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Medical Price Roulette
Man relieved of $1.7 mllion debt relief
An update on the story of Alexis Hernandez, who fought to survive after an explosion only to be hit with a $1.7 million medical debt for his treatment at a burn center in Brooke Army Medical center. While his debt was finally waived after the story and urgings of legislators, others with similar stories still face their huge medical bills. Anna Werner reports
COVID long-haulers may face financial hurdles
Some long-haulers suffering from long-term coronavirus symptoms are now facing financial challenges as well. Anna Werner spoke with several people who faced challenges getting disability and health care coverage.
Some Cologuard users hit with unexpected high bills after cancer test
"I am mad because I pay so much every month for this insurance," on Cologuard user told CBS News. "I just feel like I'm really getting raked over."
Man billed $1.7 million by government for life-saving burn treatment
"I never expected, never in my life to live through something like this," Alexis Hernandez told CBS News' Anna Werner.
Company pauses plan to send 9,000 back to office after pushback
Epic Systems, a medical records software company, "is going to have to adhere by the same rules as everyone else," a local official said.
COVID-19 tests should be free, but these people still got big bills
People returning to their jobs could wind up having to pay for COVID-19 tests, experts warn.
His coronavirus test wasn't processed, but he got billed $9,000
Congress passed a law making coronavirus tests free, but all costs may not be covered by all insurers.
Alabama couple struggling after hospital sues over medical debt
KC and Daryl Roberts were paying what they could each month toward the more than $30,000 hospital bill.
Woman fighting with insurance for follow-up breast cancer tests
Mammograms can save lives, but in some cases, insurance companies are refusing to cover follow-up tests ordered by doctors.
Women shocked by "hidden" cost of mammograms
Health insurance covers mammograms every one to two years, but many women often need secondary tests that aren't covered
Man drives five hours for surgery insurance won't cover
Around the country, middle-class Americans with high-deductible insurance plans are heading to dozens of cash-based surgery centers
Regulators want to change law after CBS News report
"After hearing about — and resolving — a recent issue, we know that if it could happen to one consumer, it could happen to others"
Even with insurance, woman hit with $40,000 in medical bills
When Molly McKenna went to a clinic in agonizing pain, doctors told her it was an emergency. Only later did she learn much of her treatment was out-of-network
How to find out health care costs in advance
How much will that cost? Why did that cost so much? Always ask. Take notes, take names, take numbers
Man hit with $650,000 in medical bills finally gets relief
Frank Esposito was hit with $650,000 in medical bills after his insurance company said his surgery didn't qualify as an emergency
Medical bills jump from $220 to $4,000 a month – for treatment her life depends on
"I was like, how is this even possible?" one patient said of the unpredictable charges
She needed two rounds of ultrasound exams. Why did one cost 10 times more?
Medical prices vary greatly, even within the same city. "It's either unethical or dishonest," said one patient hit with a surprise bill
Ways to save on health care costs
ClearHealthCosts offers some practical tips to help you beat back your health care costs
How to read a medical bill or explanation of benefits
An insurance company's "explanation of benefits" often confuses matters more
Back surgery saved him from paralysis. Then the bills arrived: over $650,000
Frank Esposito, a tool and die maker from Long Island, New York, drained $49,000 from his retirement account and still owes over $220,000
Appealing a claim denial, or how to turn "no" into "yes"
If your insurance company denied a treatment or a medication in advance, and you want help, here's where to start
10 steps for appealing a claim or bill
So you got a huge bill, and you're sure there's been a mistake. Here's a step-by-step course of action
CBS News investigates lack of transparency in health care prices
"Nothing about the United States' health care system really makes sense," one doctor said
Health
Baby formula supplies dwindle amid widening shortage
FDA working to boost formula supplies, with more than half of popular products out of stock in some U.S. states.
Omicron surge adds complications to U.S. economy
The spread of the Omicron variant is causing an additional complication to the U.S. economy, which is already struggling with high inflation and a supply chain crisis. And data shows nearly 9 million Americans were out of work in January because they were caring for someone with COVID-19 or being ill with the virus themselves. Joshua Hausman, associate professor of public policy and economics at the University Of Michigan and research associate at the National Bureau Of Economic Research, joins CBSN's Lana Zak with more.
FDA works to approve vaccines for kids under 5
The White House is now working to provide Americans with free N95 masks and at-home COVID-19 test kits. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the vaccines for kids under the age of 5. Emergency medicine physician Dr. Owais Durrani joins CBSN's Lana Zak to discuss the latest efforts to combat the virus.
