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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
