By Emmarie Huetteman, KFF Health News

A Texas boy’s second dose of the MMRV vaccine cost over $1,400. A Pennsylvania woman’s long-acting birth control cost more than $14,000.

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Treatment for a Florida Medicaid enrollee’s heart attack cost nearly $78,000 — about as much as surgery for an uninsured Montana woman’s broken arm.

In 2025, these patients were among the hundreds who asked KFF Health News to investigate their medical bills as part of its “Bill of the Month” series.

Insured and uninsured. Job-based and government-funded. Comprehensive and short-term. Part of a sharing ministry. So many people with different health insurance situations asked the same questions: Why do I owe so much? And how am I going to afford it?

As millions of Americans grapple with the rising cost of health insurance next year, the “Bill of the Month” series is approaching its eighth anniversary. Our nationwide team of health reporters has analyzed almost $7 million in medical charges, more than $350,000 of that this year.

Of this year’s 12 featured patients, five had their bills mostly or fully forgiven soon after we contacted the provider and insurer for comment.

Our mission, though, is to empower every patient with the information needed to understand, manage, and — if push comes to shove — fight their own medical bills. Here are our 10 takeaways from 2025.

1. Most insurance coverage doesn’t start immediately. Many new plans come with waiting periods, so it’s important to maintain continuous coverage until the new plan kicks in. One exception: If you lose your job-based coverage, you have 60 days to opt into a COBRA policy. Once you pay, the coverage applies retroactively, even for care received while you were temporarily uninsured.

2. Check out your coverage before you check in. Some plans come with unexpected restrictions, potentially affecting coverage for care ranging from contraception to immunizations and cancer screenings. Call your insurer — or, for job-based insurance, your human resources department or retiree benefits office — and ask whether there are exclusions for the care you need, including per-day or per-policy-period caps, and what you can expect to owe out-of-pocket.

3. “Covered” does not mean insurance will pay, let alone at in-network rates. Carefully read the fine print on network gap exceptions, prior authorizations, and other insurance approvals. The terms may be limited to certain doctors, services, and dates.

4. Get a cost estimate in writing for nonemergency procedures. If you object to the price, negotiate before undergoing care. And if you’re uninsured and receive a bill that’s $400 or more than the estimate, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has a formal dispute process.

5. Location matters. Prices can vary depending on where a patient receives care and where tests are performed. If you need blood work, ask your doctor to send the requisition to an in-network lab. A doctor’s office connected to a health system, for instance, may send samples to a hospital lab, which can mean higher charges.

6. When admitted, contact the billing office early. If possible, when you or a loved one has been hospitalized, it can help to speak to a billing representative. Ask whether the patient has been fully admitted or is being kept under observation status, as well as whether the care has been determined to be “medically necessary.” And while there may be no choice about taking an ambulance, if a transfer to another facility is recommended, you can ask whether the ambulance service is in-network.

7. Ask for a discount. Medical charges are almost always higher than what insurers would pay, because providers expect them to negotiate lower rates. You can, too. If you’re uninsured or underinsured, you may be eligible for a self-pay or charity care discount.

8. There’s help available for Medicaid patients. If you get a bill you don’t think you should owe, file a complaint with your state’s Medicaid program and, if you have one, your managed-care plan. Ask whether there is a caseworker who can advocate on your behalf. A legal aid clinic or consumer protection firm specializing in medical debt can also help file complaints and communicate with providers.

9. Your elected representatives can help, too. While a call from a state or federal lawmaker’s office may not get your bill forgiven, those officials often have an open line of communication with insurance companies, local hospitals, and other major providers — and advocating for you is their job.

10. When all else fails … you can write to “Bill of the Month”!

©2026 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Así que para hablar sobre lo que sabe de la muerte de Renee Nicole Good y las acciones migratorias en Minnesota, invitamos a Andrew Hazzard, reportero de Sahan Journal, un medio de comunicación independiente dedicado a cubrir las comunidades de color e inmigrantes.

Agentes federales en Minneapolis, 6 de enero de 2026. (Fotografía del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional tomada por Tia Dufour)

El 7 de enero, un agente del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de los Estados Unidos (ICE por sus siglas en inglés) disparó y mató a Renee Nicole Good, de 37 años, en Minneapolis, después de que un grupo de personas comenzara a bloquear a los agentes durante una operación.

Días antes, la administración Trump había ordenado el despliegue de cerca de 2.000 agentes federales en Minneapolis como parte de una campaña de represión migratoria tras un escándalo de fraude a la asistencia social en Minnesota, que los fiscales federales estiman que podría superar los $9 mil millones de dólares.

A finales del año pasado, ICE lanzó una operación migratoria en las denominadas Ciudades Gemelas (Twin Cities), ubicadas en el estado de Minnesota. Dicha operación, conocida como “Operación Metro Surge”, tenía como objetivo el arresto y la deportación de inmigrantes.