Kids' COVID-19 hospitalizations on the rise
COVID-19 hospitalizations for children are climbing, with an average of more than 900 kids admitted a day. CBS News' Michael George reports, then Dr. Gigi Chawla, chief of pediatrics at Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota, joins CBSN to discuss the latest.
COVID-19 infections rising in kids
CBS News correspondent Carter Evans reports on a rise in pediatric COVID-19 cases in communities like Kansas City, Missouri. Then Dr. Bob Lahita, director of the Institute for Autoimmune and Rheumatic Diseases at St. Joseph Health and a professor of medicine at New York Medical College, joins CBSN to discuss the latest on COVID-19.
COVID vaccines don't affect fertility, study finds
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 does not reduce the chances of getting pregnant, new research shows. Meanwhile, as the Omicron variant continues to strain hospitals, military troops are deploying to help. CBS News' Bradley Blackburn has more on the pandemic response.
Omicron batters states with low vaccination rates
Thursday marks two years since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in the U.S. CBS News' Bradley Blackburn has more on how the virus is impacting states with low vaccination rates, and the battle over masks in schools. Then, emergency medicine physician Dr. Anand Swaminathan joins CBSN's Lana Zak to discuss the latest.
U.S. debuts site for free at-home COVID tests
Some hospitals are overwhelmed, facing an influx of COVID-19 patients. Meanwhile, Pfizer says that its oral pill is showing efficacy against Omicron in lab tests. Dr. Jen Caudle joins CBSN to break down some of the latest coronavirus headlines.
Omicron continues to overwhelm U.S. hospitals
The Biden administration is planning to give out 400 million free N95 masks to Americans in the coming weeks as the coronavirus surge tightens its grip on hospitals in hard-hit areas of the country. CBS News correspondent Carter Evans reports from Missouri, where COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising among the unvaccinated. Then, Dr. Payal Patel, an infectious disease physician at the University of Michigan Medical School, joins CBSN's Lana Zak to discuss the latest.
North Carolina hospitals overwhelmed
COVID-19 infections are continuing to surge in parts of the U.S. In North Carolina, recent data shows one in three people tested positive for the virus. And some local hospitals are struggling to keep up. CBS News national correspondent Manuel Bojorquez reports from Charlotte.
U.S.
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Family missing for 7 days found alive by U.S. Coast Guard in Pacific
A family of three was found alive by the U.S. Coast Guard, seven days after they went missing on a small boat in the western Pacific Ocean.
Oil prices rise, stocks fall ahead of Trump's Tuesday deadline for Iran
"This is a potentially huge market event like no other. It's a known unknown with a clock," one investment adviser said.
Ford recalls nearly 423,000 vehicles over windshield wiper issue
Federal regulators said the windshield wipers could fail, reducing the driver's visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
U.S. soldier's newlywed wife detained on military base, faces deportation
Staff Sgt. Matthew Blank said he brought his wife, Annie Ramos, 22, to his base so that she could begin the process to receive military benefits and take steps toward a green card.
Georgia runoff to decide Marjorie Taylor Greene replacement
Voters in Georgia's 14th Congressional District will choose between Republican Clay Fuller and Democrat Shawn Harris.
MoneyWatch
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Oil prices rise, stocks fall ahead of Trump's Tuesday deadline for Iran
"This is a potentially huge market event like no other. It's a known unknown with a clock," one investment adviser said.
Ford recalls nearly 423,000 vehicles over windshield wiper issue
Federal regulators said the windshield wipers could fail, reducing the driver's visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Universal Music targeted in takeover bid by hedge fund Pershing Square
American hedge fund Pershing Square announced it's offered to buy Universal Music Group in a merger, saying it believed the world's biggest music label was undervalued by stock markets.
Exclusive
Two more drug companies to officially launch on TrumpRx
Two more drug-making giants, Abbvie and Genentech, will start selling popular medications on the White House's discounted pharmaceutical site as soon as Monday.
The upper middle class is now the largest income group in the U.S.
America's middle class is shrinking, but not because people are getting poorer. Instead, more households are climbing the ladder, new research suggests.
Politics
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Trump says "a whole civilization will die tonight" if no Iran deal
President Trump posted on social media that "a whole civilization will die tonight," adding "but I don't want that to happen, but it probably will."
Georgia runoff to decide Marjorie Taylor Greene replacement
Voters in Georgia's 14th Congressional District will choose between Republican Clay Fuller and Democrat Shawn Harris.
Trump calls Artemis II astronauts "modern-day pioneers" in live conversation
President Trump praised the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission in a brief chat late Monday, saying they had "inspired the entire world" after they looped around the moon in a record-breaking voyage.
