Orthopedic surgeons, long seen as fiercely independent, are rapidly catching up with other specialist physicians in selling control of their practices to private equity investment firms. While some doctors seem eager for a huge payoff, others are warily watching what happens when private equity firms take charge of orthopedic practices.

Generous personal injury coverage on your auto insurance policy may not be enough to cover your medical bills. Patients can get financially blindsided when car and health insurance policies differ.

A college student's bill for outpatient knee surgery is a whopper — $96K — but the most mysterious part is a $1,167 charge from a health care provider she didn't even know was in the operating room.