‘Deductible Season’ Dilemma: Do Patients Really Need to Pay Those Past Due Bills?
At a time when people are questioning not just their bills but the institutions that send them, trust is the currency that matters most.
The Truth About Medical Debt and Credit Reporting: Three Things To Know
A federal judge in Texas recently ruled on medical debt reporting — here's what the ruling means for providers and for the millions of Americans who currently have or might one day have medical debt.
NEMT Partner Guide: Why Payers and Providers Should Choose MediDrive’s TMS
Alan Murray on improving access for medical transportation.
The Crisis That Unites Us: Healthcare Costs Are Breaking Everyone
The transformation of our healthcare system can start now, with employers adopting value-based care models, communities demanding better access, and policymakers challenging the status quo.
A Healthcare System’s Moral Bankruptcy Goes Viral
Brian Thompson's murder was chilling, but the social media response of this tragedy was equally shocking, if eye-opening. It shows a massive collapse of public trust in our healthcare system, a system so broken that it bankrupts families, denies life-saving care, and treats death as an acceptable cost of doing business.
Even Political Rivals Agree That Medical Debt Is an Urgent Issue
New laws to curb aggressive hospital billing, to expand charity care for lower-income patients, and to rein in debt collectors have been enacted in more than 20 states since 2021. Democrats championed most measures. But the legislative efforts often passed with Republican support.
How Hospitals Can Help Prevent Medical Debt
Local governments around the country are using Covid relief funds to eliminate medical debt for their communities. But Covid relief funds are not a long-term solution. Provide training to your teams on how to communicate with patients to make it clear that financial assistance is available and encourage those who may qualify to apply.
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5 High-Impact Tax Strategies Every Physician Should Use in 2026 to Reduce Their Tax Bill
AI-native tax firm Gelt combines top human tax experts with AI to help physicians and healthcare practices use data-driven tax strategies to lower liabilities, improve profitability, and future-proof their finances.
Biden Administration Takes Action Against Junk Insurance, Surprise Bills
The Biden Administration is proposing that short-term health plans are limited to three months, or a maximum of four months if they’re extended. It comes after the Trump Administration allowed members to stay on the plans for 12 months and renew them for three years. The plans are often limited in coverage and leave consumers with high medical costs.
AHA: High-deductible, Short-term Health Plans To Blame for Medical Debt
Of the more than 15% of American adults who have past-due medical debt, about 73% owe some or all of the money to hospitals, according to a recent Urban Institute report. The American Hospital Association said short-term limited duration health plans and high-deductible health plans are to blame.
Paytient Secures $40.5M for Its Benefit Helping Patients Pay for Care
The funding round was led by Mercato Partners Traverse Fund and included participation from Bertelsmann Investments. In total, the company has raised $63 million. Paytient created Health Payment Accounts, which help patients pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses.
Providence denies ‘disturbing’ debt collection practices alleged by senator
Providence issued a response to a letter sent by Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, in which she demanded the health system answer questions about its alleged efforts to aggressively bill patients who qualified for free or discounted care. The response denied that Providence aggressively pursued its poorest patients for medical debt, asserting that its “commitment to those in need has never been stronger.”
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Could QuantalX’s Device Make Managing Brain Health Easier?
CEO and neuroscientist Dr. Iftach Dolev on how the new device can bring a powerful tool to psychiatrists and neurologists alike.
Report: 43% of working-age adults are inadequately insured
Of people who were found inadequately insured, 9% were uninsured, 11% had a period without coverage over the past year and 23% had coverage all year but were underinsured, the Commonwealth Fund report showed.
Report: Chronic conditions lead to medical debt at all income levels
Chronic conditions cause medical debt in U.S. households across all income levels, according to a new report. Medical debt has frequently been associated with cancer and, more recently, diabetes treatment, but there are other chronic conditions that contribute significantly to medical bills — such as heart disease, asthma, anxiety and lung disease.
1 in 5 Americans received surprise bills despite law, many lack health insurance literacy, reports find
Skyrocketing medical bills and a lack of understanding in the healthcare system is putting financial stress on Americans in 2022, several recent reports have found. Despite the No Surprises Act, which protects consumers from surprise billing, many Americans said they’re still receiving unexpected bills, and a low healthcare literacy is making it difficult for them to know how to handle high medical bills, the surveys find.
Credit bureaus are removing medical debt, but hospitals can prevent it
Hospitals already have a tool at their disposal that addresses affordability for their patients. Financial assistance programs can prevent many patients from having accounts sent to collections in the first place.
Study: Medical debt outstrips other types of personal debt, reaching $140B
Though medical debt climbed high over the past decade, it appears that Medicaid expansion can help. States that expanded Medicaid saw average debt drop by 44% as opposed to a 10% reduction in non-expansion states.