Costs of Care (old)

When Does Workplace Wellness Become Coercive?

Julie Appleby

A small but growing number of employers tie financial incentives to losing weight and exercising. The cost of nonparticipation can be so high that critics question whether workers have a true choice.
T.J. Kirkpatrick

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Doctors, Nurses Among 243 Charged In Million-Dollar Medicare Schemes

Bill Chappell

One doctor alone is accused of causing nearly $23 million in fraud losses, including "over 1,000 expensive power wheelchairs ... that were not medically necessary and often not provided."

Costs of Care (old)

Texas Politicians And Businesses Feud Over Medicaid Expansion

Wade Goodwyn

Texas has turned down federal funds to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Hospitals and some business owners want the money, but it's a tough sell in Republican-dominated state politics.
Costs of Care (old)

Patient Finds Shopping For Low-Priced CT Scan Doesn’t Pay Off

Douglas White knew high-deductible insurance is supposed to make patients feel the pain of medical prices and turn them into smart shoppers. So he…
Costs of Care (old)

Free Contraceptives Must Be Free, Obama Administration Tells Insurers

Phil Galewitz

The notice to insurers comes after reports found many health plans weren't providing no-cost birth control for all prescription methods, a requirement under the Affordable Care Act.
Costs of Care (old)

Family Doctors Who Do More, Save More

Anders Kelto

A study suggests that coordinated care, led by a family doctor who is judicious about referring patients to specialists, leads to cost savings.
Costs of Care (old)

Paying Medicaid Enrollees To Get Checkups, Quit Smoking and Lose Weight: Will It Pay Off?

Taking a cue from workplace wellness programs, Iowa and New Mexico are among more than a dozen states offering incentives to Medicaid beneficiaries to get…
Costs of Care (old)

Who Keeps Track If Your Surgery Goes Well Or Fails?

Richard Harris

The outcomes of many medical procedures and treatments done in hospitals nationwide aren't tracked or even measured, says a surgeon who thinks that's bad. Understanding outcomes, he says, saves lives.
Costs of Care (old)

Washington Aims To Tighten Regulations On Outsourced Medicaid Plans

HARTSVILLE, Tenn. — Lynda Douglas thought she had a deal with Tennessee. She would adopt and love a tiny, unwanted, profoundly disabled girl named Charla.…
Costs of Care (old)

More Whistleblowers Say Health Plans Are Gouging Medicare

Fred Schulte

Federal authorities are investigating claims that some Medicare Advantage health plans have overcharged the government for years by claiming that patients are sicker than they are.
Costs of Care (old)

Cash-And-Carry Health Insurance For Some In Los Angeles

The largest publicly run health plan in the nation, L.A. Care, will allow customers who do not have traditional bank accounts to pay their health…
Costs of Care (old)

Many Obamacare Policyholders Face Tax Surprises This Year

John Ydstie

Depending on the size of the subsidy they got, some will get a bigger refund than expected and others will owe taxes.

Sick Season 2

Incarcerated people are some of the sickest people in our country. Many have chronic conditions such as diabetes or lung disease. And they’re far more likely to suffer from mental illness and addiction. On Season 2 of Sick, listen to stories of what goes wrong in corrections facilities — places meant to keep people healthy, but built to punish them.

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