawaii ranks 49th in the nation for use of home health care services during the last six months of someone's life. Videos from ACP Decisions show patients what their options are at the end of life.

Videos On End-Of-Life Choices Ease Tough Conversation

9:39pm June 17, 2015

by Ina Jaffe

A program in Hawaii aims to reduce the number of older people who spend their final days of life in a hospital. Hawaii has one of the highest rates of hospital deaths for those over age 65 in the U.S.

Queue Listen Now

If you're getting insurance through a parent's plan, don't presume the hospital bill for childbirth will be covered.

Insurance Still Doesn't Cover Childbirth For Some Young Women

11:55am June 17, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Insurance coverage for maternity care is deemed essential under the Affordable Care Act. But adult children on a parent's plan still may be on the hook for the cost of childbirth. And it's not cheap.

When health care providers have the latest information on various birth control methods, research suggests, more of their patients who use birth control choose a long-acting reversible method, like the IUD.

Updated Training Of Birth Control Counselors Boosts Use Of IUDs

9:35pm June 16, 2015

by Lisa Aliferis

And when the use of intrauterine devices and hormonal implants by young women goes up, the number of unplanned pregnancies sharply drops, researchers find.

Supreme Court Denies N.C. Appeal On State's Ultrasound Abortion Law

4:20pm June 15, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The controversial 2011 law was previously struck down on the grounds that it reflected ideological, rather than medical, priorities.

A Tea Party supporter rings a bell in protest of the health care law in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, as Obamacare supporters shout behind her.

Drama On The Docket: High Court's Term Set To End With Slate Of Big Cases

3:25pm June 15, 2015

by Ron Elving

It's crunch time for the U.S. Supreme Court, as consequential decisions will be coming soon. The biggest issues left: same-sex marriages, subsidies under Obamacare and lethal injection drugs.

Health & Safety

A Look At Sports And Health In America

9:42am June 15, 2015

by Scott Hensley

Americans' relationship with sports changes as we grow older. About three-quarters of adults say they played sports as children. By the time people are in their late 20s, only about a quarter do.

Renee Mitchell says even though she has health insurance she'll have trouble paying for the eye surgery she needs to save her vision.

Some Insured Patients Still Skipping Care Because Of High Costs

11:18am June 13, 2015

by Jim Burress

Research shows that, even with health insurance, many people put off expensive surgery, medicine and tests because they can't afford the high deductibles or copays. A few states hope to change that.

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An economist has ideas for making the market for organ donations more efficient.

How An Economist Helped Patients Find The Right Kidney Donors

2:18pm June 12, 2015

by Nancy Shute

If you've got a life-threatening medical condition, your first call might not be to an economist. But Alvin Roth used a theory about matching markets to help connect kidney patients and donors.

Health Insurance Premiums Will Go Up In 2016, But By How Much?

10:20am June 12, 2015

by Eric Whitney

Most people buying Obamacare plans next year are likely to face a small increase in the price of monthly premiums, early numbers suggest. A few plans are asking for steep price hikes, but that's rare.

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