The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
In his latest column, President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman discusses how midterm political strategy will shape health policy in 2026, focusing on recent moves by President Trump. He writes: “Democrats start out with a significant advantage on health in the midterms, but rather than cut and run to other issues, Trump wants Republicans to try to erode that advantage where they can.”
KFF’s new interactive polling dashboard draws on more than a dozen surveys to show trends in trust in health information, attitudes toward vaccines, and use of news, social media, and AI for health-related information.
A new study finds that nearly 10% of cancer research papers showed signs of being fabricated by “paper mills.” The problem may intensify as generative AI becomes more sophisticated, prompting lawmakers to demand information about safeguards. And, claims that physicians are financially incentivized to promote vaccines persist, despite lack of evidence.
This analysis of trends in health insurers’ financial data shows that insurers’ gross margins per enrollee dipped slightly in 2024 across four markets, remaining highest in the Medicare Advantage market, followed by the individual (non-group) market, the fully insured group (employer) market, and Medicaid managed care.
CMS released a dataset with provider-level spending data that the agency suggests could be used to identify unusual billing patterns for specific services, states, or providers. This policy watch describes the data and how they could potentially lead to mistaken conclusions given the data’s limitations.
Health insurance is often complicated, but understanding the basics helps you make better decisions about your coverage and care. This 10-question quiz touches on some terms you may encounter.
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