Surprise Medical Bills: New Protections for Consumers Take Effect in 2022 February 4, 2021 Fact Sheet This summarizes key provisions of the No Surprises Act, enacted in December 2020 to address the problem of unexpected medical bills, and issues that could arise during implementation ahead of its Jan. 1, 2022 effective date.
COVID-19 Test Prices and Payment Policy April 29, 2021 Issue Brief This analysis examines list prices for COVID-19 testing at the largest hospitals in every state and finds they range widely from $20 to $850. Federal law now requires private insurers to cover COVID-19 tests at no cost to the patient and provides funding for people without health insurance.
Ground Ambulance Rides and Potential for Surprise Billing June 24, 2021 Issue Brief This analysis for the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker finds that half of emergency ground ambulance rides result in an out-of-network charge for people with private health insurance, potentially leaving patients at risk of getting a surprise bill.
Want to protect people with preexisting conditions? You need the full Affordable Care Act. October 22, 2020 Perspective In this perspective published by the Washington Post, KFF Executive Vice President for Health Policy Larry Levitt explains why the popular Affordable Care Act provisions that ensure people with pre-existing conditions can access affordable health insurance can’t easily be preserved if other related provisions are overturned.
Analysis: Half of Emergency Ambulance Rides Lead to Out-of-Network Bills for Privately Insured Patients June 24, 2021 News Release About half of emergency ground ambulance rides result in an out-of-network charge for people with private health insurance, potentially leaving patients at risk of getting a surprise bill, a new KFF analysis for the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker finds. Congress last year enacted the “No Surprises Act,” which prohibits most…
Poll: Few are Aware of Hospital Price Transparency Requirements June 28, 2021 News Release Few Americans realize that starting this year hospitals are required to post prices of common health services on their websites in a format patients can access and use, data from the KFF Health Tracking poll shows. Federal regulations that took effect January 1 require this price transparency for hospitals to…
KFF Survey Shows Complexity, Red Tape, Denials, Confusion Rivals Affordability as a Problem for Insured Consumers, With Some Saying It Caused Them to Go Without or Delay Care June 15, 2023 News Release Most (58%) people with health insurance say they encountered at least one problem using their coverage in the past year, with even larger shares of people with the greatest health care needs reporting such problems, finds a new KFF survey of consumer experiences with health insurance. Such problems vary across…
How are Large Private Insurers Covering At-Home Rapid Tests? January 20, 2022 News Release Less than a week after a new federal mandate to cover such products took effect, about half of the nation’s largest private insurers allow enrollees to directly obtain rapid at-home COVID-19 tests from specific sources without having to pay anything upfront, a new KFF analysis finds. The new coverage requirement…
Surprise Bills Often Hit in Emergencies December 9, 2019 Perspective In an Axios column, Drew Altman previews new data highlighting that people with critical health issues are especially vulnerable to these bills.
Surprise Medical Bills March 17, 2016 Issue Brief This brief explores the problem of “surprise medical bills” — charges arising when an insured individual inadvertently receives care from an out-of-network provider. It reviews studies on the extent of the issue, including Kaiser Family Foundation polling data, and outlines state and federal policy responses, including rules and proposed rules for Medicare and plans in Affordable Care Act marketplaces.
