Poll: Large Majorities Now Say They Wear Masks Regularly and Can Continue Social Distancing for At Least Six Months if Needed, though Republicans Remain Less Likely to Take Such Precautions December 18, 2020 News Release As winter sets in and COVID-19 cases and deaths reach records in most parts of the country, more Americans say they wear masks every time they leave home now (73%) than said so in May (52%), a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. A small minority (11%) say they wear…
5 Targeted Actions a Biden Administration Could Use to Expand Medicaid Coverage December 21, 2020 Issue Brief The recent election of former Vice President Joe Biden as well as the on-going effects of the coronavirus pandemic and related economic downturn are the key issues that will substantially shape Medicaid policy over the next year.
Joe Biden’s New Health Care Agenda (and CMS’s Big Role In It) January 11, 2021 Perspective With the Georgia runoff elections giving Democrats control of the U.S. Senate, Drew Altman discusses President-elect Biden’s potential health care agenda and suggests that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services could have an expanded role and that it may be time to rename it and elevate it to a cabinet agency.
Opportunities and Resources to Expand Enrollment During the Pandemic and Beyond January 25, 2021 Issue Brief This analysis summarizes recent interviews with marketplace navigators and other consumer assistance professionals, who offered observations about the 2021 Open Enrollment period, discussed general and pandemic-specific challenges facing consumers seeking coverage, and offered suggestions to improve enrollment outcomes. The brief also reviews information about federal marketplace resources and spending priorities contained in Trump Administration budget documents, and possible sources of funding for a COVID-19 special enrollment period during the Biden administration.
Nearly 9 Million Uninsured Americans Could Get Free or Subsidized Health Insurance if the Biden Administration Re-Opens ACA Marketplace Enrollment in Response to COVID-19 January 27, 2021 News Release Four million uninsured people could get an ACA bronze plan with no premium payment and 4.9 million others could get subsidies to offset the cost of such a plan if the Biden Administration were to re-open ACA marketplace enrollment, a KFF analysis finds. Four million uninsured people could get an…
Two New Analyses: House COVID-19 Relief Plan Would Temporarily Lower Marketplace Premiums for Millions and More than Offset Short-Term State Costs to Expand Their Medicaid Programs February 18, 2021 News Release The House COVID-19 relief proposal would temporarily lower what millions of Marketplace enrollees and uninsured potential enrollees would pay toward premiums and would provide states that have not expanded their Medicaid programs a financial boost that would more than offset their costs initially, two new KFF analyses find. The analyses…
Survey: OBGYNs Report That the Affordable Care Act Has Increased Use of Contraceptives Among Patients, but the Cost of Reproductive Health Care Still a Burden for Their Low-Income Patients February 25, 2021 News Release This report highlights key findings from the 2020 KFF National Physician Survey on Reproductive Health that asked a nationally representative sample of OBGYNs practicing in the United States about a wide range of issues, including their provision of contraception, abortion, and STI care.
How the American Rescue Plan Will Improve Affordability of Private Health Coverage March 17, 2021 Issue Brief This brief explains the various provisions in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) that increase and expand the affordability of coverage for people enrolled in Marketplace health plans or COBRA.
Web Briefing: Understanding the Health Coverage and Affordability Provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act March 25, 2021 Event The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act signed into law earlier this month includes a number of provisions aimed at making health coverage more accessible and affordable amid the public health and economic crises created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Join KFF at a web briefing to explain these changes and their expected impact on consumers, insurance marketplaces, and states.
How the American Rescue Plan Act Affects Subsidies for Marketplace Shoppers and People Who Are Uninsured March 25, 2021 Issue Brief This brief uses data from the American Community Survey (ACS) to provide estimates of eligibility for and the amount of financial assistance to purchase Marketplace coverage under the ARPA among both current individual market purchasers, as well as Marketplace-eligible uninsured people.