I went to brunch last weekend and, when the server handed us the bill, she said a 20% service fee was added to cover her benefits and health insurance, but that it was not a tip. I am absolutely supportive of paying restaurant and waitstaff a living wage and they deserve to have benefits. But…
The moves demonstrate a wide understanding that the Biden administration likely won’t be able to deliver on its promise to expand health care. And they come amid growing concern that the looming end of the Covid-19 public health emergency could result in millions of people being kicked off Medicaid and fear that Obamacare subsidies that…
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By Brady Rivera We’ve heard this line before — our medical system, as it currently stands, is very unreliable and expensive for the average person. You pay thousands to for-profit insurance companies, and you still have to pay hundreds out-of-pocket for medications and services not covered by our plans. With so much money coming out…
Minnetonka-based Medica invested more than $200 million in 2021 to acquire a majority stake in Dean Health Plan, a Wisconsin-based health insurer that fits with Medica’s push to sell more coverage by partnering with health systems in the Midwest and beyond. Medica, which announced the deal in August, disclosed transaction details in a recent financial…
Read More “Medica paid nearly $233 million for majority stake in Wisconsin health plan” »
Health insurance in the U.S. can be confusing. Many people don’t have access to good coverage they can afford, and millions of people don’t have any health insurance at all. There are plenty of big picture changes that the federal government needs to make so that health insurance works better. In the meantime, if you’re…
Claudia and Jesús Fierro of Yuma, Ariz., review their medical bills. They pay $1,000 a month for health insurance yet still owed more than $7,000 after two episodes of care at the local hospital. Lisa Hornak for Kaiser Health News hide caption toggle caption Lisa Hornak for Kaiser Health News Claudia and Jesús Fierro of…
Read More “Hit with $7,146 for two hospital bills, a family sought health care in Mexico : Shots” »
Oregon health care costs are growing faster than the national average — and are outpacing average wage increases in the state. That’s according to the first annual report from the Oregon Health Authority’s Sustainable Health Care Cost Growth Target Program. The reports are aimed at analyzing the costs of health care in Oregon, and finding…
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The report from the inspector general’s office of the Department of Health and Human Services is the latest red flag related to inappropriate denials by Medicare Advantage plans, which are run by private health care insurers. Annual federal audits have highlighted “widespread and persistent problems related to inappropriate denials of services and payment,” the office…