Skip to main content
Nevada Public Radio
  • News 88.9 KNPR
  • Classical 89.7 kcnv
  • Magazine Desert Companion
  • About

    How to reach us

    1289 S. Torrey Pines Dr.
    Las Vegas, NV 89146

    Main Number:  1-702-258-9895
    Toll Free: 1-888-258-9895

    More contact info

     

     

      • Staff
      • Board of Directors
      • Employment
      • CPB Compliance
      • Our Policies
      • Our Business Members
      • Listen on the Radio
      • Other Ways to Listen
      • Sign-up for NVPR News
      • FCC Public Inspection File
      • CPB Funding
      • History
    • News 88.9 KNPR
    • Classical 89.7 KCNV
    • Desert Companion
  • Programs

    On News 88.9 KNPR

    On Classical 89.7

    News

    • All Things Considered
    • BBC World Service
    • Here & Now
    • Hidden Brain
    • It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders
    • KNPR's State of Nevada
    • Marketplace
    • Morning Edition
    • On the Media
    • Planet Money - How I Built This
    • Reveal
    • Take Two
    • The Daily
    • The Takeaway
    • Weekend Edition Saturday
    • Weekend Edition Sunday

    Humor

    • Ask Me Another
    • Live Wire!
    • Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

    Arts & Life

    • Bullseye
    • Desert Bloom
    • Fresh Air
    • Nevada Yesterdays
    • Radiolab
    • Snap Judgment
    • Sound Opinions
    • TED Radio Hour
    • The Business
    • The Moth
    • This American Life

    Classical

    • Chicago Symphony Orchestra
    • Classical Music
    • Concierto
    • From the Top
    • Music from the Hearts of Space
    • New York Philharmonic
    • Performance Today
    • Pipedreams
    • Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
    • Sunday Baroque
    • SymphonyCast

    Special Projects

    • Race and Racism in Nevada
    • StoryCorps Virtual: Las Vegas
    • Coronavirus - What You Need to Know
    • Fifth Street
  • Projects
  • Support
      • Support NVPR
      • Contact Member Services
      • Corporate Support
      • Donate your Car
      • Give Voice Major Gift Initiative
      • myPublicRadio
      • NVPR Facebook Fundraisers FAQ
      • Planned Giving
      • Volunteer
    • myPublicRadio
    • Donate Now
        • Member Benefits

    Main menu

    Search

    Listen

    News 88.9 KNPR
    Classical 89.7 KCNV
    Podcasts view all

    member station

    Support
    Subscribe to bill of the month

    bill of the month

    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    Adam Woodrum and his son, Robert, get ready for a bike ride near their home in Carson City, Nev., this month. During the summer, Robert had a bike accident that resulted in a hefty bill from the family's insurer.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    A Kid, A Minor Bike Accident And A $19,000 Medical Bill

    Nov 25, 2020
    It was a surprise even for a family of lawyers. A process called "subrogation" began with a Nevada family's health insurer denying their claim for an ER visit after their 9-year-old fell off his bike.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    Matthew Fentress was diagnosed with heart disease that developed after a bout of the flu in 2014. His condition worsened three years later, and he had to declare bankruptcy when he couldn't afford his medical bills, despite having insurance.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Heart Disease Bankrupted Him Once. Now He Faces Another $10,000 Medical Bill

    Sep 25, 2020
    A cook at a senior center, Matthew Fentress is one of millions of Americans whose skimpy health insurance plans leave them vulnerable to huge out-of-pocket costs when they get sick.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    "Before the appendectomy, I was looking for property and homes to purchase, and that is pretty much completely off the table right now," says Shannon Harness, a veteran who was uninsured when he had two appendicitis-related surgeries in 2019. The bills a
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Veteran's Appendectomy Launches Excruciating, Months-Long Battle Over Bill

    Aug 25, 2020
    An uninsured Colorado man who had appendicitis owed $80,232 after two surgeries. After months of negotiating with the hospital, he still owes far more than most insurers would pay for the procedures.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    Izzy Benasso injured her knee while playing tennis with her father Steve Benasso in Denver. After the college student had knee surgery to repair the injury, her dad noticed  her medical bills included a separate one from a surgical assistant for $1,167.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    The Knee Surgeon Was In-Network. The Surgical Assistant Wasn't, And Billed $1,167

    Jul 22, 2020
    A college student's bill for outpatient knee surgery is a whopper — $96K — but the most mysterious part is a $1,167 charge from a health care provider she didn't even know was in the operating room.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    It wasn't easy in early March to get a test in the U.S. confirming you had the coronavirus — scarce availability of tests meant patients had to meet strict criteria linked to a narrow set of symptoms and particular travel history.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Early Coronavirus Testing Restrictions Led To Some Big ER Bills

