Centene, Under Siege in America, Moved Into Britain’s National Health Service

LONDON — In the final days of 2020, the U.S. health insurer Centene made a swift incursion into Britain’s prized National Health Service, one of the world’s largest employers. A Centene subsidiary, Operose Health, took over nearly three dozen medical practices in London — gateways for NHS care — in a deal worth tens of … Read more

Readers and Tweeters Chime In on Disability Rights and Drug Discounts

Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names. Coming Full Circle on Protections for Those With Disabilities As a retired special education teacher, I’m wondering why our elderly in retirement homes aren’t covered by the American with Disabilities Act … Read more

A Billing Expert Saved Big After Finding an Incorrect Charge in Her Husband’s ER Bill

If Dr. Bhavin Shah was on his own, he said, he probably would have paid the bill for his broken arm. The 47-year-old physician from suburban Chicago incurred surprisingly steep charges after landing in an emergency room on New Year’s Day 2021. He’d hit an icy patch while skiing with his kids in Wisconsin. The … Read more

‘So Rudderless’: A Couple’s Quest for Autism Treatment for Their Son Hits Repeated Obstacles

When Sebastian Rios was a toddler, he hardly talked. “Don’t worry,” his pediatrician told Amparo and Victor Rios, Sebastian’s parents. Kids who grow up in households in which both Spanish and English are spoken are sometimes slower to develop language skills, she said. Plus, Sebastian was developing well in other ways: When he was just … Read more