NPR: The Real Bachelor Party Hangover: A $12,460 ER Bill
By Markian Hawryluk Two days before his wedding this past April, Cameron Fischer had one heck of a bachelor party, hitting a few bars in the Old Town section of Fort Collins, Colo., with his friends into the wee hours. The next morning, the 30-year-old IT professional from nearby Loveland woke up with a killer […]
Fierce Healthcare: Report: 3 in 4 hospital markets are now ‘highly concentrated’
By Tina Reed Nearly 3 in 4 hospital markets around the U.S. are “highly concentrated,” according to a new Healthy Marketplace Index report by the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI). Researchers examined more than 4 million commercial inpatient hospital claims between 2012 and 2016 and found 81 out of 112 (72%) were considered “highly concentrated” using the […]
Kaiser Health News: ‘UVA Has Ruined Us’: Health System Sues Thousands Of Patients, Seizing Paychecks And Claiming Homes
By Jay Hancock and Elizabeth Lucas Over six years, the state institution filed 36,000 lawsuits against patients seeking a total of more than $106 million in unpaid bills, a KHN analysis finds. Heather Waldron and John Hawley are losing their four-bedroom house in the hills above Blacksburg, Va. A teenage daughter, one of their five […]
Kaiser Health News: ‘Facility Fees’ Are Surprise Cost For Many Patients
By Sandra Boodman Kathy Young, the veteran benefits administrator for a large plumbing supply company headquartered in Madison, Wis., is well versed in the often fiendish complexities of medical bills. But when Young, 54, received a $25.59 bill for a “facility fee” separate from the $207 physician’s charge for a recent routine eye exam, she […]
Axios: How air ambulances got so expensive
By Caitlin Owens, Sept 10, 2019 Air ambulances have become a lucrative business over the last few decades, at patients’ expense, fueled by private equity and aided by the industry’s relationships with providers, John Hopkins’ Marty Makary writes in a new book out today. Why it matters: The rise of the air ambulance industry has resulted in massive […]
The New York Times: As Patients Struggle With Bills, Hospital Sues Thousands
Most hospitals do not frequently take patients to court over medical debt. But since 2015, Carlsbad Medical Center, in New Mexico, has filed lawsuits by the thousands. By Laura Beil, September 3, 2019 CARLSBAD, N.M. — The first time Carlsbad Medical Center sued Misti Price, she was newly divorced and working two jobs to support […]
NPR: When Hospitals Sue For Unpaid Bills, It Can Be ‘Ruinous’ For Patients
The Fredericksburg General District Court is a red-brick courthouse with Greek columns in a picturesque, Colonial Virginia town. A horse and carriage are usually parked outside the visitor center down the street. On a sunny morning — the second Friday in June — the first defendant at court is a young woman, Daisha Smith, 24, […]
NPR: Fancy Hospital Flourishes Often Fail To Impress Patients
The sleek hospital tower that Johns Hopkins Medicine built in 2012 has the frills of a luxury hotel, including a meditation garden, 500 works of art, free wi-fi and a library of books, games and audio. As Dr. Zishan Siddiqui watched patients and some fellow physicians in Baltimore move from their decades-old building into the Sheikh Zayed Tower, […]
Urban Institute: Debt in America – Interactive Map
Credit can be a lifeline during emergencies and a bridge to education and homeownership. But debt, which can stem from credit or unpaid bills, often burdens families and communities and exacerbates wealth inequality. This map shows the geography of debt in America at the national, state, and county levels. How does your community compare? CONTINUE […]
The Atlantic: What Happens When You Don’t Pay a Hospital Bill
As Americans sink under medical expenses, debt collectors go to great—and sometimes strange—lengths to collect. On March 8, 2011, Joclyn Krevat, an occupational therapist in New York, was sitting at her computer when she received a most unusual LinkedIn request. The wording was the familiar: “I’d like to add you to my professional network.” The […]