surprise medical bills

Lawmakers in both parties are trying to balance the competing needs of powerful stakeholders and consumers stuck with high bills. Despite progress, many insiders expect work to continue into 2020.

Texas passed a bipartisan law against surprise medical billing, but advocates warn that a proposed rule could severely weaken it, continuing to allow surprise bills in many situations.

After Tom Saputo underwent a double-lung transplant in 2018, he was stunned by the more than $11,000 bill for his share of a 27-mile air ambulance ride from one hospital to another.

As Congress considers legislation to end surprise medical billing, some are looking at lessons learned from New York's experiment with "baseball-style" arbitration.

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.

The high ER charge for treating one Colorado groom's hangover the day before his wedding illustrates how emergency room bills have become major headaches for many Americans.

Groupon and other deal sites are the latest marketing tactic in medicine, offering bargain prices. But critics say pursuing such discounts can also entail getting unnecessary or duplicative services.

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.

Iron-deficiency anemia is often remedied with drugstore iron pills. But if that doesn't work, doctors sometimes prescribe iron infusions — and the bill for that can vary by thousands of dollars. Why?

A broad executive order issued Monday is supposed to help consumers get better estimates of health care costs. But whether it will be a game changer depends on the details, say health care analysts.