Sarah Kliff | The Seattle Times

February 19, 2023 at 4:40 pm

Childbirth is deadlier for Black families even when they’re rich, expansive study finds

In the United States, the richest mothers and their newborns are the most likely to survive the year after childbirth — except when the family...

Nation & World

– EMBARGO: NO ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTION, WEB POSTING OR STREET SALES BEFORE 3:01 A.M. ET ON TUESDAY, DEC. 6, 2022. NO EXCEPTIONS FOR ANY REASONS – Anthony Lund, who was charged $530 for a coronavirus test during a gap without health coverage before later getting the bill dropped, in Pepip, Wis., Nov. 1, 2022. As federal funding for the pandemic response dries up, Americans without health insurance risk being left footing the bill for coronavirus tests and treatments. (Jenn Ackerman/The New York Times) XNYT29 XNYT29

December 6, 2022 at 3:44 pm

For the uninsured, COVID care has entered a new stage of crisis

The government is running low on funds for free COVID care and vaccines for nearly 30 million uninsured Americans. They may end up in debt,...

Nation & World

One insurance broker is advising her clients to save not just receipts but also the boxes that the tests come in, because some plans may require them as proof of purchase. (Hannah Norman/KHN/TNS)

January 17, 2022 at 5:58 am

Your COVID home test is covered now, but insurers aren’t ready. Here’s what to do

New federal rules require private insurers to cover the at-home coronavirus tests that Americans buy in pharmacies and other stores. But the process will be...

Nation & World

Orange County Fire and Rescue Department EMS workers bring a patient into the Emergency room at Orlando Health Central Hospital in Ocoee, Fla., on Aug. 17, 2021. EMS workers struggle to keep up with rising COVID-19 cases in Central Florida. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel/TNS) 25834428W 25834428W

September 2, 2021 at 9:24 am

COVID medical bills are about to get bigger

Americans will most likely pay significantly more for COVID medical care during this new wave of cases — whether that is a routine coronavirus test...

Nation & World

The Eichelberger family at home in Fruita Heights, Utah on June 9, 2020. Last summer Nathan, second from right, was bitten by a stray dog and needed a rabies shot. The family originally received an estimate that it would cost about $800 paying cash, but later received a surprise bill for over $2,000 more. (Lindsay Dâ€™Addato/The New York Times)

August 29, 2021 at 6:01 am

Hospitals and insurers didn’t want you to see these prices. Here’s why.

Getting simple medical care at some hospitals can cost more with insurance than without. Here's what was revealed after the federal government ordered hospitals to...

Business

A California man sought mental health treatment during the pandemic. He couldnâ€™t find a single suitable therapist within his insurerâ€™s network. (Dreamstime/TNS) 12109845W

August 29, 2021 at 6:01 am

How to look up prices at your hospital, if they exist

This year, some Americans can do something that was previously impossible: look up the price of care before going to the hospital. A new federal...

Business

July 20, 2021 at 6:00 pm

U.S. medical debts are bigger than was known, totaling $140 billion

A new study finds that health care has become the country’s largest source of debt in collections. Those debts are largest where Medicaid wasn’t expanded.

Business

FILE — President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, before going into the Rose Garden to speak in reaction to a Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act, on June 25, 2015. Republicans in Congress have largely abandoned efforts to repeal the law. With the latest Supreme Court ruling, health policy now shifts to new territory. (Stephen Crowley/The New York Times)

June 17, 2021 at 1:30 pm

Obamacare is here to stay. Brace for new health care battles.

The Affordable Care Act survived its third major Supreme Court challenge, and Democrats have moved from defending the law to expanding its benefits. Meanwhile, Republicans...

Nation & World

January 28, 2021 at 12:46 pm

Biden’s Obamacare Do-Over: Another Chance to Sign Up, This One More Publicized

In December, the last Obamacare enrollment period under the Trump administration closed. Now that the Biden administration has arrived, it’s trying a do-over. The renewed...

Nation & World

In this Wednesday, May 27, 2020 photo, dentist Dr. Kathleen Saturay wears additional protective equipment, including a face shield and disposable mask over a respirator mask, as she exams a patient in Seattle. Dental practices were allowed to open earlier this month following closure because of the coronavirus outbreak, as long as offices have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) for their staffers, put in place social-distancing policies and check patients for symptoms of COVID-19. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) WAET101

November 5, 2020 at 7:30 am

A new item on your medical bills: the ‘COVID’ fee

The coronavirus pandemic has made the practice of health care more costly for providers even as demand drops for some of them. Surprise “COVID” and...