Lauren Weber appears in the following:
Birth Control Misinformation Flourishes on Social Media
Friday, March 22, 2024
How misinformation about birth control is affecting women's choices and access to reproductive care
Medical bills remain inaccessible for many visually impaired Americans
Thursday, December 01, 2022
When health bills aren't legible — via large-print, Braille or other adaptive technology — blind patients can't know what they owe, and are too often sent to debt collections, an investigation finds.
The heartbreak and cost of losing a baby in America
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Even after their babies died, hospital bills kept coming. These parents of fragile, very sick infants faced exorbitant bills — though they had insurance. "The process was just so heartless," one says.
Conservative blocs unleash wave of litigation to curb public health powers
Monday, July 18, 2022
A coalition of religious groups, conservative think tanks, and Republican attorneys general have chipped away at local and state authority, altering how the nation can respond during health crises.
Why billions in Medicaid funds for people with disabilities are being held up
Wednesday, March 02, 2022
Almost a year after the American Rescue Plan Act allocated up to $25 billion to home and community-based services run by Medicaid, many states have yet to access the funds due to delays and red tape.
Her Doctor's Office Moved 1 Floor Up. Why Did Her Treatment Cost 10 Times More?
Friday, March 26, 2021
Same building. Same procedure. Same doctor. But there was an extra "facility fee" because the location changed slightly. A shot that used to cost her about $30 went up to more than $300.
The Office Elevator In COVID-19 Times: Experts Weigh In On Safer Ups And Downs
Monday, June 08, 2020
As more and more people filter back to the workplace, many face a tiny space that can create a large logjam: the elevator. Even the lobby is fraught with coronavirus questions. We have answers.
Coronavirus Threatens Rural Hospitals Already At The Financial Brink
Saturday, March 21, 2020
About half of U.S. rural hospitals operate in the red on a good day. Now facing a pandemic, hospital CEOs warn that, without federal help, their doors may close when the community most needs them.
Groupon For Medical Scans? Discounted Care Can Have Hidden Costs
Thursday, September 05, 2019
Groupon and other deal sites are the latest marketing tactic in medicine, offering bargain prices. But critics say pursuing such discounts can also entail getting unnecessary or duplicative services.
Missouri Firm With Silicon Valley Ties Faces Medicare Billing Scrutiny
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
A federal audit and a whistleblower lawsuit allege that Medicare Advantage plans from the St. Louis-based Essence Group Holdings Corp. have significantly overcharged taxpayers.
Medicare Advantage Plans Overbill Taxpayers By Billions Annually, Records Show
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
The federal government wants to deploy several new tools for catching insurers that have overcharged Medicare $30 billion in the past three years alone. But the insurance industry is balking.
Bill Of The Month: $4,836 Charge For Laughing Gas During Childbirth Is No Joke
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Nitrous oxide is making a comeback for pain relief during childbirth. But charges for the option vary from free at some hospitals to thousands of dollars at others.
American Values: Thrift
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Ben Franklin once said “a penny saved is a penny earned.” In this era of advertising and prominently-placed product logos, though, can we say that thrift is still a fundamental American Value? Or is conspicuous consumption more in keeping with what it means to be an American?
In Cheap We Trust
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Lauren Weber explores the boundary between thrift and miserliness, and looks at whether thrift is a virtue or a vice during a recession. In her book In Cheap We Trust, she offers a colorful history of frugality in the United States and looks into the many meanings of "cheapness." ...
