The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
Our new survey shares views and experiences of Marketplace enrollees as they weigh coverage options for 2026, which don’t include the enhanced ACA tax credits and other policy options. Read the news release →
In a new Beyond the Data column, President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman forecasts eight things to look for in health policy in 2026. “First and foremost,” he writes, “is the role health care affordability will play in the midterms.” And, he notes: “The average cost of a family policy for employers could approach $30,000 and cost sharing and deductibles will rise again after plateauing for several years.”
Timely insights and analysis from KFF staff
While public support for IVF is high, Congress has been unable to agree even on the right to get IVF services. Agreement on coverage and funding seem even more out of reach more
The federal government has finalized significant updates to mental health parity requirements for employer health plans and individual private health insurance. more
New poverty data show the supplemental poverty rate for children remains more than double what it was in 2021. more
KFF’s interactive tracks key data and policies that will affect how states implement Medicaid work requirements, which are required under the 2025 budget reconciliation law starting in January 2027. The tracker includes state-level data on Medicaid enrollment and renewal outcomes as well as current state enrollment and renewal policies.
In this JAMA Viewpoints column, KFF’s Drew Altman, Ashley Kirzinger and Mollyann Brodie explore the power of health care affordability as an economic issue, how it has played out in recent election cycles, and the implications for the 2026 midterm elections.
KFF polling has found that the high cost of health care is a burden on U.S. families, and that health care costs factor into decisions about insurance coverage and care seeking.
This chapter examines how health care spending varies across the population, the impact of costs on care affordability and individuals’ overall financial vulnerability.
In 2026, the average Medicare beneficiary has a choice of 32 Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans, two fewer than the 34 in 2025. Virtually all Medicare Advantage plans for 2026 provide multiple extra benefits like vision, hearing, and dental benefits, similar to last year.
KFF shares the first state-level view of the role of different reproductive health safety net providers in contraceptive care for female Medicaid enrollees. In 2023, more than 4 in 10 female Medicaid enrollees had their last contraceptive visit at a Planned Parenthood, community health center, health department, or Indian Health Services.
A proposed federal rule that would rescind Biden administration public charge regulations could decrease participation in Medicaid and CHIP among immigrant families, including citizen children in those families.
ACA marketplace premiums are going up an average of 26%. But what enrollees will pay could go up an average of 114%. How can both of those numbers be right? This short video explains the difference between what insurers charge and what enrollees will pay if the enhanced premium tax credits expire.
Choose which emails are best for you.
Sign up here
Alina Salganicoff 
Kaye Pestaina 
Elizabeth Williams