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Over the 10-year lifetime of a Medicare program aimed at reducing hospital readmissions, 93% of eligible hospitals have been penalized at least once. Hospital readmissions have become less frequent, and most experts attribute that partly to the financial threat of the penalties, though other factors likely contributed to the improvements.
Many people who come to the Affordable Care Act marketplaces for the 2022 open enrollment period, which begins Nov. 1, may be learning for the first time about new financial assistance available to them.
This report provides an in-depth examination of the changes taking place in Medicaid programs across the country. The findings are drawn from the 21st annual budget survey of Medicaid officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia conducted by KFF and Health Management Associates (HMA), in collaboration with the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD). This report highlights policies in place in state Medicaid programs in FY 2021, particularly those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as policy changes implemented or planned for FY 2022.
About 7 in 10 beneficiaries say they did not compare plans during a recent open enrollment period, and some groups were even less likely to do so. Those groups include some who could be most affected by plan changes from year to year.
The October KFF Health Tracking Poll explores experiences with unpaid caregiving, and favorability of expansion of home and community based services (HCBS). It also examines experiences with difficulty affording and putting of health care services among seniors, favorability of the ACA and experience with determining eligibility for lower cost insurance as part of the COVID relief package.
Most people will need to take time off work to care for themselves or their families at some point, but only one in five (21%) workers have access to paid family leave through their employer. Congress is considering creating a universal paid family and medical leave program as part of the Build Back Better Act.
This data note from the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll explores the public's views on Medicare drug price negotiation, including how arguments on both sides impact support and opposition; confidence in leaders to do the right thing on drug pricing; and experiences with prescription drug costs.
The latest KFF Health Tracking Poll explores the public's views on the U.S. role in distributing COVID vaccines to other countries, health care priorities for Congress, prescription drug regulations and price negotiations, and affordability changes in the COVID-19 relief bill.
Most states require parental consent at this point, though the landscape may be shifting slightly as more jurisdictions seek to encourage vaccination of young people. Parents and parental consent laws will play a critical role in the COVID-19 vaccination effort to reach children in the U.S., particularly as authorization moves to even younger ages.
This report from the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor examines vaccine attitudes and experiences among Hispanic adults in the U.S., including key groups such as those with lower incomes, the uninsured, and those who are potentially undocumented. It finds that many unvaccinated Hispanic adults are eager to get a COVID-19 vaccine, and barriers to access include information gaps, cost concerns, requests for documentation, and immigration concerns.
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