How much does a cardio stress test cost? $9,200 an hour?

Jeanne Pinder August 23, 2019

How much does a cardio stress test cost? $9,200 an hour?

The community member did not leave a name, but she/he was outraged. The procedure: A cardiovascular stress test, CPT code 93107. The charge? $864.80. Cigna insurance paid nothing at the St. David’s North Austin Medical Center in Texas. The comment: “This was a simple 10 EKG on a treadmill. No Dr. Present, no interpretation. Trace […]

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How much does Losartan cost? $6.43 or $13? $26.25 or $63?

Jeanne Pinder August 21, 2019

How much does Losartan cost? $6.43 or $13? $26.25 or $63?

A friend writes: “The price of my medication, Losartan for high blood pressure, jumped last month. “I take the 100 mg size. It went from $13 a month to $63 a month on my insurance, via Cigna. The medication is a generic for Benicar, so I was surprised at the price jump. “They told me […]

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In Montana, a tough negotiator proved employers don’t have to pay so much for health care: ProPublica

Jeanne Pinder August 20, 2019

In Montana, a tough negotiator proved employers don’t have to pay so much for health care: ProPublica

“Marilyn Bartlett took a deep breath, drew herself up to her full 5 feet and a smidge, and told the handful of Montana officials that she had a radical strategy to bail out the state’s foundering benefit plan for its 30,000 employees and their families,” Marshall Allen writes over at ProPublica. “The officials were listening. […]

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Rural hospital closures leave gaps In emergency care: NPR

Jeanne Pinder August 19, 2019

Rural hospital closures leave gaps In emergency care: NPR

“For more than 30 minutes on a frigid February morning, Robert Findley lay unconscious in the back of an ambulance as paramedics hand-pumped oxygen into his lungs,” Sarah Jane Tribble wrote for Kaiser Health News. “They were waiting for a helicopter to land at a helipad just across the icy parking lot next to Mercy […]

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Employer health insurance keeps getting more expensive: Axios

Jeanne Pinder August 17, 2019

Employer health insurance keeps getting more expensive: Axios

“The past decade has seen enormous growth in health care costs paid by both employees and employers, creating the context for some of today’s biggest political debates as well as teeing up more problems for the future,” Caitlin Owens writes for Axios. “Yes, but: There are some signs that employers have maxed out their ability […]

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Price estimates at the doctor’s office: Yes, it can be true

Jeanne Pinder August 12, 2019

Price estimates at the doctor’s office: Yes, it can be true

Epic, the giant electronic medical records company, is offering a price estimate button that doctors can use in the office. Kristin Cain, a reproductive endocrinologist in North Dakota, posted this on Twitter: “EPIC has a button I just discovered: Patient Estimate. After you place an order, it estimates the out of pocket cost. Except if […]

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Georgia has among highest hospital prices, new review suggests: Georgia Health News

Jeanne Pinder August 7, 2019

Georgia has among highest hospital prices, new review suggests: Georgia Health News

“A recently published analysis of hospital prices shows Georgia in the top third among 25 states studied,” Andy Miller writes over at Georgia Health News about a Rand study that dives deep into high hospital prices nationwide. The original study is here. “The Rand Corp. data uses prices paid by health insurers under employer-based coverage, […]

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Opinion | Abortion pills should be everywhere: The New York Times

Jeanne Pinder August 5, 2019

Opinion | Abortion pills should be everywhere: The New York Times

“One afternoon about a year ago, just as the Senate began considering Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, I logged on to Day Night Healthcare, an online pharmacy based in India, and ordered a pack of abortion pills,” Farhad Manjoo writes for The New York Times. “A few hours later, I got a call […]

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Opinion | Democrats are having the wrong health care debate: The New York Times

Jeanne Pinder August 3, 2019

Opinion | Democrats are having the wrong health care debate: The New York Times

“As this week’s Democratic debates made clear, the party is divided on how to improve health care for Americans,” Ezekiel J. Emanuel wrote over at The New York Times. “Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and others are for a single-payer Medicare for All system. Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and others want an incremental approach […]

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Top kidney charity directed aid to patients at DaVita and Fresenius clinics, lawsuit claims: The New York Times

Jeanne Pinder

Top kidney charity directed aid to patients at DaVita and Fresenius clinics, lawsuit claims: The New York Times

“One of the nation’s largest public charities steered financial aid to patients of its two biggest corporate donors — the dialysis chains DaVita and Fresenius — while denying help to people who used smaller, unrelated clinics, in violation of anti-kickback laws, according to a federal whistle-blower lawsuit unsealed this week in Boston,” Reed Abelson and […]

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