Health insurers are complying with federal rules aimed at price transparency that took effect July 1 and posting negotiated rates for just about every type of medical service - but it could be weeks before tech firms put the data dump of enormous proportions into usable forms. Read more»

Nationally and in every state, the minimum cost of living for older adults far exceeds federal poverty thresholds, yet eligibility for Medicaid, food stamps and other safety net programs do not account for variations in cost of living or medical expenses incurred by older adults. Read more»

Fresh off the Federal Trade Commission’s successful challenges to four hospital mergers, the Biden administration’s new majority on the commission is primed to more aggressively combat consolidation in the health care industry than it has in past years. Read more»

Through a wave of pandemic-related litigation, a trio of small but mighty conservative legal blocs has rolled back public health authority at the local, state, and federal levels, recasting America’s future battles against infectious diseases. Read more»

Cancer kills about 600,000 people in the U.S. annually, making it a leading cause of death - and many more survive it, because of breakthroughs in medicines - but the high costs of modern-day care have left millions with a devastating financial burden. Read more»

The gun safety law forged through tense bipartisan talks in the Senate has been heralded as the first federal legislation in 30 years to combat rising gun violence, but what often falls below the radar is the new law’s focus on improving mental health services. Read more»

Congress should crack down on Medicare Advantage health plans for seniors that sometimes deny patients vital medical care while overcharging the government billions of dollars every year, government watchdogs told a House panel. Read more»

Advocates say they hadn’t heard of any tribe or Indigenous organization advocating for opening clinics on tribal land to offer abortion services - and any such plan would be fraught with legal, financial, and political hurdles. Read more»

More than 100 million people in America, including 41% of adults, are beset by a health care system that is systematically pushing patients into debt on a mass scale - much hidden as credit card balances, loans from family, or payment plans to hospitals. Read more»

Heat waves are getting hotter and becoming more frequent, a great concern for everyone’s health - but especially for children, who are more susceptible to heat-related illness and the toll on their mental health affects their ability to learn. Read more»

Using race as a medical shorthand is at best imprecise and at worst harmful, and a conversation is unfolding nationally among lawmakers, scientists, and doctors who say one of the best things patients can do is ask if and how race is factored into their care. Read more»

Under the Affordable Care Act, many preventive services are covered at no cost - but if a screening returns an abnormal result and more testing is needed, patients may be on the hook for hundreds or even thousands of dollars for diagnostic services. Read more»

The ongoing dearth of formula has caused tremendous stress for families nationwide, especially those who rely upon WIC, which accounts for as much as two-thirds of all formula purchases in the U.S. - but the program’s massive purchasing also limits choices. Read more»

Abortion opponents’ efforts to exclude exceptions for rape, incest or to save the life of the mother are politically risky - the majorities of Americans who support allowing those exceptions are nearly as large as the majorities who oppose abortion late in pregnancy. Read more»

Older adults who have survived COVID-19 are more likely than younger patients to have persistent symptoms, but it can be hard to distinguish lingering after-effects of COVID from conditions common in older patients. Read more»