Latest news with #JoshuaWright
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
Father, son arrested after man stabbed in fight at business center in Troutman: Police
TROUTMAN, N.C. () — Three men are facing charges after a fight and stabbing late Saturday night, according to Troutman Police. Around 11:20 p.m. on March 29, officers were called to the parking lot in the 150 block of South Main Street in downtown Troutman. They found a man stabbed in the leg and badly bleeding. Officers applied a tourniquet while waiting for emergency medical services to arrive and the man is in stable condition at a local hospital. Walmart remains closed in Lancaster during shooting investigation; six suspects identified Officers found out that three men got into an argument, which led to a fight and the stabbing. Jerry Wright, 58, of Catawba, was later arrested by the Iredell County Sheriff's Office and charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury and Simple Affray. He is being held on a $10,000 secured bond. Jerry Wright's son, 36-year-old Joshua Wright, of Mooresville, was also arrested by deputies and charged with Simple Affray. He was given a $1,500 unsecured bond. Police say 36-year-old Dustin Loftin, of Troutman, was the man stabbed. When he is released from the hospital, he will be charged with Simple Affray. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health care costs more transparent, but data isn't reaching Utah consumers, report says
SALT LAKE CITY — Health care prices are at an all-time high, according to Joshua Wright at the Utah Foundation, and what makes that hit even harder is health care consumers don't know what price they are going to pay until well after a procedure. He said transparency efforts are not relieving the pain consumers feel as they open their medical bills. Patients are entitled to pricing estimates on nonemergency services following the No Surprises Act, which became effective across the country in 2022. But the act only requires providers to give prices for self-pay or uninsured patients, since the price changes when insurance is introduced. Wright said most prices are available, but it is still up for debate whether the numbers are accurate and they 'rarely reach patients' — specifically in Utah. The Utah Foundation released a report on Tuesday called 'X-raying health care: A look at price transparency for Utahns.' The organization has been doing research in Utah for 80 years. It said the All-Payers Claim Database, managed by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, provides anonymized health care information about actual costs paid by Utahns for services. A large amount of data is available to researchers and a cost comparison tool, Utah Health Cost Compare, can help consumers see the estimated out-of-pocket costs for various procedures or appointments. Despite the availability of this valuable information, the report said the website only gets about 250 visitors each month. Allowing the information to be searchable by insurer, in addition to facility and provider information already available, could help people find a cost more specific to their situation, and might help more than comparing prices from different facilities or doctors generally, the report states. Seventeen percent of Americans reported in 2024 that they knew the cost ahead of treatment, the report said, quoting a separate study. It also states that a 2022 study found only 12% of Americans are 'health literate' or understand the information and services available for health-related decisions. Tuesday's report said although there has been a push into price transparency from both sides of the political isle, transparency alone will have only a small impact on prices. It concluded that politicians will need to also implement policies designed to reduce prices. Wright said transparency in prices is an opportunity for bipartisan cooperation, meaning 'there's a lot of room for action.' Matt Slonaker, with the Utah Health Policy Project, said although there is agreement on affordability among political parties, they don't align on how to reduce costs. He also said there is a cultural issue — people are not encouraged to shop for the lowest price but instead to keep their current doctors who have their medical history and follow health insurance advice for which provider to see. 'Patients should be somewhat empowered in this environment,' he said. Patients should be engaged with their doctors about what options are available, including what options would come at a lower cost, Slonaker said, adding that patient involvement is 'an essential arrow in the quiver' for reducing prices encouraging looking at quality and cost differences. Another suggestion from Wright and Tuesday's report is mandating the availability of an 'advanced explanation of benefits' which would require insurance companies and health care providers to work together to provide an estimate of the cost to patients ahead of the care. This was a requirement in the No Surprises Act, but was put on hold with no specific date to go into effect because the infrastructure for it was not available.
