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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.
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This slideshow examines trends in U.S. health spending over time, including the share of household budgets devoted to health expenses and comparisons of out-of-pocket expenditures to money spent on insurance. The data shows that U.S. heath spending outpaced the country's economic growth before slowing in recent years, and that health insurance represents a growing share of total health expenditures, particularly public programs.
Adherence to public health guidance in the coronavirus pandemic is likely affected by the public framing of the issue. A new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds that the use of protective face masks varies depending on whether people view it as a personal choice or collective responsibility.
A new chart collection looks at how internet access may affect health care in the U.S., as more providers turn to telemedicine during the pandemic. An estimated 25 million Americans - about 8% of the population - lack access to internet at home. Hispanic and Black Americans, seniors, rural residents, and those living in poverty are more likely than other groups to lack internet access. The chart collection is available on the Peterson-KFF Health System…
There are still tens of millions of people without health coverage during the pandemic. Many of these uninsured people are eligible for free coverage or financial assistance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but they may not have much time left to sign up for coverage before Open Enrollment ends December 15.
Six states – North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wyoming, Wisconsin, and Nebraska — had an average daily increase of more than 1,000 coronavirus cases per million people in the past week, and 13 additional states saw an average of upwards of 500 new daily cases per million people. Learn more in this Chart of the Week.
A new chart collection examines what we know about the cost of common health services in the U.S. The analysis shows that costs for many common health services have risen more rapidly than inflation; for example, the average cost of hospital admission among large employer plans increased by about $10,000 (68%) between 2008 and 2018. Additionally, there are large geographic variations in the cost of the same health services across the U.S. A lower back…
The United States' excess deaths count per 100,00 people is higher this year than that for comparable countries, which is likely to increase the mortality gap between the U.S. and peer countries. Learn more in this Chart of the Week.
The nomination of a new Supreme Court justice has placed heightened scrutiny on what President Trump’s administration would do to continue the Affordable Care Act’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions if the Supreme Court invalidates the law.
PublicOpinionSinglePayerKFF Download For many years, Kaiser Family Foundation has been tracking public opinion on the idea of a national health plan (including language referring to Medicare-for-all since 2017). Historically, our polls have shown support for the federal government doing more to help provide health insurance for more Americans, though support among Republicans has decreased over time (Figure 1). But this never translated into majority support for a national health plan in which all Americans would…
This report provides an in-depth examination of the changes taking place in Medicaid programs across the country. The findings are drawn from the 20th 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 focuses on Medicaid policy changes planned for FY 2021, particularly those related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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