After Appalachian Hospitals Merged Into a Monopoly, Their ERs Slowed to a Crawl
Ballad Health was granted the nationās largest state-sanctioned hospital monopoly in 2018. Since then, its emergency rooms have become more than three times as slow.
Cost and Quality
21 - 40 of 3,362 Results
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Concerns Grow Over Quality of Care as Investor Groups Buy Not-for-Profit Nursing Homes
For-profit groups own more than 70% of U.S. nursing homes. Industry leaders and researchers wonder whether corporations and investors can succeed where not-for-profit organizations have struggled. Or, will quality of care suffer in the name of making money?
By Harris Meyer -
Operating in the Red: Half of Rural Hospitals Lose Money, as Many Cut Services
A recent report finds half of Americaās rural hospitals are losing money, and many are struggling to stay open. Researchers and advocates worry the hospitalsā financial spiral will have immediate and long-term health effects on their communities.
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The FTC Is Attacking Drugmakersā āPatent Thicketsā
Itās a big job clearing out so-called āpatent thicketsā drugmakers create to keep their productsā prices high. But the Federal Trade Commission is giving it a shot.
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Senate Probes the Cost of Assisted Living and Its Burden on American Families
In the wake of a Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News-New York Times series, members of the Special Committee on Aging are asking residents and their families to submit their bills and are calling for a Government Accountability Office study.
By Jordan Rau -
The Colonoscopies Were Free. But the āSurgical Traysā Came With $600 Price Tags.
Health providers may bill however they choose ā including in ways that could leave patients with unexpected bills for āfreeā care. Routine preventive care saddled an Illinois couple with his-and-her bills for āsurgical trays.ā
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Mammography AI Can Cost Patients Extra. Is It Worth It?
Artificial intelligence software to aid radiologists in detecting problems or diagnosing cancer has been moving rapidly into clinical use, where it shows great promise. But itās a turnoff for some patients asked to pay out-of-pocket for technology thatās not quite ready for prime time.
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Perspective
From Hospital to Hospitality: Spin Doctors Brand Getting Sick as an Adventure. It’s Not.
At $1,000 a night for a private room, medical centers are offering fancy food and casting health care as a ājourney.ā Instead of creature comforts, how about helping us feel better?
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Compensation Is Key to Fixing Primary Care Shortage
Many proposals have been floated about how to address the nationās primary care problem. They range from training slots to medical school debt forgiveness but often sidestep comprehensive payment reform.
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Biden Administrationās Limit on Drug Industry Middlemen Backfires, Pharmacists Say
A rule taking effect Jan. 1 was intended to stop one set of abuses by pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, but some pharmacists say itās enabling these price brokers to simply do new things unfairly.
By Arthur Allen -
Facing Criticism, Feds Award First Maternal Health Grant to a Predominantly Black Rural Area
Mississippi has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the U.S. Now, it also has a federal grant to help in rural areas. The award could signal more flexibility from federal officials.
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These Appalachia Hospitals Made Big Promises to Gain a Monopoly. Theyāre Failing to Deliver.
Ballad Health, the only hospital system across a large swath of Tennessee and Virginia, has fallen short of quality-of-care and charity care obligations ā even as itās sued thousands of patients for unpaid bills.
By Brett Kelman and Samantha Liss -
Biden Administration to Ban Medical Debt From Americansā Credit Scores
The White House said the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will develop new regulations that would prevent unpaid medical bills from being counted on credit reports.
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Perspective
Your Exorbitant Medical Bill, Brought to You by the Latest Hospital Merger
After decades of unchecked mergers, health care is the land of giants, with huge medical systems monopolizing care in many cities, states, and even whole regions of the country. This decreases patient choice, impedes innovation, erodes quality of care, and raises prices. And federal regulators have been slow to act.
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Look Up Your Hospital: Is It Being Penalized by Medicare?
Each year, Medicare punishes hospitals that have high rates of readmissions and high rates of infections and patient injuries. Check out which hospitals have been penalized.
By Jordan Rau -
Be Aware: Someone Could Steal Your Medical Records and Bill You for Their Care
Consumers should know that this type of fraud can happen, whether from a large-scale breach or theft of an individualās data. The result could be thousands of dollars in medical bills.
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Sen. Sanders Says Millions of People Canāt Find a Doctor. Heās Mostly Right.
The Vermont senator sees beefing up the primary care workforce as a critical step in expanding Americansā access to health care.
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Medi-Calās Fragmented System Can Make Moving a Nightmare
When Medi-Cal beneficiary Lloyd Tennison moved last year from Contra Costa County to San Joaquin County, he was bumped off his managed care plan without notice before his new coverage took effect. His case highlights a chronic issue in Californiaās fragmented Medicaid program.
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Californiaās Medicaid Experiment Spends Money to Save Money ā And Help the Homeless
Gov. Gavin Newsomās ambitious experiment in health care is supposed to cut costs as it fills the needs of hard-to-reach people. The programās start is chaotic and limited, but it shows promise.
By Angela Hart