Consolidation in health care causes higher prices and worse care. As hospital systems crowd out competition, they negotiate with insurers to set their own prices, operating without transparency. Is this patient-first or profit-first? dcjournal.com/the-problem-...

In Wisconsin, hospital costs are rising three times faster than incomes. This disparity between earnings and prices drastically reduces affordability and availability. #HospitalFail www.wkow.com/news/hospita...

Since 2010, Virginia hospitals brought 1.15 MILLION lawsuits against patients, generating 400,000+ garnishments for medical debts. Aggressive debt collection practices ruin lives. www.patientrightsadvocate.org/medical-debt...

Insurance red tape is a big, unnecessary burden on rural hospitals. Rural hospitals already navigate workforce shortages and rising supply costs; delayed insurance payouts exacerbate the problem. www.washingtonexaminer.com/op-eds/45116...

Prior authorization requirements delay patient care, needlessly worsening health conditions and costing lives. www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Retirement accounts drained and families’ having to choose between surgery or a new roof – these are symptoms of a broken health care system www.npr.org/transcripts/...

Wyoming is the 8th worst state for affordable health care. 20% of residents carry high medical debt. ALL states need common sense reform to reduce consumer burdens. #HospitalFail powelltribune.com/stories/stud...

Private equity’s involvement in health care hurts consumers. www.fiercehealthcare.com/finance/nyu-...

We teamed up with 5 top creators to break down how health insurers exploit loopholes to boost profits—at patients’ expense. Watch & share their videos 👇 #Health #Care #MLR #PatientFirst

CQC was back on Capitol Hill this week sharing news-documented patient experiences with the Energy & Commerce Committee that illustrate how major hospital systems' practices have led to devastating financial hardship and compromised outcomes. consumers4qualitycare.org/press/2026/0...

Happening Now: The Energy & Commerce Committee is grilling top executives representing the hospital industry. With many Americans living the consequences of predatory hospital practices, lawmakers must hold executives accountable. Watch ⤵️ democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/committee-ac...

Idaho is taking a step towards transparency in health care. It’s “no longer a partisan issue. It is a kitchen-table issue.” www.idahopress.com/opinion/gues...

Affordability is Americans’ top health care concern. The numbers do not lie: Almost 25% of Americans have incurred unaffordable medical costs over the last 4 years. lasvegassun.com/news/2026/ma...

“In our country, we really elevate free market health care and we allow contracting norms to kind of rule health care. That works great for the big parties at stake, the hospital systems and the insurance companies, but it doesn't work for patients.” gothamist.com/news/anthem-...

A new bill would effectively ban wage garnishment for all medical debt, put a cap on patient payment plans, and more. www.creditandcollectionnews.com/why-a-propos...

Insurers found a way to rig Medicare Advantage so that they can raise premiums, costing America’s seniors an extra $13.4 billion last years alone. www.wsj.com/health/healt...

This week we launched our latest round of hospital scorecards. Every state earned an “F” for putting profits over patients. #HospitalFail Read your state’s scorecard here: consumers4qualitycare.org/scorecards/

Prior authorization regularly creates delays and unnecessary back-and-forth between patients and doctors. This NPR podcast shares tips on how to make this process as smooth and easy as possible ⤵️ www.npr.org/2026/02/10/n...

A new bill in Maine would cap hospital charges to private payers at 200% of Medicare reimbursement. This could help slow rising health care premiums. It’s overdue. www.mainepublic.org/health/2026-...

There’s an ongoing fight between drug companies and insurers over skyrocketing drug costs. Patients are getting caught in the middle – when a CA man’s copay card ran out early, he was left to cover the significant costs of his psoriatic arthritis prescription. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

A new Massachusetts bill aims to ban the sale of medical debt, cut max interest from 12% to 3%, and prohibit medical bills from harming credit scores. This is a step in the right direction to protect families from these crushing costs. www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/...

Nearly 3 million people are looking for an alternatives to their Medicare Advantage plans. Forced disenrollment has jumped from less than 1% to nearly 10%, with rural areas seeing disruptions at about twice the rate of urban ones. idahobusinessreview.com/2026/02/19/i...

Washington’s health care market is shrinking fast. Enrollment in coverage fell statewide, and these declining numbers will drive premiums even higher. www.thenewstribune.com/news/state/w...

1/3 of Americans say prior authorization is not only a major burden, but the single biggest burden to accessing care. Other delays and denials make the list of burdens as well, with 2/3 of adults calling them a major problem. www.beckerspayer.com/research-ana...

A new proposal from CMS could save the government billions of dollars by cracking down on hospital fraud. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/03/c...

In AL, health insurance costs for state employees have increased almost 50% in two years. Now these costs are crowding out other budget priorities, like education. It goes to show how far-reaching the consequences of rising health care costs can be. abc3340.com/news/alabama...

