Healthcare Affordability News

Recent Developments:

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Fri, Oct 2, 2026:

• Your health insurance premiums may take a big jump in 2027 — here’s why - CNBC

Thurs, Sept 24, 2026:

• Battle of Hospital A.I. vs. Insurer A.I. Is Pushing Medical Costs Higher. The use of artificial intelligence by hospitals and health insurers is escalating their longstanding feud over paying for medical care… “Coding is changing because of this technology,” said Luke Chalker, a senior vice president at the BCBS association. By describing patients as having more complicated conditions and adding a secondary diagnosis, like anemia or low sodium, the hospitals were paid an average of nearly $12,000 more per case. - NYT
  

Thurs, Sept 17, 2026:

• Compared to people in many other high-income nations, Americans are the most likely to have problems paying for their medical care… Millions in the U.S. currently lack health insurance, and millions more are expected to lose their coverage as a result of congressional and Trump administration policy changes. Even for insured Americans, high out-of-pocket costs and plan deductibles can make health care difficult to afford… For many, the fear of incurring high bills is a deterrent to getting needed medical care. - Commonwealth Fund

• Industry titans’ warning to Congress: Do what we say or health insurance premiums are going up. Some of America’s biggest companies say a law aimed at protecting patients is about to hurt them instead. - Politico

Tues, Sept 8, 2026:

• A Doctor Sued 700 Patients for Debts; 81 Were Arrested. Now He’s a Senator.

  Patients sued by Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas were routinely charged 18 percent interest, The Times found. Some had bank accounts garnished. - NYT

Tues, Sept 1, 2026:

• The market forces quietly adding thousands to patient bills - KFF

Wed, Aug 26, 2026:

• States try new tactics to bring down high hospital prices - NPR

Thurs, Aug 20, 2026:

• U.S. Workers Are Paying More for Healthcare, and Next Year Will Be Worse

  For 2027, employers face their biggest health-insurance increases in at least two decades - WSJ

Tues, Aug 18, 2026:

• How health care costs are undermining America’s public-sector employers - STAT

Wed, Aug 12, 2026:

• Hospitals push for upfront payments as patient deductibles and out-of-pocket costs rise - KFF

Thursday, June 18, 2026:

• U.S. Adults’ Ability to Afford Healthcare at a Five-Year Low - Gallup

Wed, June 10, 2026:

• Nearly Half of Working-Age Adults Had Difficulties Affording Health Care in 2025. - Urban Institute

Mon, May 4, 2026:

• Hospital prices are the leading driver of the 320 percent increase in insurance premiums that Americans have experienced over the past 25 years. - NYT

• This $1.3 trillion industry deserves to be taxed. Many “nonprofit” hospitals operate like big businesses. - WP

Thurs, Jan 29, 2026:

• Paying for health care is now Americans’ top financial worry, KFF poll finds - CBS

Thurs, Jan 8, 2026:

• How Unaffordable Is Health Care? - JAMA

Thurs, Nov 20, 2025:

• Looming affordability crisis set to hit Americans with health insurance through work. It’s a perilous combination for 165 million people with employer-sponsored health insurance. Premiums are rising, while yearly pay raises shrink. – Politico

Mon, Nov 17, 2025:

• Wall Street Risk Engineers Build Hedge for Health-Cost Spiral – Bloomberg

Fri, Oct 17, 2025:

• Unsubsidized health insurance is unaffordable – Axios

Fri, Sept 26, 2025:

• California braces for a health insurance meltdown. Regulators are preparing to tell people their monthly premiums have doubled. – Politico

• Get Ready for Higher Health Insurance Premiums Next Year. Employers say they are facing the biggest increase in health costs in more than a decade — almost 9 percent on average. Workers’ best option, experts say, is to carefully weigh various plans. – NYT

Thurs, Sept 18, 2025:

• Trump tariffs on EU medical devices will drive up US patient bills, industry claims – FT

Wed, Sept 10, 2025:

• According to a new KFF study, “about half of adults with ACA marketplace coverage are employed by small businesses or are self-empoyed and could face higher premiums soon.” – KFF

Sun, Sept. 7, 2025:

• Americans face biggest increase in health insurance costs in 15 years – FT

Thurs, Sept 4, 2025:

• Health Care Costs for Workers Begin to Climb. A survey shows employers expect a sharp increase in benefit costs for next year, and many will want workers to shoulder more of the burden. – NYT

• Why your health insurance copays, deductibles and premiums will probably surge next year – CNN

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