out-of-network

Sovereign Valentine, a personal trainer in Plains, Mont., needs dialysis for his end-stage renal disease. When he first started dialysis treatments, Fresenius Kidney Care clinic in Missoula charged $13,867.74 per session, or about 59 times the $235 Medica

Dialysis Firm Cancels $524,600.17 Medical Bill After Journalists Investigate

12:19pm July 26, 2019

by Jenny Gold

This week, NPR profiled a Montana man who was billed nearly half a million dollars for 14 weeks of dialysis, after being caught in a dispute between insurer and the dialysis provider. Now he owes $0.

In many rural areas, helicopters are the only speedy way to get patients to a trauma center or hospital burn unit. As more than 100 rural hospitals have closed around the U.S. since 2010, the need for air transport has only increased.

Why Air Ambulance Bills Are Still Sky-High

5:00am June 14, 2019

by Rachel Bluth

The median air ambulance bill is more than $36,000 and is seldom covered by health plans. So far, legislative hurdles and industry pressure have kept Congress from stepping in.

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act still prohibits your insurer from using the results of genetic tests against you. But the ACA's additional protections may be in doubt if certain states get their way.

Has Genetic Privacy Been Strained By Trump's Recent ACA Moves?

8:02am July 11, 2018

by Michelle Andrews

As the Trump administration decides not to defend the Affordable Care Act's legal protections for people with pre-existing conditions, questions arise about health insurance and genetic information.

States Make Laws To Protect Patients From Hidden Medical Bills

10:19am July 15, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Too many patients only learn after they get the bill that their insurer won't cover some medical services provided in the hospital. New laws in several states aim to stop those nasty surprises.