Exclusive
Two more drug companies to officially launch on TrumpRx
Two more drug-making giants, Abbvie and Genentech, will start selling popular medications on the White House's discounted pharmaceutical site as soon as Monday.
Exclusive
New details about Epstein's lenient plea deal revealed in DOJ files
While Epstein was on work release from a Florida jail nearly 20 years ago, he had sex in a vehicle in the prison parking lot, according to a FBI interview.
HealthWatch
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Exclusive
Two more drug companies to officially launch on TrumpRx
Two more drug-making giants, Abbvie and Genentech, will start selling popular medications on the White House's discounted pharmaceutical site as soon as Monday.
Social media driving teens toward steroids, extreme body transformations
Behind some of the viral physiques lies a troubling trend: the use of a powerful drug never approved for humans.
Scientist with rare ALS genetic mutation looks to experimental treatment
Every few months for the past three years, Jeff Vierstra has been receiving infusions in his spine that target and disable a mutated gene that made it likely he would develop ALS.
New ALS treatment brings hope to patients
"CBS Saturday Morning" looks at an experimental treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, that is bringing hope to some patients suffering from the neurodegenerative disease. To inquire about possible participation in Silence ALS, an initiative to develop individualized gene-based therapies for patients with other rare genetic forms of ALS, please write to silenceals@cumc.columbia.edu.
He thought he was in good health — until fainting during a bike ride
John Cantrell was enjoying his retirement until an unexpected condition forced him to choose between two kinds of heart surgery.
World
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Family missing for 7 days found alive by U.S. Coast Guard in Pacific
A family of three was found alive by the U.S. Coast Guard, seven days after they went missing on a small boat in the western Pacific Ocean.
Trump says "a whole civilization will die tonight" if no Iran deal
President Trump posted on social media that "a whole civilization will die tonight," adding "but I don't want that to happen, but it probably will."
Live
Trump threatens Iran's "whole civilization" as his deadline looms
Iran's regime calls on youth to form human shields around power plants as Trump's deadline nears and he warns "a whole civilization will die tonight."
Decorated soldier charged with committing 5 war crime murders
Ben Roberts-Smith was awarded the Victoria Cross in 2011, a medal reserved for only the most courageous wartime exploits.
1 gunman killed, 2 wounded in shootout at Israeli Consulate in Istanbul
A shootout with Turkish police outside the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul left one gunman dead and two others wounded, the local governor says.
Entertainment
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Universal Music targeted in takeover bid by hedge fund Pershing Square
American hedge fund Pershing Square announced it's offered to buy Universal Music Group in a merger, saying it believed the world's biggest music label was undervalued by stock markets.
Mindy Kaling on amplifying women's stories
Mindy Kaling speaks with Jamie Yuccas about her new venture with Amazon Publishing called Mindy's Book Studio, where she chooses books by female authors to be published and receives first rights on future screenplays.
Actress Tori Spelling hospitalized after Southern California crash
"Beverly Hills, 90210" actress Tori Spelling was involved in a two-car crash in Temecula on Thursday night, according to her manager and Riverside County Sheriff's Office officials.
4/5: Sunday Morning
Hosted by Jane Pauley. Featured: The Vatican's Mosaic Studio; a fight over history at West Bank archaeological sites; Dan Levy on his new series "Big Mistakes"; the creative talents behind "Hacks"; the latest on the Artemis II lunar mission; the works of Renaissance artist Raphael; and the beauty of moss.
The sublime perfection of Raphael
One of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance is now the subject of the first comprehensive exhibition of his work ever in the United States, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Technology
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Technology
H-1B visa program changes impact global talent
Trump administration changes to the U.S. H-1B visa program have impacted the global talent coming to the U.S. CBS News' Shanelle Kaul reports from India.
The $100,000 H-1B visa fee is impacting the U.S.'s ability to attract global talent
According to numbers from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, more than 70% of H-1B visa holders in 2024 were Indian.
How AI powered robots are helping small farms
From labor shortages to environmental impacts, farmers are looking to AI to help revolutionize the agriculture industry. One California startup, Farm-ng, is tapping into the power of AI and robotics to perform a wide range of tasks, including seeding, weeding and harvesting.
New film on risks and rewards of AI
"CBS Mornings" sits down with Tristan Harris, co-founder and president of the Center for Humane Technology, who is featured in the 2026 documentary, "The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist."
Inside Apple's relationship with China
CBS News contributor Patrick McGee joins "The Daily Report" to discuss the codependent relationship between Apple and China, a country that manufactures hundreds of millions of iPhones every year.
