By Sarah Jane Tribble and Chris Bartlett for Kaiser Health News. Susie Christoff tried several drugs to cope with her painful psoriatic arthritis before finding Cosentyx worked the best. The problem was the cost. Europeans… Read More
From the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The average outpatient visit in the United States costs nearly $500, according to a new scientific study. In addition, the average inpatient stay had a price tag… Read More
I read 1,182 emergency room bills this year. Here’s what I learned. By Sarah Kliff, for Vox. A $5,571 bill to sit in a waiting room, $238 eye drops, and a $60 ibuprofen tell the… Read More
Balance Billing. When a provider bills you for the difference between the provider’s charge and the allowed amount. For example, if the provider’s charge is $100 and the allowed amount is $70, the provider may… Read More
From The Atlantic. In 2016, an estimated 595,690 patients passed away from cancer. That same year, there were over 15.5 million Americans with a history of this terrible illness for whom it was not fatal. This is because the… Read More
Overly aggressive care can hurt patients, generating mistakes and injuries believed to cause 30,000 deaths each year. From Kaiser Health News, May 24, 2017. It’s common knowledge in medicine: Doctors routinely order tests on hospital… Read More
From the FDA. “Since the FDA first issued warnings about the risk of spreading unsuspected uterine cancer from the use of laparoscopic power morcellators, we have continued to review new research to ensure our recommendations… Read More
From the FDA. How do I know if I have a metal-on-metal hip implant? Patients are usually told about the type of implant they are receiving prior to the surgery. If you are uncertain about… Read More
By Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger. On the heels of a report from the General Accounting Office criticizing the way the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) handles approvals of medical devices (such as the DePuy… Read More
By Mitch Weiss and Holbrook Mohr , Associated Press. Desperate for relief after years of agony, Jim Taft listened intently as his pain management doctor described a medical device that could change his life. It wouldn’t… Read More