    Jul 06, 2020
    People with COVID-19 symptoms in March and April were often billed for expensive scans and bloodwork because they didn't qualify back then for a confirmatory coronavirus test. Some are crying foul.
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    With physician offices not seeing patients with COVID-19 symptoms in April, Timothy Regan said he had little choice when Denver Health directed him first to its urgent care facility and then to its emergency room. "I felt bad, but I had been dealing with
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    ER Visit For COVID-19 Symptoms Stuck Man With A $3,278 Bill

    May 26, 2020
    A dad in Denver tried to do everything right when COVID-19 symptoms surfaced. But he got a surprising bill from his insurer, which had waived cost sharing for treatment of the coronavirus infection.
    NPR
    Shots - Health News

    COVID-19 Tests That Are Supposed To Be Free Can Ring Up Surprising Charges

    Apr 29, 2020
    A graduate student in West Virginia was concerned she had come down with COVID-19. But she couldn't get tested for it until her doctor ruled out other things, a process that cost a bundle.
    • Listen Download
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    Michelle Kuppersmith's doctor recommended a bone marrow biopsy after suspecting she had a rare blood disorder. Though the biopsy was done by an in-network provider at an in-network hospital, Kuppersmith learned she was on the hook for $2,400 for out-of-n
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    A Genetic Test For A Microscopic Problem Came With A Jumbo Price Tag

    Mar 31, 2020
    Molecular diagnostics are at the frontier of medical science. But along with precise information about health, the tests raise billing questions that can create a minefield for patients.
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    A drug implant was prescribed for an active 8-year-old girl diagnosed with central precocious puberty. The price of one option was thousands of dollars less than the other.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Hormone Blocker Sticker Shock: Kids Drug Costs 8 Times More Than One For Adults

    Feb 24, 2020
    Two nearly identical drug implants have very different prices. The one for kids has a list price of $37,300. For adults, it's $4,400. A dad fought for his daughter to be able to get the cheaper drug.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    When Alexa Kasdan's sore throat lingered for more than a week, she went to her doctor. The doctor sent her throat swab and blood draw to an out-of-network lab for sophisticated DNA tests, resulting in a $28,395.50 bill.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    For Her Head Cold, Insurer Coughed Up $25,865

    Dec 23, 2019
    A New York woman worried that her sore throat might be strep, so she went to the doctor to have it checked out. Then came the bill — with a price tag similar to a small SUV.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    Lucy Branson, now 4, holds Polly Pocket shoes like the ones she put in her nose.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Nothing To Sneeze At: $2,659 Bill To Pluck Doll's Shoe From Girl's Nose

    Nov 26, 2019
    A young girl put matching doll shoes up her nose. One came out easily. The second required a trip to the hospital emergency department and led to a bill that isn't child's play.
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    An unexpected charge related to a biopsy threatened the financial security of Brianna Snitchler and her partner.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    A Biopsy Came With An Unexpected $2,170 'Cover Charge' For The Hospital

    Sep 30, 2019
    After a test to rule out cancer, Brianna Snitchler faced a facility fee for use of the hospital's radiology room. She wasn't told in advance about the charge, which strained her tight budget.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    Before scheduling his hernia surgery, Wolfgang Balzer called the hospital, the surgeon and the anesthesiologist to get estimates for how much the procedure would cost. But when his bill came, the estimates he had obtained were wildly off.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Bill Of The Month: Estimate For Cost Of Hernia Surgery Misses The Mark

    Aug 29, 2019
    Patients are often told to be smart consumers and shop around for health care before they use it. But even when you do so, estimates from insurers, hospitals and doctors can be unreliable.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    Sovereign Valentine, a personal trainer in Plains, Mont., needs dialysis for his end-stage renal disease. When he first started dialysis treatments, Fresenius Kidney Care clinic in Missoula charged $13,867.74 per session, or about 59 times the $235 Medic
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Dialysis Firm Cancels $524,600.17 Medical Bill After Journalists Investigate

    Jul 26, 2019
    This week, NPR profiled a Montana man who was billed nearly half a million dollars for 14 weeks of dialysis, after being caught in a dispute between insurer and the dialysis provider. Now he owes $0.
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    Sovereign Valentine and his wife, Jessica, wait as a dialysis machine filters his blood. Before finding a dialysis clinic in their insurance network, the Valentines were charged more than a half-million dollars for 14 weeks of treatment.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    First Came Kidney Failure. Then There Was The $540,842 Bill For Dialysis

