Jay Hancock

Jay Hancock appears in the following:

An $80,000 surprise bill points to a loophole in a new law to protect patients

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

An insurer refused to pay bills related to the premature birth of the Bull family's twins because it said their delivery wasn't an emergency and their stays in the NICU weren't medically necessary.

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Patients Are Being Billed For Some Phone Chats With Doctors That Used To Be Free

Monday, April 27, 2020

As part of their social distancing policies, elected leaders suggested phone and video medical appointments would be covered by health insurance. So why are some patients paying $70 per virtual visit?

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Senate Inquiry On Drug Prices Echoes Landmark Hearings Held 60 Years Ago

Friday, February 22, 2019

A Senate hearing on Tuesday featuring pharmaceutical executives will tackle many issues raised in the historic Kefauver hearings, which led to tougher drug regulation. High prices remain a concern.

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Chronically Ill, Traumatically Billed: $123,019 For 2 Multiple Sclerosis Treatments

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Shereese Hickson's doctor wanted her to try a drug called Ocrevus for her multiple sclerosis. Trained as a medical billing coder, Hickson was shocked by the six-figure bill and the share she owed.

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Why Neglecting Asthma Can Be Profitable for Hospitals

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Jay Hancock and Rachel Bluth share their recent investigation for Kaiser Health News, “Hospitals Find Asthma Hot Spots More Profitable To Neglect Than Fix.”

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Republicans Now Control Obamacare. Will Your Coverage Change?

Monday, April 10, 2017

There are many ways beyond legislative repeal that the Trump administration and congressional Republicans could undo the Affordable Care Act — starting with sowing uncertainty about what's next.

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Letting States Decide Health Coverage Could Make It Harder To Buy

Friday, March 24, 2017

House Republicans altered their health care bill to let states decide what coverage is required. That would make it harder to buy coverage for childbirth or chronic illness, analysts say.

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Americans Conflicted Over GOP Plans To Dump Obamacare

Friday, March 03, 2017

Growing public support for the Affordable Care Act seems to be at odds with the GOP's plans to repeal and replace it.

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Health Insurers Face 'Massive Confusion' As GOP Wavers On Obamacare

Thursday, February 09, 2017

Uncertainty about the fate of the Affordable Care Act has created a "nightmare scenario" for health insurers as they try to determine what to charge for coverage in 2018.

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Employers Fear GOP Health Overhaul Could Damage Job-Based Insurance

Friday, February 03, 2017

Large companies in particular — those that have always offered job-based medical coverage — say a poorly thought-out replacement might turn out to be worse for them and their workers.

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Skip The Math: Researchers Paint A Picture Of Health Benefits And Risks

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

A Maryland physician teamed up with an environmental scientist to develop a visual approach for helping patients better understand the risks and benefits of medical tests and treatments.

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In Battle Of Health Care Titans, Should Insurers Act Like Wal-Mart?

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Evidence shows dominant insurers hold down hospital prices. Big insurers seeking to get bigger want to take that idea to the extreme. Hospitals and doctors object.

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Hikes In Employees' Health Premiums To Outpace Raises Again

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Most employees at large companies should expect a 5 percent increase in their health insurance premiums in 2017 and few changes to the coverage and features.

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Feds Act To Help More Ex-Inmates Get Medicaid

Friday, April 29, 2016

To reduce recidivism and promote health, the Department of Health and Human Services is taking steps to make it easier for ex-prisoners to sign up for or restart Medicaid coverage.

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Ex-Convicts Face Hurdles in Health Care

Monday, April 25, 2016

Thousands of people are leaving the prison system in Maryland without adequate health care, according to a new report from Kaiser Health News. 

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Thousands Leave Maryland Prisons With Health Problems And No Coverage

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Maryland's prisons and jails release thousands of inmates each year without helping them enroll in Medicaid, jeopardizing their health and putting communities at greater risk.

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In Baltimore, A Healthcare Crisis for the Poor

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

In the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood of Baltimore—once home to Freddie Gray—life expectancy is similar to that of impoverished North Korea.

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In Freddie Gray's Baltimore, The Best Medical Care Is Nearby But Elusive

Monday, February 15, 2016

The Baltimore health system put Robert Peace back together after a car crash shattered his pelvis. Then it nearly killed him, he says.

A painful bone infection that developed after surgery and a lack of follow-up care landed him in the operating room five more times, kept him homebound for ...

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7 Questions To Ask Your Boss About Wellness Privacy

Sunday, October 04, 2015

If your company hasn't launched a wellness program, this might be the year.

As benefits enrollment for 2016 approaches, more employers than ever are expected to nudge workers toward plans that screen them for risks, monitor their activity and encourage them to take the right pills, food and exercise.

This ...

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When The Hospital Is Boss, That's Where Doctors' Patients Go

Wednesday, September 09, 2015

Why did hospitals binge-buy doctor practices in recent years?

To improve the coordination of care, lower costs and upgrade patient experiences, say hospitals. To raise costs, gain pricing power and steer patient referrals, say skeptics.

Researchers at Stanford University tested those opposing arguments by comparing referral patterns between independent doctors ...

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