Sections Local news About Axios Sign up Health - Health care costs Health care costs The big picture The coronavirus pandemic hasn't stopped drug price increases 61 of the drugs with price hikes were being used to treat coronavirus. Jun 29, 2020 - Health The coronavirus is slowing health care spending Delayed care is beating COVID-19 cases right now. May 21, 2020 - Health Watch: As Medicare for All debate rages on, costs keep going up Part 5 of our What Matters 2020 series. Mar 6, 2020 - Health The health care debate we ought to be having Health care is eating up more and more of Americans’ paychecks every year. Dec 22, 2019 - Politics & Policy Deep Dive: The drug pricing maze It can be enormously frustrating for patients — and profitable for everyone else. Nov 17, 2018 - Health All Health care costs stories Bob Herman 7 hours ago - Health Supreme Court weighs whether hospital drug cuts are valid Photo: Megan Jelinger/AFP via Getty Images The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday about whether the federal government had the authority to cut hospitals' payments for outpatient drugs. Why it matters: The controversial case involves billions of dollars for hospitals, pits not-for-profit hospitals against rural and for-profit facilities, and tests the broader legal theory of whether federal agencies can take matters into their own hands when laws are vague. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Bob Herman Nov 29, 2021 - Health The push to revive an industry-backed medical device rule Doctors and technicians perform a surgery. Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images A bipartisan group of U.S. House members chided the Biden administration for repealing a rule that would have required Medicare to pay for any medical device deemed a "breakthrough" by the FDA. The big picture: Medical device manufacturers really wanted the rule enacted, in part, because it would have led to higher sales. Now many members of Congress who receive sizable campaign donations from the industry want the federal government to revive the rule. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Bob Herman Nov 23, 2021 - Health Private equity firms buy Athenahealth, again Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Private equity firms Bain Capital and Hellman & Friedman acquired Athenahealth, an electronic health records vendor for physician practices, for $17 billion. Why it matters: This is one of the largest leveraged buyouts of the year, and it means the previous private equity firms that took Athenahealth private in 2018 — Veritas Capital and Evergreen Coast Capital, a subsidiary of Elliott Management— tripled their investment. Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow Yacob Reyes Nov 18, 2021 - Health Health care is a hemisphere-wide concern for Latinos Data: Ipsos, Global Health Service Monitor 2021; Chart: Jared Whalen/Axios Health care performance is significantly worse for U.S. Latinos when compared with non-Hispanic white people, while some Latin Americans are also concerned about equitable access to health care in their countries. Why it matters: A report compiled by the Commonwealth Fund underlines profound racial and ethnic health care disparities across the United States. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Bob Herman Nov 17, 2021 - Health The new generic insulin isn't as cheap as you thought Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios Drug company Viatris has priced its new generic insulin, called Semglee, at almost $270 per vial, a mere $20 cheaper than the longstanding competitor that has existed for years. The big picture: The rollout of Semglee highlights the specific warped incentives within the insulin market, where diabetes patients have struggled to afford their insulin for years. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Bob Herman Nov 16, 2021 - Health Out-of-network costs spin out of control Cindy Beckwith has undergone two open-heart surgeries and continues chemotherapy treatments. Photo: Cindy Beckwith People who have health insurance but get sick with rare diseases that require out-of-network care continue to face potentially unlimited costs. The big picture: Federal regulations cap how much people pay out of pocket for in-network care, but no such limit exists for out-of-network care. Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow Bob Herman Nov 15, 2021 - Health Medicare's looming premium hike Seniors will be paying higher Medicare premiums next year. Photo: Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images Monthly premiums that cover physician and outpatient care for Medicare patients will increase by 15% next year, the Biden administration said in a notice Friday evening. Why it matters: People on Medicare are getting slammed with a big hike during an election year, due largely to the big price tag from the questionable Alzheimer's treatment, Aduhelm, and uncertainty stemming from the coronavirus. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Bob Herman Nov 10, 2021 - Health Health insurance costs for workers rose 4% during pandemic Illustration: Megan Robinson/Axios Health insurance provided by employers this year cost an average of $22,200 for families and $7,700 for individuals, a 4% increase from a year ago, according to new survey data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Why it matters: While many people lost their jobs and health insurance during the pandemic, most companies didn't rock the boat heading into 2021. But even a relatively modest increase in the already high costs of job-based insurance means workers and families continue to pay a lot more for their health care. Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow Bob Herman Nov 9, 2021 - Health DOJ investigating Oak Street Health An Oak Street Health clinic. Photo: Oak Street Health The Department of Justice is investigating Oak Street Health, the newly public chain of physician clinics that focuses on Medicare patients, over possible violations of the False Claims Act, the company disclosed in a quarterly filing. Why it matters: Oak Street Health is one of the fastest-growing primary care groups, especially for people over 65. The DOJ requested documents tied to Oak Street Health's "relationships with third-party marketing agents" and "free transportation" provided to its patients, according to the filing. Bob Herman Nov 9, 2021 - Health Private insurers pay steep markups for hospital drugs A man receives a Keytruda infusion. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images Hospitals are charging private health insurers "considerable markups" on highly used outpatient drugs like Remicade, Neulasta and Keytruda, according to a new study in JAMA Internal Medicine. Why it matters: Depending on the drug, insurers are paying hospitals several times what Medicare pays, and that ultimately flows through to workers' insurance premiums. Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow More Health care costs stories Axios gets you smarter, faster with news & information that matters. Copyright Axios Media, 2021 About About Axios Advertise with us Careers Events Axios on HBO Axios HQ Privacy and terms Online tracking choices Contact us Subscribe Axios newsletters Axios app Axios podcasts Courses Earn Axios rewards