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When Darius Settles died from COVID-19 on the Fourth of July, his family and the city of Nashville, Tenn., were shocked. Even the mayor noted the passing of a 30-year-old without any underlying conditions — one of the city's youngest fatalities at that point. Settles was also uninsured and had just been sent home from an emergency room for the second time, and he was worried about medical bills. An investigation into his death found that, like many uninsured COVID-19 patients, he had never been told that cost shouldn't be a concern. (Farmer, 10/22)

Most major health systems participate in a program that covers hospital bills for uninsured COVID-19 patients; however, many of them are not telling their patients upfront, according to NPR. The program is run by CMS and was set up by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act this spring. According to Jennifer Tolbert of the Kaiser Family Foundation, who studies uninsured patients, there is no requirement for hospitals to tell uninsured COVID-19 patients upfront that the federal government would pay the bill in full. Ms. Tolbert also said that even physicians don't always know how the program works or that it exists. She says these are shortcomings of the program.  (Paavola, 10/22)

During a global pandemic, not getting medical treatment isn’t an option. If someone’s feeling ill or worried that they might have contracted COVID-19, it’s important to get tested immediately. And if symptoms of the condition worsen, it’s imperative that one gets medical treatment. But there’s one symptom that those who have recovered from the virus often don’t expect: sticker shock. Living in a country where medical coverage isn’t a guarantee often means that the bulk of medical treatment falls on the individual to pay. And if someone’s uninsured, then the lifesaving care they’ve received may rack up into the millions. (Shrayber, 10/22)

Amid a historic public health crisis, something curious has happened with health insurance prices: Nothing. When state officials this month unveiled the approved rates for next year’s health insurance plans, they announced the smallest change in years. Average prices for plans in the individual market — where people shop for insurance if they don’t get coverage through an employer — are set to decline by 1.4%. Average prices in the small-group market — where small employers buy plans for their workers — are set to rise by 3.8%. ... It raises a question. Why hasn’t the coronavirus pandemic — and all the costly medical care that can go along with it — led to higher insurance prices? (Ingold, 10/22)

Kansans remain among the most vulnerable in the country to surprise medical bills — charges from outside an insurance network that the consumer only discovers after treatment. A new research brief from the Kansas Health Institute points to studies suggesting the charges are common in Kansas. It’s part of a shrinking minority of states yet to pass laws reining in the practice. (Llopis-Jepsen, 10/22)

For Lawrence Hatch, alleviating the weight of health care costs is personal. That's because Hatch, an Orlando-based client adviser with SunTrust Private Wealth Management, is familiar with the burden medical costs can bring. Hatch's son has faced a number of medical issues during his lifetime, giving Hatch first-hand experience of costs associated with unexpected medical care. It's why Hatch, the chairman of The Assistance Fund, told Orlando Business Journal he looks forward to the day the medical nonprofit no longer exists. (Soderstrom, 10/21)