Anna Davis Abel, a graduate student studying creative writing at West Virginia University, couldn't get tested for COVID-19 until her doctor ruled out other possible illnesses. Rebecca Kiger for KHN hide caption
Health Inc. : Shots - Health News As spending on care rises, the business of health keeps getting more important. We feature news on and analysis of drugmakers, health insurers, hospitals, doctors and others in the business of providing health care.
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Wednesday
Monday
Despite recent changes in insurance policy, some patients say doctors and insurers are charging them upfront for video appointments and phone calls — not just copays but sometimes the entire cost of the visit, even if it's covered by insurance. sesame/Getty Images hide caption
Friday
Only 28% of the factories that make active ingredients for pharmaceuticals for the domestic market are located in the U.S., according to the Food and Drug Administration. Ariana Lindquist/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
Monday
All 84 residents of Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Riverside, Calif., were evacuated from the facility in early April after 39 residents tested positive for the coronavirus. Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images hide caption
Discharging COVID-19 Patients To Nursing Homes Called A 'Recipe For Disaster'
Friday
Emergency medical technicians wheel a patient into the ER of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Emergency hospitalizations related to COViD-19 can be costly. Fine print in the HHS rules regarding the CARES Act seem to spare patients at least some of the financial pain. Stan Grossfeld/Boston Globe via Getty Images hide caption
Wednesday
Paramedics and hospital workers prepare to lift a COVID-19 patient onto a hospital stretcher outside the Montefiore Medical Center Moses Campus, the Bronx, Tuesday, April 07, 2020, New York City. John Moore/Getty Images hide caption
Monday
Tents setup outside the main entrance to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, Calif., Wednesday, April 1, 2020. The hospital plans to triple the number of available ICU beds to care for patients amidst the spread of COVID-19. Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Image hide caption
Thursday
While more affluent parts of Nashville have had testing sites for weeks, this drive-through testing site at Meharry Medical College, in a historically African American neighborhood, experienced weeks of delays because staff couldn't acquire the needed testing supplies and gear like masks and gloves. It finally opened March 30. Ken Morris/Meharry Medical College hide caption
The Coronavirus Doesn't Discriminate, But U.S. Health Care Showing Familiar Biases
Monday
Aetna was the first insurer to announce its plan to help shield patients with COVID-19 from high medical bills. But out-of-network charges and other surprise bills remain a risk, say advocates for patients. Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
Saturday
After an initial verbal screening, one driver at a time gets a COVID-19 nasal swab test from a garbed health worker at a drive-up station in Daly City, Calif. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption
Friday
Mary Mills, longtime intensive care nurse, feels the response to coronavirus at her Seattle hospital has been haphazard. She worries the growing number of patients will overwhelm the ICUs in the coming days. Will Stone/for NPR hide caption
Wednesday
Drive-through screening stations are opening up in several parts of the country as testing capacity starts to expand nationally. At one station in Meridian, Idaho, nurse Ashley Layton communicates with a patient before taking a swab sample. Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman/Tribune News Service via Getty Images hide caption
U.S. Coronavirus Testing Starts To Ramp Up But Still Lags
Medical personnel use specialized swabs to gather samples to test for coronavirus, such as at this drive-through COVID-19 testing station in Seattle. The supply of these swabs is getting tight. Elaine Thompson/AP hide caption
Wednesday
Until very recently, the separate company that runs the emergency department at Nashville General Hospital was continuing to haul patients who couldn't pay medical bills into court. Blake Farmer/WPLN hide caption
It's Not Just Hospitals That Are Quick To Sue Patients Who Can't Pay
Wednesday
Lobbying by physicians and physicians' professional associations has influenced proposed legislation to curtail surprise billing. Hannah Norman/Kaiser Health News hide caption