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KFF’s policy research provides facts and analysis on a wide range of policy issues and public programs.
KFF designs, conducts and analyzes original public opinion and survey research on Americans’ attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with the health care system to help amplify the public’s voice in major national debates.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the organization’s core operating programs.
This Health Policy 101 chapter explores the federal government’s role in health policy for the fragmented U.S. health care system. It examines the impact of the three federal branches and goes into further detail about the Department of Health and Human Services structure and the major congressional committees dealing with health care. It also briefly outlines the federal budgetary and regulatory process.
This Health Policy 101 chapter explores the complex landscape of private health insurance regulation in the United States, detailing the interplay between state and federal regulations that shape access, affordability, and the adequacy of private health coverage. It focuses on key laws such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Employer Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and discusses how regulations impact the private insurance market, illustrating the challenges consumers face in navigating this system.
This Health Policy 101 chapter explores how national and state policies shape coverage and access to care for women, with a focus on recent policy and legal developments that affect women's health. It takes a deeper dive into the policies that drive health coverage and costs, reproductive and maternal health access, mental health care, and intimate partner violence and how these policies shape the health of women who are at greater risk of being marginalized, discriminated against, or face health inequities.
This Health Policy 101 chapter provides an overview of racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care and the factors that drive them, including the role of historical events and social and economic factors. It discusses why addressing disparities is important for health and economic prosperity, reviews recent federal policy actions that may impact disparities, and outlines future considerations.
This Health Policy 101 chapter explores Medicaid, the primary U.S. program providing comprehensive coverage of health care and long-term services and supports to about 80 million low-income people. Originating in 1965 and expanding with the Affordable Care Act, the chapter reviews Medicaid's evolution, including 2025 changes, and its joint federal and state financing and administration. It discusses how state-level flexibility in managing Medicaid leads to variation in coverage, spending, health care delivery, and access across different states.
This Health Policy 101 chapter explores trends in health care costs in the U.S. and the factors that contribute to this spending. It also examines how health care spending varies across the population, the impact of costs on care affordability and individuals' overall financial vulnerability.
This Health Policy 101 chapter explores how health policy in the U.S. is linked to politics, with the direction of policy influenced by who is in power. Health care is often a major issue in political campaigns, and the chapter examines its potential role in elections, with a focus on current health issues that could impact the next election.
This Health Policy 101 chapter outlines the U.S. government's historical efforts in global health, which aim to improve health in low- and middle-income countries. While the U.S. has been engaged in international health activities for over a century and has historically been the largest funder and implementer of global health programs worldwide, it is currently undergoing a fundamental shift, with a significantly reduced footprint and role. Key issues addressed include the future direction of U.S. global health leadership, the ability of global health implementers and other donors to continue efforts, and the future role of multilateral institutions in global health.
This Health Policy 101 chapter explores why polls and surveys are essential for understanding health policy issues and aims to teach you how to evaluate polls effectively. It covers the importance of polls in policy analysis, key considerations for interpretation, polling methodologies, and questions to assess the usefulness of polls. The chapter concludes with real-world examples demonstrating how polling informs policy debates.
This Health Policy 101 chapter examines the share of the United States population who are uninsured, highlighting their demographics and the challenges they face because of the lack of coverage. Economic conditions, federal and state policy decisions, and major health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic influence the uninsured rate. While implementation of the Affordable Care Act, namely the expansion of Medicaid and availability of subsidized Marketplace coverage, led to a drop in the share of people who are uninsured, disparities in coverage persist and policy changes in the 2025 budget reconciliation bill are expected to increase the size of the population.
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