Rising ACA premiums are forcing Americans to choose between paying more for the same coverage, paying a substantial amount for bare-bones junk insurance, or risking their health by foregoing coverage altogether. These are choices no one should have to make. www.cbsnews.com/news/health-...

Michigan lawmakers proposed two bills to change how hospitals handle unpaid medical bills. If passed, the legislation would prevent “extraordinary collection actions,” limit interest on medical debt, & restrict the use of exploitative late fees. wowo.com/michigan-law...

Facility fees from hospitals can range from $50 to over $1k. Consumers shouldn’t have to pay fees for hospitals they never stepped foot in. www.usatoday.com/story/money/...

Thousands of Maryland families are abandoning comprehensive health coverage for bare bones plans with sky-high deductibles. It's the only way they can afford to stay insured, even if what they have is insurance in name only. www.capitalgazette.com/2026/01/30/m...

Hospitals can no longer put liens on Indiana residents' homes to collect debt on unpaid medical bills, thanks to bipartisan legislation that proves protecting patients from crushing debt is possible. Every state should follow Indiana's lead. www.wthr.com/article/news...

A Louisville woman’s denied cancer medication was brought to light in a House hearing. Lawmakers are calling for accountability on how insurance and PBM denials put patients’ lives at risk. Patients deserve better. www.wdrb.com/news/louisvi...

North Carolina just erased $6.5 billion in medical debt for over 2 million people, and it cost the state exactly $0. That’s what happens when hospitals and policymakers prioritize patients over profit. Other states should be next. www.npr.org/2026/01/14/n...

NYT collected 300+ stories from people struggling with health care costs. Retirement accounts drained. Healthy people dropping coverage entirely. Working families choosing between insurance and survival. This is what happens when the system fails us. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/o...

Farmers are facing impossible choices after ACA subsidies expired: Work the land uninsured or leave farming behind for a job with benefits. Americans who feed our country shouldn't have to risk their health to do it. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Insured moms are leaving the hospital with thousands in debt after giving birth. Americans shouldn't have to worry about medical bills in what should be one of life's most joyful moments. Affordable coverage is a necessity. www.fastcompany.com/91478636/thi...

One Floridian's health insurance premium nearly tripled overnight when ACA subsidies lapsed. She's one of 4.4 million Floridians navigating impossible choices in the marketplace. Affordable coverage isn't a luxury; it's a necessity. www.axios.com/local/tampa-...

This column from NYT paints the picture that Medicaid cuts have created, and it’s a bleak one. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/o...

The expiration of ACA health care subsidies means steep increases in premiums. As 2026 picks up, these mind-bending increases are going to be more real than ever. www.latimes.com/business/sto...

Consumers for Quality Care believes that health care is a right and therefore affordable health coverage is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Read our statement on the expiration of enhanced ACA subsidies. ⤵️ consumers4qualitycare.org/press/2026/0...

As states debate caps stronger rules before medical debt goes to collections, policymakers are also watching the fallout from the vacated CFPB rule on credit reporting. The goal: protect patients from aggressive tactics while ensuring clear standards. www.creditandcollectionnews.com/lawmakers-co...

As enhanced ACA subsidies approach expiration, a bipartisan coalition has introduced the CommonGround for Affordable Health Care Act to extend premium savings, increase oversight, and add reforms that will help keep coverage affordable for families. wrnjradio.com/bipartisan-g...

PatientRightsAdvocate.org has launched a new Ohio Hospital Price Finder Tool, giving patients, employers, and caregivers a clearer look at hospital prices across the state. More transparency can help Ohioans make informed choices about their care. ohiohospitalpricefinder.patientrightsadvocate.org

Health care costs are rising, and even though employers partially cover premiums for workers, there’s still a cost - lower wages and fewer jobs. Read more: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/o...

Insurers are publishing incomplete price transparency data and leaving Americans in the dark about how much they actually have to pay for care. Americans deserve honesty from their insurers. Read more: www.beckerspayer.com/research-ana...

Rising health care costs will be hard on everyone. Be sure to use your resources to stay informed of current price changes. ⤵️ www.kctv5.com/2025/12/12/a...

Mississippi is exploring how to approach better care for women and children. Lawmakers are hoping to focus more on childcare programs and increasing resources for mental health and substance abuse. When Americans are healthy, the country benefits. Read more: apnews.com/article/miss...

The SUPPORT Act will help mothers and infants nationwide by strengthening recovery programs, streamlining training and education for physicians, and funding substance-use disorder professionals to serve the areas with the highest overdose rates. www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/sen...

Expanding access to doulas, particularly through Medicaid, will help narrow racial disparities in health and improve both infant and maternal mortality. apnews.com/article/mich...

Health insurance costs are going up. But Senator Husted’s proposed solution “consists mostly of raising costs or cutting benefits for low and middle-income consumers whose pay and insurance plans aren’t as good as his own.” ohiocapitaljournal.com/2025/12/09/o...