    Jul 22, 2019
    A personal trainer in Montana had a sudden need for lifesaving dialysis after his kidneys failed. But he and his wife never expected the huge bill they received for 14 weeks of care.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    A new Texas law aims to protect patients like Drew Calver, pictured here with his wife, Erin, and daughters, Eleanor (left) and Emory, in their Austin, Texas, home. After being treated for a heart attack in April 2017, Calver, a high school history teach
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Texas Is Latest State To Attack Surprise Medical Bills

    Jun 18, 2019
    A new Texas law says hospitals and insurers will have to work it out when they can't agree on a price — instead of sending huge unexpected bills to patients.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    Since her spinal surgery, Liv Cannon has been able to work in the garden and play with her energetic dogs without having to worry about pain.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    A Year After Spinal Surgery, A $94,000 Bill Feels Like A Backbreaker

    Jun 17, 2019
    A service called neuromonitoring can cut the risk of nerve damage during delicate surgery. But some patients are receiving large bills they didn't expect.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    Charges for nitrous oxide during labor and delivery haven't been standardized.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Bill Of The Month: $4,836 Charge For Laughing Gas During Childbirth Is No Joke

    May 28, 2019
    Nitrous oxide is making a comeback for pain relief during childbirth. But charges for the option vary from free at some hospitals to thousands of dollars at others.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    President Trump called for legislative action on surprise medical bills during a White House event Thursday.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Trump Throws Support Behind Fix For Surprise Medical Bills, But Hurdles Remain

    May 09, 2019
    A bipartisan group of senators has been working on a plan to protect patients from unexpected medical bills. Disagreements within the health care industry could thwart those efforts.
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    Oakley Yoder walks with her parents, Josh Perry and Shelli Yoder, outside their home in Bloomington, Ind.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Summer Bummer: A Young Camper's $142,938 Snakebite

    Apr 29, 2019
    The snake struck a 9-year-old hiker at dusk on a nature trail in Illinois. Expensive antivenin and a helicopter ride to the hospital led to big bills that struck her parents a few weeks later.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    Surprise bills happen when patients go to a hospital they think is in their insurance network but are seen by doctors or specialists who aren't.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Congressional Panel: Consumers Shouldn't Have To Solve Surprise Medical Bill Problem

    Apr 02, 2019

    Surprise billing is one of the rare public policy issues that are both bipartisan and in need of a federal solution. A hearing on Capitol Hill looked to insurers and providers to help figure it out.

    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    After a sports injury, Esteban Serrano owed $829.41 for a knee brace purchased with insurance through his doctor's office. He says he found the same kind of brace selling for less than $250 online.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Soccer-Playing Engineer Calls Foul On Pricey Knee Brace

    Mar 26, 2019
    After a sports injury, Esteban Serrano owed $829.41 for a knee brace purchased with insurance through his doctor's office. The same kind of brace costs less than $250 online.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    The proposed legislation aims to reduce patients' costs by beefing up a Texas Department of Insurance program that scrutinizes surprise balance bills greater than $500 from any emergency health care provider.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Texas Sharpens Aim At Surprise Medical Bills In Bipartisan Proposal

    Mar 01, 2019
    Legislation introduced in Texas this week would force the state's health care providers and health insurers to mediate payment disputes before they send bills to patients.
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    Jeannette Parker, an animal-loving biologist, stopped to feed a stray cat in a rural area outside Florida's Everglades National Park. Instead of showing appreciation, the cat bit her.
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Cat Bites The Hand That Feeds; Hospital Bills $48,512

    Feb 26, 2019
    An animal lover stopped to feed a hungry-looking stray cat outside Everglades National Park in Florida. The cat bit her finger; then treatment for a possible rabies infection bit her pocketbook.
    • Listen Download
    NPR
    Shots - Health News
    First lady Melania Trump with 10-year-old Grace Eline, a guest of President Trump at the State of the Union address Tuesday. Grace was diagnosed with brain cancer last year. Trump cited her experience in calling for more research into childhood cancer tr
    Tweet Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Email

    Trump Highlights Health Agenda And Vows To Lower 'Unfair' Drug Prices

    Feb 06, 2019
    The president's State of the Union address laid out a series of goals, including lowering prescription prices, pursuing an end to the HIV epidemic and increasing research for childhood cancers.

    Pages

    • 1
    • 2
    • next ›
    • last »
    • home
    • How to reach us
    • About
    • Support
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • NVPR News
    • Instagram

    © All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy

    PRXNPRAPMBBC INN