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June 13, 2013 KHNInstead of waiting for individual hospitals to apply to build proton centers, a health planning council solicited proposals, promising to favor collaborative approaches. A five-hospital group that teamed with a private company got the go-ahead to build in New York City.

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May 29, 2013 KHNWaste and aggressive treatment might not explain Medicare cost variations after all. Differing levels of health by region could account for most of the cost variation, an analysis finds.

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May 17, 2013 Even cancer patients with health insurance can face steep copayments for drugs, a sizable share of hospital bills and significant incidental expenses. So wouldn't it make sense for doctors and patients to talk about financial issues up front?

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May 8, 2013 In a first, Medicare has revealed how much individual hospitals bill and how much they are paid for common treatments. The charges vary widely. And while Medicare and private insurers generally pay far less than what hospitals request, the uninsured may pay something closer to these sticker prices.

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May 6, 2013 The growth in health spending has definitely slowed, according to several recent studies. Some reasons: the weak economy, a shift of costs to patients and fewer expensive technologies being introduced.

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February 11, 2013 When researchers asked hospitals how much a total hip replacement would cost a 62-year-old woman paying cash, a surprising number couldn't or wouldn't say. Health care could learn something from the car industry about working with consumers, critics say.

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November 6, 2012 KHNPeople with high blood sugar had medical expenses that were almost one-third higher than average, as did people with high blood pressure. But among common health problems, depression was linked to the highest spending increase.

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