The Trump administration’s decimation of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has many academics deeply concerned.
Public Health
Posted inHidden Help
What Texas Reveals About the Obstacles to Getting Hospital Financial Aid
A Tradeoffs investigation found that nearly half of nonprofit facilities in Texas say they will bill patients before screening them for aid. And most will not offer refunds to patients who pay and are later found to qualify for free care.
Posted inHidden Help
Medical Debt Is Crushing Hospital Patients in Los Angeles. Public Health Officials May Have a Fix.
In Los Angeles County, the nation’s most populous, a new system could screen hospital patients for financial aid, preventing hundreds of thousands from getting bills they can’t pay.
Posted inHidden Help
Hidden Help: What Happened When Oregon Forced Hospitals to Boost Financial Aid?
In the second episode of our special series on medical debt, we explore lessons from Oregon’s aggressive legislation to push hospitals to prevent patients from falling into medical debt.
Posted inHidden Help
7 Takeaways From an Investigation Into Financial Aid at Texas Hospitals
Hospitals can prevent medical debt by preemptively wiping out a patient’s bill. But a Tradeoffs analysis finds that few nonprofit facilities in Texas use this tool to the maximum benefit of patients.
Posted inHidden Help
Hidden Help: A New Push for Hospitals to Prevent Medical Debt
Hospitals can automatically wipe out the cost of care for low-income patients. A Tradeoffs analysis finds that hospitals in Texas could be doing more to protect people from unaffordable bills.
Posted inHidden Help
Hospitals Have a Little-Known Tool to Prevent Medical Debt. Here’s How It Works.
Getting financial assistance from hospitals often involves filling out cumbersome applications. Some states now require hospitals to identify and automatically enroll patients eligible for charity care.
Posted inPublic Health
As SNAP Shrinks, What’s the Future of Food Aid in America?
Cash-strapped states and struggling families are wrestling with the consequences of major reforms to the SNAP program passed as part of President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.
Posted inPublic Health
Call to Mind: Immigration and the Challenge to Belong
A deep dive on the unique mental health challenges faced by immigrants in America, produced by Call to Mind from American Public Media.
Posted inPublic Health
As Drama at Trump’s FDA Subsides, Doubts and Damage Linger
We talk with STAT News reporter Lizzy Lawrence about the agency’s recent turmoil and its hunt for a new leader.