Harris Meyer

Kaiser Permanente Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro. | SHUTTERSTOCK

Promising better, cheaper care, Kaiser Permanente’s national expansion faces wide skepticism

Kaiser says acquiring Pennsylvania-based Geisinger would be the first step in the creation of a new national health care organization called Risant Health

Aug 15

SHUTTERSTOCK

More orthopedic physicians sell out to private equity firms, raising alarms

Critics warn this trend could result in higher prices for patients and insurers, more unnecessary surgery and less access to care.

Jan 10

PIXABAY

Court Ruling May Spur Competitive Health Plans To Bring Back Copays For Preventive Services

The change would be in response to a federal judge’s Sept. 7 ruling in a Texas lawsuit filed by conservative groups.

Sep 15, 2022

SHUTTERSTOCK

Resistance To A Boston Hospital’s Expansion Centers On Rising Prices

A political battle in Massachusetts looks at the role hospital expansions play in driving up health care costs.

Jan 30, 2022

Damon Diessner lost 200 pounds on a diabetes prevention program in Redmond, Washington./Laurie McKenzie

Though Millions Are At Risk For Diabetes, Medicare Struggles To Expand Prevention Program

Only 3,600 of an estimated 16 million Medicare beneficiaries eligible for a two-year diabetes prevention program have actually signed up since Medicare started covering the program in 2018.

Jul 21, 2021

people in surgical scrubs in hospital hallway

SHUTTERSTOCK

Federal Ruling May Upend Gag Policy Affecting Health Care Workers

A federal appellate court ruled that the firing of a hospital employee violated the law, which could lead to a revision of policies barring workers from speaking publicly.

Jul 13, 2021

As Drug Prices Keep Rising, State Lawmakers Propose Tough New Bills to Curb Them

The measures would impose taxes on increases in the price of drugs that don’t reflect improved clinical value and set the rates paid by state-run and commercial health plans to a benchmark based on prices in Canada.

Feb 12, 2021

SHUTTERSTOCK

Seniors Face Crushing Drug Costs as Congress Stalls on Capping Medicare Out-Of-Pockets

Many Americans face high out-of-pocket costs for life-saving drugs but those on Medicare are often worse off: There's no cap on coinsurance costs once they hit $6,550 in drug spending.

Jan 4, 2021

Surprise Federal Drug Rule Directs Insurers to Reveal What They Pay for Prescription Drugs

Health insurance companies will have to give their customers estimated out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs and disclose to the public the negotiated prices they pay for drugs.

Nov 19, 2020