Science
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Science
Artemis II astronauts speak during historic lunar mission
On Monday, the astronauts aboard the Artemis II spacecraft will loop around the Moon's far side, part of a mission pushing human beings farther from Earth than anyone has ever been. Correspondent Mark Strassmann talked with commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen as the crew was about 180,000 miles from home, preparing for their historic lunar flyby.
Artemis II crew begins "crazy first day" in space after exhilarating launch
NASA's Artemis II astronauts will spend about 24 hours orbiting the Earth and running checks on their spacecraft and life support systems before heading to the moon.
CBS News studio shakes as Artemis II launches
Four astronauts are traveling around the moon on Artemis II, going further from Earth than anyone before. CBS News' Mark Strassmann and Peter King have more.
What Artemis II astronauts will do in space
Former NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson joins CBS News to discuss what the Artemis II astronauts will do as they orbit the Earth after takeoff.
How Artemis II crew will sleep in space
Members of the Artemis II crew will be the first people to sleep inside the Orion spacecraft. CBS News' Kris Van Cleave has more on how they'll do that.
Crime
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Crime
Shooting near Israeli Consulate in Istanbul
Local officials confirmed a shooting near the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.
LA's most connected hospice doctor
CBS News is investigating red flags and possible fraud in the hospice industry. A hospice doctor submitted claims for more than 20 times the number of patients the average California doctor cares for in a year. Adam Yamaguchi reports.
Decorated soldier charged with committing 5 war crime murders
Ben Roberts-Smith was awarded the Victoria Cross in 2011, a medal reserved for only the most courageous wartime exploits.
Offset shot at Hard Rock Casino in Florida; Atlanta rapper stable, rep says
Atlanta-born rapper Offset is hospitalized after a shooting at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, just outside Miami, police and his representative say.
Parents charged after zoo wolf injures toddler
The parents of a toddler are facing child endangerment charges after the 17-month-old stuck his hand into a wolf enclosure and was injured at a zoo in Pennsylvania. CBS News correspondent Tom Hanson reports.
Space
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Artemis II crew on path back to Earth after historic trip around the moon
The Artemis II crew flew farther from Earth than any humans in history as they passed over the far side of the moon on Monday night.
Artemis II astronauts find hidden Easter eggs as they close in on the moon
The NASA astronauts also sent down Easter messages Sunday while gearing up for a historic pass behind the moon Monday.
Artemis II crew take new photo of far side of the moon
The crew of NASA's Artemis II mission captured a new image of the far side of the moon, which the agency released Sunday.
Despite toilet trouble, Artemis II crew reflects on wonder of deep space experience
Amid ongoing toilet trouble, the Artemis II astronauts reflected on the wonder of sailing through deep space to the moon.
Moon-bound Artemis II astronauts enjoy a relaxed day in space
The Artemis II astronauts continued their long coast to the moon, capturing stunning photos along the way.
Latest Galleries
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Notable Deaths in 2026
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
Evidence in the Barbara Kendhammer case
Does the evidence show a cover-up, or was Todd Kendhammer wrongfully convicted for the murder of his wife?
The life & near death of prizefighter Christy Salters-Martin
Christy Salters-Martin dominated in the boxing ring but faced her toughest challenger at home.
Timeline: The disappearance of George Smith
Family seeks answers in death of newlywed who disappeared in 2005 while on Mediterranean honeymoon cruise.
Who is Alix Tichelman?
Meet the tattooed beauty charged in the death of Google executive Forrest Hayes.
Latest CBS News Videos
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Latest CBS News Videos
Los Angeles' most connected hospice doctor
A CBS News Investigation into hospices found an industry ripe for fraud, especially in California. A Los Angeles County hospice physician's name, Dr. Rajiv Bhuva, was tied to nearly 2,800 Medicare patients' claims across 126 California hospices in 2024, according to data we analyzed.
Shooting near Israeli Consulate in Istanbul
Local officials confirmed a shooting near the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.
Tips for taxpayers as deadline approaches
A new survey shows around two-thirds of Americans say they would be further ahead in life if they were more financially literate. CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger shares tips for taxpayers ahead of the upcoming deadline and ways to feel more confident about investing.
Journalist describes gambling experiment
McKay Coppins, a writer for "The Atlantic," was given $10,000 by the magazine to immerse himself in online gambling. "The Atlantic" agreed to cover his losses and split any winnings. Coppins speaks about his recent article, "Sucker: My Year as a Degenerate Gambler," in which he details losing nearly all of the money and the impact of betting.
Hear from Artemis crew as they made history
The Artemis II crew took a trip around the Moon and sent back stunning images of the mission. CBS News' Mark Strassmann reports.