How to curb health care costs
Hospitals charge commercial payers far more than is needed to cover their expenses, with people who pay insurance premiums ultimately paying the price.
Health care
The Latest on Health care
Unhealthy Debt
What the coronavirus pandemic means for overall health care costs
More and better testing would protect us from chemical threats
The high cost of medical care leaves consumers vulnerable
Climate change ticks me off: Lyme disease, and why small impacts require urgent action
More Resources
What the coronavirus pandemic means for health insurance
A Better Health Insurance Market for Oregon
Improving Price Transparency
Medical Debt Malpractice
Did You Know?
The U.S. spends twice as much per person for health care as other wealthy countries.
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Can the CVS Health/Aetna Merger Reduce Emergency Room Use for Minor Problems?
The CEOs of CVS Health and Aetna have said that the companies' planned merger will reduce health care costs for consumers, perhaps through increased use of MinuteClinics. However, two recent studies suggest that greater reliance on retail clinics, at least in their current configuration, isn't likely to lower spending.
The Consumer Impacts of Medical Debt Collection
The tactics used by the debt collection are a growing source of consumer pain; they include incessant calling, threats of arrest, and damaged credit reports – while often targeting the wrong consumer, and often violating the law. To gain insight into the impact on consumers of medical debt collection, we turned to the consumer complaint database of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for our new report, Medical Debt Malpractice: Consumer Complaints About Medical Debt Collectors, and How the CFPB Can Help.
Why I Will Continue to Worry about Antibiotic Resistance
As a mother, I have no shortage of things to worry about. There are the mundane concerns, such as: did I remember to pack a snack in my son’s backpack today? has he been exposed to lead dust from the old windows in our house? How do I keep him safe in the car? And then there are the big worries that come with raising a child in 21st century America: how will global warming affect his health, security and the society he will live in as an adult? Will rising health care costs prevent him from getting the care he needs when he is old? And a worry that recently came onto my list: will antibiotics still work in 50 years?
Transparency in Health Care Pricing
Do you want to know how much an MRI will cost you or your insurance company? How about a mammogram or dental care? Trying to compare costs of care from different medical providers can be a frustrating exercise. Despite accounting for more than 17 percent of the nation’s economy, costs in the health care sector are remarkably opaque. However, there are a few efforts underway to gather more information about the true costs of care.
More Evidence of Health Care Price Variation in California
A new study published in BMJ Open by researchers at the University of California San Francisco finds huge variation in the cost of having a baby in California, findings similar to those of our July 2012 report on health care charge variation.
Issue specialist
Ridlington
Elizabeth
Ridlington
Associate Director and Senior Policy Analyst, Frontier Group