De acuerdo con lo indicado por el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS por sus siglas en inglés), hasta el 19 de diciembre, ICE había efectuado casi 700 detenciones en el marco de la operación.

Antes del fin de año, el creador de contenido e influencer de derecha, Nick Shirley, impulsó la noticia del fraude, que posteriormente propagaron Elon Musk, el vicepresidente J.D. Vance y la fiscal general Pam Bondi, reavivando el escándalo.

De acuerdo con las autoridades, hasta el momento se han condenado a 59 individuos por estos delitos en los cuales se facturaban a organismos estatales millones de dólares por servicios sociales que nunca se prestaron.

A raíz del vídeo, la administración de Donald Trump anunció la suspensión de $10 mil millones de dólares en fondos destinados a servicios sociales y cuidado infantil en cinco estados gobernados por demócratas: California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota y New York, según reportó primero el NY Post.

A su vez, el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de los Estados Unidos ha implementado modificaciones significativas en los procedimientos que deben seguir todos los estados para presentar solicitudes de centros de educación infantil.

De acuerdo con las autoridades, hasta el momento se han condenado a 59 individuos por estos delitos en los cuales se facturaban a organismos estatales millones de dólares por servicios sociales que nunca se prestaron.

Así que para hablar sobre lo que sabe de la muerte de Good, los fraudes, las comunidades inmigrantes y las acciones migratorias en Minnesota, invitamos a Andrew Hazzard, reportero de Sahan Journal, un medio de comunicación independiente dedicado a cubrir las comunidades de color e inmigrantes en Minnesota.

Más detalles en nuestra conversación a continuación.

Ciudad Sin Límites, el proyecto en español de City Limits, y El Diario de Nueva York se han unido para crear el pódcast “El Diario Sin Límites” para hablar sobre latinos y política. Para no perderse ningún episodio de nuestro pódcast “El Diario Sin Límites” síguenos en Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Pódcast y Stitcher. Todos los episodios están allí. ¡Suscríbete!

The post PODCAST: ¿Qué se sabe sobre las operaciones migratorias en Minnesota? appeared first on City Limits.

Cameron Knowles was named head coach of Minnesota United on Monday, the same day preseason training opened in Blaine for the club’s 10th season in MLS

The Loons staff member since 2021 will succeed Eric Ramsay, who officially left to be the head coach at West Bromwich Albion in England on Sunday. Knowles becomes the club’s third full-time head coach since joining the league in 2017.

Minnesota United’s Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad hired Ramsay two years ago and has now promoted Knowles. It’s unclear how extensive the search and hiring process was for the position. Reports of Ramsay heading back to the U.K. first surfaced on Thursday.

“Cameron is the right leader for this moment in our club’s journey,” El-Ahmad said in a statement. “He has grown with this organization, understands our players, our culture, and our standards, and has consistently demonstrated the ability to develop people, build strong teams, and compete at a high level. We believe in Cameron, we believe in this squad, and we are excited about the future we are building together.”

With fellow assistant Dennis Lawrence also off to West Brom and Knowles elevated, that leaves at least two assistant coach spots vacant. The Loons are in the process of hiring for those roles, a source said.

In the Knowles announcement, he thanked club owner Bill McGuire, CEO Shari Ballard and El-Ahmad “for the incredible opportunity to lead this team.

“Minnesota United is a fantastic organization with a strong group of players and a loyal following,” Knowles continued in the statement. “I hope to build on the success the club has achieved over the years.”

Knowles was an assistant under Ramsay for the previous two seasons and was the interim head coach for three games before Ramsay arrived at the start of the 2024 season. The Loons went 2-0-1 under his leadership.

Knowles was the head coach of MNUFC2, the team’s developmental team in MLS Next Pro in 2022-23. He went 19-20-13. Before that he was a video analyst. He was an assistant with the Portland Timbers from 2012-21.

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has threatened the Federal Reserve with a criminal indictment over the testimony of Fed Chair Jerome Powell this summer regarding its building renovations, Powell said over the weekend.

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It is a major escalation by the administration after repeated attempts by President Donald Trump to exert greater control over the independent institution.

Trump has repeatedly attacked Powell for not cutting its short-term interest rate, and even threatened to fire him. Powell’s caution has infuriated Trump, who has demanded the Fed cut borrowing costs to spur the economy and reduce the interest rates the federal government pays on its debt. That anger has not subsided even after the Fed cut interest rates in three of the final four months of 2025.

Trump has also accused Powell of mismanaging the U.S. central bank’s $2.5 billion building renovation project. In a sharp departure from his previous responses to attacks by Trump, Powell described the threat of criminal charges as simple “pretexts” to undermine the Fed’s independence when it comes to setting interest rates.

While there has been a limited response from Republican lawmakers, there have been several early breaks with the party.

