#costsofcare

"Figuring out who’s offering the best deal on heart surgeries or routine physicals isn’t the most pressing issue for everyday Americans. That hasn’t stopped lawmakers on Capitol Hill from trying to turn that kind of price transparency into their marquee bipartisan health care goal this year." https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/26/health-care-price-transparency-insurers-hospitals-01011835 #healthcare #hospitals #insurance #CostsOfCare #transparency #UScongress #USpol

"One inherent issue in all medical specialties is that appropriate treatment is often in the eye of the physician beholder, meaning that specialists create the guidelines for when a treatment is in order. And financial considerations may influence that decision, Järvinen said." https://kffhealthnews.org/health-industry/knee-surgery-arthroscopic-cartilage-meniscus-finnish-study-osteoarthritis/ #healthcare #medicare #aging #orthopedics #guidelines #CostsOfCare #ConflictOfInterest

"President Donald Trump said Thursday he was nominating Chris Klomp to be Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s second-in-command at the Department of Health and Human Services. If the Senate confirms him, the 45-year-old tech entrepreneur would become deputy secretary overseeing the vast department’s operations." https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/25/rfk-klomp-hhs-deputy-secretary-00951039 #PublicHealth #HHS #PhRMA #DrugPrices #CostsOfCare #CMS #medicare #USpol

"When it comes to prescription drugs, the Inflation Reduction Act may be best known for giving the federal government the authority to directly negotiate prices on behalf of people with Medicare. But a less-publicized measure written into the 2022 law could turn out to be more impactful. It’s the annual cap on out-of-pocket spending for medication, which went into effect in 2024." https://undark.org/2026/04/29/drug-costs-2022-law/ #healthcare #medicare #aging #PrescriptionDrugs #DrugPrices #DrugCosts #CostsOfCare

"The CEO of the Philadelphia-based nonprofit hospital system Jefferson said his organization now spends more on prescription drug coverage — fueled by the soaring use of weight loss medications like Wegovy and Zepbound — than it does on inpatient care." https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/ceo-wants-cover-weight-loss-drugs-employees-just-expensive-rcna263778 #healthcare #PrescriptionDrugs #DrugPrices #CostsOfCare

"Burge is one of thousands of patients served by RAM, a volunteer-run charity providing free medical, dental, and vision care to underserved communities across the United States. About half of the patients have no insurance. The rest have insurance they can't afford to use because of co-pays and deductibles." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rams-free-clinics-full-of-needy-patients-but-slowed-by-red-tape-60-minutes/ #healthcare #clinics #insurance #medicine #dental #CostsOfCare #poverty #licensure