Medical Bills Often Come with Sticker Shock but Insurance Could be Reinvented to Provide Costs Upfront

The price of the doctor’s visit you calculated online might not reflect what you’ll be billed.
The price of the doctor’s visit you calculated online might not reflect what you’ll be billed.
chormail/Envato
Share
The price of the doctor’s visit you calculated online might not reflect what you’ll be billed.
The price of the doctor’s visit you calculated online might not reflect what you’ll be billed.
chormail/Envato
Medical Bills Often Come with Sticker Shock but Insurance Could be Reinvented to Provide Costs Upfront
Copy

You have scheduled an appointment with a health care provider, but no matter how hard you try, no one seems to be able to reliably tell you how much that visit will cost you. Will you have to pay US$20, $1,000 – or even more?

Patients are increasingly on the hook for health care costs through deductibles, co-pays and other fees. As a result, patients are demanding credible cost information before appointments to choose where they seek care and control their budget.

Yet, in spite of recent legislation and regulations, upfront information on patient out-of-pocket costs is still difficult to obtain from both health care providers and insurers.

Read the full article on The Conversation.

Looking for an easy dessert that’s light, flavorful, and naturally flour-free? This citrus cake delivers fresh, sunny flavor with minimal effort. It bakes up soft and fragrant, making it just as good with coffee in the morning as it is for dessert.
Pina reflects on her journey from journalism to advocacy and outlines how faith, organizing and inclusion guide the coalition’s work
Providence has tightened limits on police cooperation with ICE, drawing pushback from the Trump administration and placing Rhode Island at the center of a broader legal fight over immigration enforcement
How ancient Rome, leap years and human psychology turned Jan. 1 into the world’s most popular fresh start
From lunar missions and eclipses to supermoons, auroras and a fading interstellar comet, 2026 promises a busy year in the skies
Bryant, URI and Johnson & Wales reached new heights, the Patriots stunned the NFL, and high school dynasties rolled on in a year full of highs — and hard lessons