“If there were any remaining doubt whether advisers within the Trump Administration are actively pushing to end the independence of the Federal Reserve, there should now be none,” said North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, who sits on the Banking Committee, which oversees Fed nominations.

Trump is already seeking to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over unproven allegations that she committed mortgage fraud. The allegation was made over the summer by Bill Pulte, a Trump appointee to the Federal Housing Administration.

Here are some reasons why the independence of the U.S. Federal Reserve is guarded so closely.

Why the Fed’s independence matters

The Fed wields extensive power over the U.S. economy. By cutting the short-term interest rate it controls — which it typically does when the economy falters — the Fed can make borrowing cheaper and encourage more spending, accelerating growth and hiring. When it raises the rate — which it does to cool the economy and combat inflation — it can weaken the economy and cause job losses.

Economists have long preferred independent central banks because they can more easily take unpopular steps to fight inflation, such as raise interest rates, which makes borrowing to buy a home, car, or appliances more expensive.

The importance of an independent Fed was cemented for most economists after the extended inflation spike of the 1970s and early 1980s. Former Fed Chair Arthur Burns has been widely blamed for allowing the painful inflation of that era to accelerate by succumbing to pressure from President Richard Nixon to keep rates low heading into the 1972 election. Nixon feared higher rates would cost him the election, which he won in a landslide.

Paul Volcker was eventually appointed chair of the Fed in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter, and he pushed the Fed’s short-term rate to the stunningly high level of nearly 20%. (It is currently 3.6%, the lowest it has been in nearly three years.) The eye-popping rates triggered a sharp recession, pushed unemployment to nearly 11%, and spurred widespread protests.

Yet Volcker didn’t flinch. By the mid-1980s, inflation had fallen back into the low single digits. Volcker’s willingness to inflict pain on the economy to throttle inflation is seen by most economists as a key example of the value of an independent Fed.

Investors are watching closely

An effort to fire Powell would almost certainly cause stock prices to fall and bond yields to spike higher, pushing up interest rates on government debt and raising borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit card debt. The interest rate on the 10-year Treasury is a benchmark for mortgage rates.

All major U.S. markets slid Monday at the opening bell, bond yields edged higher and the value of the U.S dollar declined.

Most investors prefer an independent Fed, partly because it typically manages inflation better without being influenced by politics, but also because its decisions are more predictable. Fed officials often publicly discuss how they would alter interest rate policies if economic conditions changed.

If the Fed was more swayed by politics, it would be harder for financial markets to anticipate — or understand — its decisions.

While the Fed controls a short-term rate, financial markets determine longer-term borrowing costs for mortgages and other loans. And if investors worry that inflation will stay high, they will demand higher yields on government bonds, pushing up borrowing costs across the economy.

In Turkey, for example, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan forced the central bank to keep interest rates low in the early 2020s, even as inflation spiked to 85%. In 2023, Erdogan allowed the central bank more independence, which has helped bring down inflation, but short-term interest rates rose to 50% to fight inflation, and remain high.

The Fed’s independence doesn’t mean it’s unaccountable

Fed chairs like Powell are appointed by the president to serve four-year terms, and have to be confirmed by the Senate. The president also appoints the six other members of the Fed’s governing board, who can serve staggered terms of up to 14 years.

Those appointments can allow a president over time to significantly alter the Fed’s policies. Former president Joe Biden appointed four of the current seven members: Powell, Cook, Philip Jefferson, and Michael Barr. A fifth Biden appointee, Adriana Kugler, stepped down unexpectedly on Aug. 1, about five months before the end of her term. Trump has already nominated his top economist, Stephen Miran, as a potential replacement, though he will require Senate approval. Cook’s term ends in 2038, so forcing her out would allow Trump to appoint a loyalist sooner.

Trump will be able to replace Powell as Fed chair in May, when Powell’s term expires. Yet 12 members of the Fed’s interest-rate setting committee have a vote on whether to raise or lower interest rates, so even replacing the Chair doesn’t guarantee that Fed policy will shift the way Trump wants.

Congress, meanwhile, can set the Fed’s goals through legislation. In 1977, for example, Congress gave the Fed a “dual mandate” to keep prices stable and seek maximum employment. The Fed defines stable prices as inflation at 2%.

The 1977 law also requires the Fed chair to testify before the House and Senate twice every year about the economy and interest rate policy.

Could the president fire Powell before his term ends?

The Supreme Court last year suggested in a ruling on other independent agencies that a president can’t fire the chair of the Fed just because he doesn’t like the chair’s policy choices. But he may be able to remove him “for cause,” typically interpreted to mean some kind of wrongdoing or negligence.

It’s a likely reason the Trump administration has zeroed in on the building renovation, in hopes it could provide a “for cause” pretext. Still, Powell would likely fight any attempt to remove him, and the case could wind up at the Supreme Court.