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At a time when more than 100 million Americans carry medical debt, it鈥檚 easy to get behind a promise of free, or free-ish, no-hassle health care. But turning an inspirational slogan into law gets gnarly.
The true cost of 鈥渧ertical integration鈥: patients directed to a higher-priced location for procedures. Or forced to buy from their insurer鈥檚 wholly owned pharmacy, which may not stock the drug prescribed or provide it at the lowest price.
A Finnish study followed patients for 10 years after they had a popular knee surgery. For many, the pain continued or even worsened.
For all of President Donald Trump鈥檚 showmanship, the share of Americans his policies will likely help remains slim, even if some patients do come out ahead.
Patients are getting stuck in the emergency department for days while waiting for a spot in an inpatient ward.
When medical bills started rolling in, a teacher鈥檚 aide in Florida wondered why her insurance suddenly wasn鈥檛 covering them. The answer? She owed a balance of 5 cents, so her insurer canceled her policy.
Health care prices are on the rise, and patients are flummoxed that even insurance companies aren鈥檛 doing more to control costs.
Diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, a California man was prescribed a drug that costs thousands of dollars a month. He said he was reassured that the drugmaker鈥檚 copay card would cover his share, but after two months, the card was empty.
Homemade hot sauce sent a Colorado man to the emergency room with what he called 鈥渢he worst pain of my life.鈥 But stomach cramps were only the beginning. Two years later, the bill came.
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As health systems, doctor groups, and insurers merge into ever-bigger giants, patient care gets more expensive. Yet the Trump administration has sent mixed signals about its willingness to intervene 鈥 and shown some disdain for Biden officials鈥 more aggressive approach.
The erosion of the Affordable Care Act has created an insurance cliff for Americans who are turning 26 and don鈥檛 have a job that provides medical coverage. Scared off by high price tags and the complexity of picking a policy, some young adults are going without insurance.
The cost of health insurance is rising faster than the price of eggs or gasoline.
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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to defund mRNA research is just the latest to put ideology above public health.
It鈥檚 a difficult rite of passage for young adults without job-based insurance. Here are some tips for getting started.
Young adults without jobs that provide insurance find their options are limited and expensive. The problem is about to get worse.
The No Surprises Act, which was signed in 2020 and took effect in 2022, was heralded as a landmark piece of legislation that would protect people who had health insurance from receiving surprise medical bills. And yet bills that take patients by surprise keep coming.
One thing experts agree on: The damage from the funding cuts will be varied and immense.
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