Healthcare Costs Archives - Page 4 of 94 - ��ýҕ�l Health News

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

A Headless CDC

Episode 439

March 26, 2026

The Trump administration faces the challenge of naming a new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who can both satisfy the Make America Healthy Again movement and get confirmed by the Senate. Meanwhile, a new Senate bill to rescind the approval of the abortion pill mifepristone is again elevating the abortion debate, which some Republicans would prefer to stay on the back burner until after the midterms. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Lizzy Lawrence of Stat, and Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Bloomberg News join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss the news. Also this week, Rovner interviews Georgetown University Law Center’s Katie Keith about the state of the Affordable Care Act on its 16th anniversary.

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An Arm and a Leg

Steep Health Care Costs Steer Americans to Tough Decisions

Season 14, Episode 4

March 25, 2026

Two Americans explain how the skyrocketing cost of health insurance influenced their decision to buy — or skip — health insurance in 2026.

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A photo from above of a person lying in a dental chair having work done. A dentist and assistant sit on either side of the patient's head.

HealthQ

Even With Dental Insurance, You Still Could Face a Large Bill

Costs keep many Americans, even those with insurance, from getting dental care. Understanding how dental insurance works and leaning into preventive care can help keep dental problems — and bills — manageable.

By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio, Cara Anthony, and Katherine Ruppelt, Nashville Public Radio

March 23, 2026

A man at a doctor's office hands over a credit card to a receptionist at the front desk.

Priced Out

Rising Health Costs Push Some Middle-Aged Adults To Skip the Doc Until Medicare

Adults ages 50 through 64 faced some of the steepest increases in out-of-pocket costs for Obamacare plans after a set of federal subsidies expired at the end of December. Some say they are putting off care or considering dropping health insurance coverage until Medicare picks up the bill.

By Sam Whitehead

March 23, 2026

The Week in Brief

In the Affordability Alphabet Soup of the ACA and EHBs, a Link to Higher Premiums Isn’t Clear-Cut

Get our weekly newsletter, The Week in Brief, featuring a roundup of our original coverage, Fridays at 2 p.m. ET.

By Julie Appleby

March 20, 2026

A man with muscular dystrophy works at a desk with multiple computer monitors.

Oz Escalates Medicaid Fraud Claims Against States After Focus on Minnesota

The Trump administration’s unprecedented actions targeting Medicaid funding in Minnesota are part of what could become a playbook as officials turn pressure toward California, Florida, Maine, and New York.

By Bram Sable-Smith

March 20, 2026

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Schedule Changes Blocked — For Now

Episode 438

March 19, 2026

A federal judge in Massachusetts this week sided with public health groups to block changes to the federally recommended schedule of childhood vaccines, dealing at least a temporary setback to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to remake the schedule. Meanwhile, Congress has put its debate over the future of the Affordable Care Act on the back burner, but the issue of rising health care costs is still front and center for the voting public. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join ��ýҕ�l Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF President and CEO Drew Altman to kick off a new series looking at health care solutions, called “How Would You Fix It?”

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Priced Out

Many ACA Customers Are Paying Higher Premiums. Most Blame Trump and Republicans, Poll Finds.

A KFF poll offers insights into people’s insurance coverage decisions and how those choices could play into their vote in November’s midterm elections.

By Julie Appleby

March 19, 2026

How Would You Fix It?

Watch: Affordability Plagues Health Care in Its Shift From Nonprofit to Profit Machine

On “What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News,” distributed by WAMU, chief Washington correspondent and host Julie Rovner sat down with Drew Altman, president and CEO of KFF, to talk about the likelihood of a national health care debate.

By Julie Rovner

March 19, 2026

The healthcare.gov website seen on a laptop. The webpage reads, "Welcome to the Health Insurance Marketplace. Apply for coverage."

Priced Out

Evidence Shows ACA’s Mandated Benefits Alone Don’t Drive Up Costs. The Debate Continues.

The Affordable Care Act put in place a package of benefits that health insurance plans must cover. Critics contend this mandate has jacked up premiums. Evidence supporting that claim is mixed.

By Julie Appleby and Sarah Boden

March 18, 2026

An image of several brain scans on a screen.

Psychiatrists’ Use of Biomarkers Could Open a New Window Into Mental Health Diagnoses

The world’s largest professional psychiatry organization is preparing for the day when biological indicators can help diagnose and treat mental illness.

By Jamie Ducharme

March 17, 2026

A photo of the healthcare.gov website on a laptop, which shows a page with information about HSAs.

HealthQ

Is It Worth Your Time and Money To Set Up an HSA?

If you have a high-deductible health insurance plan, you’re probably eligible to use a health savings account. It can be an administrative headache, but it can save you money in the long run. Here’s what you need to know.

By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio, Cara Anthony, and Emily Siner, Nashville Public Radio

March 16, 2026

��ýҕ�l Health News On Air

Journalists Talk Medicaid Work Mandate in Georgia and Wage Garnishment Bill in Colorado

��ýҕ�l Health News journalists made the rounds on local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

March 14, 2026

Sheldon Ekirch walks along a street in her neighborhood.

Deadly Denials

Families Scramble To Pay Five-Figure Bills as Clock Ticks on Promised Preauthorization Reforms

Last summer, the Trump administration announced a voluntary pledge by health insurers to reform prior authorization, which often requires patients or their doctors to seek preapproval from insurers before proceeding with medical care. Patient advocates and medical providers remain skeptical.

By Lauren Sausser

March 13, 2026

What the Health? From ��ýҕ�l Health News

40 Years of Health Policy

Episode 436

March 5, 2026

This month is 40 years since host Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for ��ýҕ�l Health News, began reporting on health policy in Washington. To mark the anniversary, Rovner is joined by two longtime sources to discuss what has — and has not — changed since 1986.

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A photo of health insurance paperwork with a stethoscope and calculator resting on top.

Listen: What To Do When Health Insurance Slips Out of Reach

2026 has been a challenging year to buy health insurance. Contributing factors include changes to the Medicaid program and hikes to the cost of Obamacare plans. But doctors and researchers say there are ways people without insurance can find affordable care.

By Sam Whitehead

March 5, 2026

A man and woman seated at a table with papers, bills, receipts, and a calculator in front of them

Bill of the Month

Even Patients Are Shocked by the Prices Their Insurers Will Pay — And It Costs All of Us

Health care prices are on the rise, and patients are flummoxed that even insurance companies aren’t doing more to control costs.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

March 3, 2026

An older male dentist performs a cleaning on a young boy patient. A female hygienist is seen blurred in the foreground.

Medicaid Is Paying for More Dental Care. GOP Cuts Threaten To Reverse the Trend.

More than three dozen states cover dental services for low-income and disabled individuals on Medicaid, in recognition of such care’s importance to overall health. But with about $900 billion in funding cuts expected to hit states over the next decade, many programs could roll back dental coverage.

By Phil Galewitz

March 2, 2026

An older mother and father sit on a bed beside a smiling woman, laying down. The woman is living with a disability.

Families Defend Disability Services Amid Medicaid Cuts

Idaho is positioning to slash Medicaid funding as state lawmakers grapple with the effects of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law last year. On the table are in-home care services.

By Bram Sable-Smith

March 2, 2026

A South Asian man sits by the window at a table. He rests his elbow on the table with his hand on his chin. He looks contemplative.

Bill of the Month

He Needs an Expensive Drug. A Copay Card Helped — Until It Didn’t.

Diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, a California man was prescribed a drug that costs thousands of dollars a month. He said he was reassured that the drugmaker’s copay card would cover his share, but after two months, the card was empty.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

Feb. 27, 2026

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