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The nearly 5,600-page legislative package that Congress passed in December includes new laws regarding aid to rural hospitals, funds for training more physicians, modest improvements in mental health care parity, and medical bill transparency.

Beyond COVID-19: 4 Other Key Health Issues Congress Recently Addressed

The huge spending bill Congress passed last month included aid to rural hospitals, training for new doctors, new rules regarding mental health coverage and requirements for billing transparency.

Mary Estime-Irvin, a councilwoman in North Miami, Fla., writes the name of a friend lost to COVID-19 on a symbolic tombstone that is part of a pandemic memorial at Griffing Park in North Miami in October.

As Death Rate Accelerates, U.S. Records 400,000 Lives Lost To The Coronavirus

Although vaccination has begun, this winter has been the deadliest season of the pandemic. The U.S. death toll jumped from 300,000 to 400,000 in just five weeks.

"As deductibles rise, patients have the right to know the price of health care services so they can shop around for the best deal," says Seema Verma, who heads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and announced the Trump administration's plan this week.

Trump Team's Bid To Make Hospital Costs More Transparent Is Data-Heavy

The administration's rules would require hospitals to provide far more detail about the actual prices they charge insurers for medical care. Would patients welcome the data, or feel overwhelmed?

In rugged, rural areas, patients often have little choice about how they'll get to the hospital in an emergency. "The presence of private equity in the air ambulance industry indicates that investors see profit opportunities," a 2017 report from the federal Government Accountability Office notes.

Wyoming Wants To Use Medicaid To Reduce Air Ambulance Bills For All Patients

Frustrated with sky-high bills from air ambulance companies, Wyoming hopes to hammer down those charges with more regulation. The companies say such a proposal undermines free enterprise.

Once the rules for implementing it are worked out, a bill signed into federal law in December will eliminate the required five-month waiting period for diagnosed ALS patients to begin disability benefits, enabling quicker Medicare coverage as well.

ALS Patients To Gain Quicker Access To Disability Benefits And Medicare

Lou Gehrig's disease can take months to diagnose, then rapidly incapacitate patients, leaving many families bankrupt before disability payments and Medicare kick in. A recent law aims to change that.

Peter Prater survived a case of COVID-19 after an outbreak hit his home, the Tallahassee Developmental Center in April. No federal agency tracks how many of the estimated 300,000 people who live in such facilities nationwide have caught COVID-19 or died as a result.

People With Intellectual Disabilities Are Often Overlooked In Pandemic Response

Without federal tracking, no one knows how many people in disability group housing have fallen ill or died from the virus. And few states are prioritizing them for vaccination.

Hospitals must now post on their websites, in a consumer-friendly format, the specific costs for 300 common and "shoppable" services, such as having a baby, getting a joint replacement, having a hernia repaired or undergoing a diagnostic brain scan.

Hospitals Forced To Be More Transparent About Pricing. Will That Save You Money?

Under a rule that kicked in Jan. 1, hospitals must now make public the prices they negotiate with health insurers. But health policy experts have divergent views on what that will mean for patients.

Congress passed a measure to curb surprise medical bills as part of the pandemic stimulus deal.

Congress Acts To Spare Consumers From Costly Surprise Medical Bills

Congress has passed a long-debated measure to stop health care providers from billing patients for charges not covered by their insurance. Here's how the new protection works.

A traveler adjusts her mask while waiting to check in for her flight at the Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 23.

Epidemiologists Urge A Cautious Christmas, After Thanksgiving Surge in Some States

Some parts of the country are now grappling with a post-Thanksgiving surge of patients, while others dodged that fate. What lessons can we learn as we head into the Christmas season?

All health plans sold on HealthCare.Gov or one of state insurance exchanges are governed by Affordable Care Act rules. That means they have to provide comprehensive benefits to all applicants, regardless of their health or "preexisting conditions." But short-term plans and many others aren't bound by such restrictions.

Think Your Health Care Costs Are Covered? Beware The 'Junk' Insurance Plan

Whether you're looking for coverage online or through a broker, be sure to note the difference between a comprehensive health plan and a "junk" plan with limited benefits and coverage restrictions.

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