Axios Vitals: 1 big thing: Costs Top Americans’ health concerns
Americans say they’re worried about opioids and gun violence, but what they really want the government to tackle is rising drug costs and health bills, according to the new Axios-Ipsos American Health Index. The big picture: Pocketbook health issues still resonate the most with voters, who are increasingly convinced businesses and politicians don’t have their […]
Families USA: What it costs to have a baby in America: A state-by-state analysis
High and rising health care prices are hurting America’s families. These high prices, driven largely by hospital consolidation, drive down workers’ paychecks, rachet up insurance premiums, and force tens of millions of Americans into health care debt. The high cost of childbirth for individuals with employer-sponsored insurance exemplifies the impact of high healthcare costs on […]
Nonprofit hospitals save more in tax exemptions than they provide in charity care: KFF
Nonprofit hospitals reaped almost $28 billion in tax exemptions from federal, state and local sources in 2020 while providing about $16 billion in charity care, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation brief. Why it matters: Federal law requires nonprofits to offer charity care in exchange for their tax-exempt status. But the sector has drawn […]
STAT News: MedPAC: Hospitals aren’t crumbling
Hospitals’ financial situations are not nearly as dire as industry groups are making them out to be, Medicare policy experts are telling Congress. Profit margins hit all-time highs in 2021, and almost $200 billion of taxpayer subsidies provided hospitals with ample cushion to get through the worst of the pandemic, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission […]
Axios Vitals: MRIs cost more at non-profit hospitals
Nonprofit and public hospitals charged commercially insured patients up to 25% more for brain scans with an MRI than for-profit facilities, a new JAMA analysis found, Axios’ Arielle Dreher writes. Why it matters: It’s one of the first comparisons using data from a Trump-era hospital price transparency law to show variations in what facilities negotiate […]
AXIOS: 1 big thing: Congress eyes hospital “dishonest billing”
We’ve written before that there’s a growing target on hospitals’ backs now that pharma took its beating in the IRA. Now, Peter reports that a particular hospital-focused issue is gaining Congress’s attention: what critics dub “dishonest billing.” Between the lines: The phrase refers to when hospitals buy doctors’ offices and then charge higher hospital rates […]
KHN: Sick Profit: Investigating Private Equity’s Stealthy Takeover of Health Care Across Cities and Specialties
By Fred Schulte, 11/14/22 Two-year-old Zion Gastelum died just days after dentists performed root canals and put crowns on six baby teeth at a clinic affiliated with a private equity firm. His parents sued the Kool Smiles dental clinic in Yuma, Arizona, and its private equity investor, FFL Partners. They argued the procedures were done […]
Axios: Hospitals have a target on their backs
By Peter Sullivan, 11/3/22 After cracking down on high drug prices, Congress is about to turn to an even bigger source of health care costs: hospitals. Why it matters: Hospitals have gotten off easy until now. But a growing number of advocates and lawmakers say Congress needs to tackle their costs if it’s serious about […]
Axios: 1 big thing: The next health care wars are about costs
By Tina Reed November 2nd, 2022 All signs point to a crushing surge in health care costs for patients and employers next year — and that means industry groups are about to brawl over who pays the price, Axios’ Caitlin Owens writes. Why it matters: The surge could build pressure on Congress to stop ignoring […]
Axios: 1 big thing: Hospitals still aren’t complying with price transparency rules
By Tina Reed October 6th, 2022 Almost two years after a Trump-era price transparency rule took effect, many hospitals are flouting a requirement that they post the prices for common goods and services online — with little risk of facing penalties, Axios’ Victoria Knight writes. Driving the news: A new report shared with Axios shows […]