Health Care Costs Archives - �鶹Ů�� Health News

The Peculiar Politics of Hospitals

Episode 444

April 30, 2026

Democrats and Republicans on a House panel that oversees Medicare had strong words about high hospital pricing at a hearing this week, but it remains unclear whether reality will match the rhetoric when it comes to reining in those prices. Meanwhile, a study found the 988 suicide prevention hotline reduced suicides significantly in its first two years. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine join �鶹Ů�� Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

Listen Now

A woman stands outside in a park surrounded by trees.

An Urgent Care Treated Her Allergic Reaction. An ER Monitored Her — For $6,700.

A bug bite and an allergic reaction ultimately sent a North Carolina woman to the emergency room, where she had a couple of brief chats with a doctor and a dose of medicine. Now she questions why the charges were so high.

By Andrew Jones

April 28, 2026

A woman and child walk hand in hand down a hospital corridor

Priced Out

Florida Delays Children’s Health Insurance Expansion as Uninsured Rate Rises

Florida’s KidCare expansion has been stuck in legal limbo since February 2024. Since then, the number of uninsured children in Florida has risen to 400,000 — one of the highest state tallies.

By Daniel Chang

April 27, 2026

The Week in Brief

In Connecticut, Doctors and Dentists Are More Likely Than Hospitals To Sue Patients

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

By Noam N. Levey

April 24, 2026

How Would You Fix It?

Watch: Acknowledging Health Care’s Great Divide

As part of her "How Would You Fix It?" series, podcast host Julie Rovner chats with health policy expert David Blumenthal about how politics can gum up health policy progress.

By Julie Rovner and Hannah Norman

April 23, 2026

An upward red arrow rests on a stethoscope on a pale blue background.

Medigap Premiums Leap, and Consumers Have Few Alternatives

Millions of people rely on the supplemental insurance to offset the deductibles, copayments, and other costs faced by enrollees in the traditional Medicare program.

By Julie Appleby

April 23, 2026

Two people pose for a photo together, smiling. The person on the left holds signs that read, "Survivor" and "Avocate." The person the right holds a sign that reads, "Fighter."

Priced Out

They’re in Remission, but Their Medical Bills Aren’t: Cancer Survivors Navigate Soaring Costs

The costs of posttreatment care are forcing cancer survivors to make tough choices. GOP proposals to bring down health insurance costs won’t help people who need constant care and monitoring, health policy researchers and patient advocates say.

By Renuka Rayasam

April 22, 2026

A doula holds a baby while sitting on a couch.

Montana Moves Ahead With Doula Pay but Warns Medicaid Cuts Still May Come

Montana health officials say they’re seeking to add doula services to the state’s Medicaid program, reversing a previous statement that they would “not be moving forward” amid a budget shortfall.

By Katheryn Houghton

April 22, 2026

Health Care Helpline

Listen: Cheap Health Insurance Isn’t Always Cheap

Across the country, people are choosing lower monthly premiums in exchange for higher out-of-pocket risk. Reporter Jackie Fortiér explains what the shift means for Americans’ health and wallets.

By Jackie Fortiér

April 21, 2026

A man wearing a plaid button-up shirt sits on the front step of a home for a portrait

Real Estate Investors Profit From Long-Term Care While Residents Languish

Real estate investment trusts are landlords for thousands of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals. Some select the managers and keep close watch over their performance but deny responsibility for bad care.

By Jordan Rau

April 21, 2026

An Arm and a Leg

The Accidental Architect of America’s Drug Patent Problem

Season 15, Episode 5

April 20, 2026

An Arm and a Leg launches its “101” series with the story of Alfred Engelberg, a lawyer who’s been crusading to improve access to generic drugs by fixing loopholes in a law he helped draft more than 40 years ago.

Listen Now

A woman stands outside in a wooded area.

Diagnosis: Debt

In Connecticut, Doctors Now Sue Patients Most Over Medical Bills, Surpassing Hospitals

Physicians, dentists, and other nonhospital providers account for more than 80% of health care debt collection cases in Connecticut courts, a CT Mirror-�鶹Ů�� Health News investigation finds.

By Noam N. Levey, Katy Golvala, CT Mirror, and Jenna Carlesso, CT Mirror

April 20, 2026

�鶹Ů�� Health News On Air

Journalists Talk Hot Health Topics: Urgent Care Clinics Performing Abortions and Doulas’ Pay

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

April 18, 2026

A hand drawn illustration of a young person holding their cell phone to their chest surrounded by robotic AI therapists, which are trying to get her to take a seat on a recliner couch. Text on their screens says, "TRUST ME!" "YOU'RE SO RIGHT!" "You can trust me!" and "Exactly."

Your New Therapist: Chatty, Leaky, and Hardly Human

With high demand for mental health care, a wave of artificial intelligence-powered chatbots are being marketed as therapy apps — with little evidence they work and few regulations.

By Darius Tahir

April 17, 2026

A hand-drawn illustration of a young man wearing athletic gear running up stairs that spell out "HDHP" out of medical objects, letters, cell phones, and other items relevant to High-Deductible Health Plans.

Health Care Helpline

How To Make a High-Deductible Health Plan Work for You

Lower premiums often mean higher costs when you get sick and need care. Among the ways to plan ahead and soften the financial hit: health savings accounts, which act like a medical piggy bank.

By Jackie Fortiér

April 13, 2026

�鶹Ů�� Health News On Air

Rovner Recaps Medicaid Cuts’ Impact on Hospitals and Fields Caller Questions on Affordability

�鶹Ů�� Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner recently made the radio rounds to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of her appearances.

April 11, 2026

What the Health? From �鶹Ů�� Health News

Abortion Pills, the Budget, and RFK Jr.

Episode 441

April 9, 2026

This week, the Trump administration won a court battle to delay a ruling on access to the abortion pill mifepristone, angering its own anti-abortion allies. Meanwhile, the president’s budget arrived on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are unlikely to agree to its proposed cuts to Health and Human Services programs. Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Maya Goldman of Axios join �鶹Ů�� Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.

Listen Now

A tractor is parked in a field. Dark clouds are moving overhead.

Priced Out

Farm Bureau Health Plans Beat the ACA on Prices With an Age-Old Tactic: Rejecting Sick People

Fourteen states now allow health coverage through state farm bureaus. Though they generally share many features of Affordable Care Act marketplace plans, they aren’t insurance. Neither are they typically subject to federal or state health insurance requirements, and the benefits may be less generous or predictable than those of Obamacare plans.

By Michelle Andrews

April 9, 2026

Two women with blonde-ish hair stand side-by-side in a doctor's office.

Urgent Care Clinics Move To Fill Abortion Care Gaps in Rural Areas

When the only clinic that offered abortions in Michigan’s rural Upper Peninsula closed, an urgent care facility stepped in to fill the gap. Now, others are considering similar moves as brick-and-mortar clinics close in blue states.

By Kate Wells

April 8, 2026

A doula stands next to a young mother sitting in a chair draped with colorful fabric. She holds a young baby in her arms.

This Northern Cheyenne Doula Was About To Start Getting Paid — Then Medicaid Cuts Hit

Montana was on track to start reimbursing doulas, who support new and expectant parents, through Medicaid this year. But state officials halted that plan amid a budget shortfall. Other such services deemed optional under Medicaid are at risk nationwide as states brace for federal cuts.

By Katheryn Houghton

April 7, 2026

�鶹Ů��

Trump 2.0

Public Health

Audio Reports

Special Reports

More Topics

Health Care Costs