Kids carrying extra weight don’t just face health risks—they also push up medical bills. A fresh look at Australian data shows children with overweight or obesity cost more to treat than those in a healthy weight range. On average, the healthcare system spends about $140 extra per year for an overwe
In China, the way hospitals earn money is changing. The old system paid doctors for every test and treatment they gave, called Fee‑for‑Service (FFS). Now the government is moving toward a new model known as Diagnosis‑Related Groups (DRGs), where hospitals receive one set payment for each patient’s d
Employers often feel helpless when it comes to high health insurance bills. A fresh look shows that the real problem lies in how claims data is handled by middlemen. If companies could see every claim that goes through their plans, they would know which doctors and hospitals give the best value.
Virginia lawmakers face tough choices as they look for ways to balance the state budget. One proposal under review would limit Medicaid dental coverage for adults—a move that might seem like quick savings but could actually cost more in the long run. Research shows that when states cut dental benefi
Drug prices have been climbing again, even after some big promises about keeping costs down. A recent Senate report dug into how companies that struck deals with the White House still hiked prices on hundreds of medications. And the numbers are shocking: new drugs often launch with price tags over $
The cost of health care under the current plan has risen sharply. People who buy insurance through the federal exchange now face out‑of‑pocket limits that can reach $10, 600 for a single person and double that amount for families. Next year those numbers could climb to $12, 000 for individuals and
Connecticut’s lawmakers are quietly pushing big changes to a federal drug discount program that feels more like a business deal than public policy. A last-minute addition to a routine bill quietly expanded the 340B program, letting hospitals buy drugs at extreme discounts—sometimes for a fraction of
When someone gets hurt in a bad fall or crash, doctors first check for neck injuries using a CT scan. This scan is fast and shows broken bones clearly. But sometimes, patients still feel pain even after a clean CT result. So hospitals often order an MRI next, hoping to find soft tissue damage that t
A new study looks at how well each state supports children’s health, but the results aren’t always what you’d expect. Most kids have insurance, yet families still struggle with big bills—on average, parents pay around $6, 850 a year just to cover their children under work-based plans. That shows hav
The Bangor Daily News board has backed a bill that would slow how fast commercial insurers pay Maine hospitals. The trustees of St. Joseph Healthcare, who also run the hospital, say this plan could hurt an already weak system. Hospitals in Maine barely stay afloat. The state is 46th out of every U.
