Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Doctors, Patients Learning To Ask About Health Costs -- Or Pay A Steep Price
With consumers shouldering a bigger share of their medical bills, some doctors are learning to talk about treatment options in ways that help patients manage costs. And Kaiser Health News tells the story of a woman who faced $19,000 in medical bills not covered by her employer's "skinny" insurance plan as a result of misunderstandings and errors.
When a doctor prescribes a medication, most of us don’t ask how much it’ll cost. It makes sense: for a lot of people – both doctors and patients – talking about the cost of care is a totally foreign concept. (Plevin, 6/17)
Marlene Allen thought she had decent medical coverage after she fell in December and broke her wrist. She had come in from walking the dogs. It was wet. The fracture needed surgery and screws and a plate. Weeks later, she learned her employer health plan would cover nothing. Not the initial doctor visit, not the outpatient surgery, not the anesthesiology. She had $19,000 in bills. (Hancock, 6/18)
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