Out-Of-Pocket Costs Archives - Page 2 of 13

New Year, Same Health Fight

Episode 428

Jan. 8, 2026

Congress returned from its break facing a familiar question: whether to extend the expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans that expired at the end of 2025. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. broke a promise to Bill Cassidy, the chairman of Senate health committee, by overhauling the federal government’s childhood vaccine schedule to reduce the number of diseases for which vaccines will be recommended. Sarah Karlin-Smith of Pink Sheet, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join �Թϲ��’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more.

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HealthCare Helpline

To Knock Down Health-System Hurdles Between You and HIV Prevention, Try These 6 Things

It’s been more than 10 years since the FDA first approved an HIV prevention drug. Today, people who could benefit from preexposure prophylaxis often struggle to access the lifesaving medicine or run into doctors without the education or empathy to offer affirming care. And those lapses can produce billing headaches.

By Zach Dyer

Jan. 5, 2026

A mother and father sit on the floor in a well-lit room with their two young children in their laps for a studio portrait.

Out-of-Pocket Pain From High-Deductible Plans Means Skimping on Care

High-deductible health insurance plans are increasingly common, and many more enrollees will likely need to choose such plans for the coming year. For those with chronic conditions like diabetes, the gamble can mean compromised care and long-term consequences.

By Charlotte Huff

Dec. 9, 2025

A portrait of a young woman leaning gently on a cane.

Medicaid Work Rules Exempt the ‘Medically Frail.’ Deciding Who Qualifies Is Tricky.

People on Medicaid deemed “medically frail” won’t need to meet new federal requirements that enrollees work 80 hours a month or perform another approved activity. But state officials are grappling with how to interpret who qualifies under the vague federal definition, which could affect millions.

By Samantha Liss and Sam Whitehead

Dec. 1, 2025

HealthCare Helpline

So Your Insurance Dropped Your Doctor. Now What?

Patients sometimes find themselves scrambling for affordable care when a contract dispute causes a hospital — and most of the doctors and other clinicians who work there — to be dropped from an insurance network. Here are six things to know if that happens to you.

By Bram Sable-Smith

Oct. 29, 2025

A photo of a person holding receipts and a cell phone while sitting at a table covered in letters and bills.

Diagnosis: Debt

As Trump Punts on Medical Debt, Battle Over Patient Protections Moves to States

Some states are enacting medical debt laws as the Trump administration pulls back federal protections. Elsewhere, industry opposition has derailed legislation.

By Noam N. Levey, Katheryn Houghton, and Arielle Zionts

Sept. 25, 2025

A photo of an unidentifiable doctor and pregnant patient facing one another in conversation.

Watch: Why Is Having a Baby So Expensive in the US?

�Թϲ�� video producer Hannah Norman breaks down why new parents are getting billed thousands of dollars for births.

By Hannah Norman

Sept. 12, 2025

An illustration of a woman holding a baby to her chest with her left arm, while holding a phone to her ear with her right hand. She has a concerned expression as she holds her baby close. Sound waves radiate out from the baby's ear, and dollar bills float around them.

HealthCare Helpline

Try This When Your Doctor Says ‘Yes’ to a Preventive Test but Insurance Says ‘No’

A joint project of NPR and �Թϲ��, Healthcare Helpline helps you navigate the health system hurdles between you and good care. Send us your tricky questions, and we may tap a policy sleuth to puzzle them out. Here is what to do if your preventive care gets denied.

By Jackie Fortiér

Aug. 21, 2025

An up-close artistic photo of a stack of different multi-colored pills.

Breaking Down Why Medicare Part D Premiums Are Likely To Go Up

Insurers will take drug costs, frequency of use, and other factors into account as they set premium amounts for the 2026 plan year.

By Julie Appleby

Aug. 15, 2025

Why Young Americans Dread Turning 26: Health Insurance Chaos

Young adults without jobs that provide insurance find their options are limited and expensive. The problem is about to get worse.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal and Hannah Norman

Aug. 11, 2025

A glitchy photo illustration of a laptop opened with the healthcare.gov website opened.

A Guide To Finding Insurance at 26‌

It’s a difficult rite of passage for young adults without job-based insurance. Here are some tips for getting started.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

Aug. 11, 2025

A vector illustration of someone with one hand to their face and a credit card in the other hand. They are sitting in front of a laptop on a table.

Diagnosis: Debt

Trump Voters Wanted Relief From Medical Bills. For Millions, the Bills Are About To Get Bigger.

Moves by the Trump administration to pare back Medicaid, rescind medical debt rules, and loosen vaccine requirements threaten to increase medical bills for millions of Americans.

By Noam N. Levey

July 25, 2025

A husband and wife stand outside their home, surrounded by lush green plants and tall purple flowers.

Amid PFAS Fallout, a Maine Doctor Navigates Medical Risks With Her Patients

A doctor doing environmental health research in rural Maine is working to establish the best practices to treat patients exposed to “forever chemicals,” potentially leading the way for practitioners across the nation.

By Marina Schauffler

July 22, 2025

A closely cropped photo of a senior woman holding a paper letter. She presses her hand to her lips as she makes a stressed expression.

Perspective

Surprise Medical Bills Were Supposed To Be a Thing of the Past. Surprise — They’re Not.

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.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

July 18, 2025

Closeup of a doula assisting a pregnant woman by placing a belly band while she's sitting on a fitness ball, providing support and comfort during pregnancy

Doulas, Once a Luxury, Are Increasingly Covered by Medicaid — Even in GOP States

Even as states brace for significant reductions in federal Medicaid funding over the next decade, conservative legislatures across the country are passing laws that grant doula access to Medicaid beneficiaries.

By Lauren Sausser and Katheryn Houghton

July 10, 2025

A photo of an older man having his blood pressure checked by a doctor in an exam room.

Trump’s DOJ Accuses Medicare Advantage Insurers of Paying ‘Kickbacks’ for Primo Customers

The Department of Justice alleges that several major health insurers paid brokerages “hundreds of millions of dollars in kickbacks” to get agents to steer consumers into their Medicare Advantage plans, allegations the insurers strongly dispute.

By Julie Appleby

May 19, 2025

A photo of a senior man having his blood pressure checked during a visit with a health care professional at his home.

Montana Examines Ways To Ease Health Care Workforce Shortages

Bills before the legislature would license community health workers and make it easier for some other health professionals licensed in other states to do business in Montana.

By Sue O'Connell

March 26, 2025

Three headshots are side by side. A man with glasses is on the left, a woman with straight caramel hair is in the center, and a man wearing a baseball cap is on the right.

Common Ground

Republicans Once Wanted Government out of Health Care. Trump Voters See It Differently.

Frustrated by high health care prices, many who backed President Donald Trump support strong government actions to protect patients. It’s unclear whether GOP leaders will listen.

By Noam N. Levey

Feb. 27, 2025

A man sits in an armchair near a window and looks at the camera.

Bill of the Month

He Went in for a Colonoscopy. The Hospital Charged $19,000 for Two.

A man in Chicago with a troubling symptom underwent a common procedure. Then he wanted to know why the hospital charged nearly three times its own cost estimate.

By Harris Meyer

Dec. 19, 2024