Issue Brief Archives

Assessing the Role of Treaties, Conventions, Institutions, and Other International Agreements in the Global COVID-19 Response: Implications for the Future

Jan 24, 2023

Issue Brief

This issue brief examines existing treaties and other global health agreements to assess whether they have been utilized for the COVID-19 pandemic response and whether they contain pandemic preparedness and response components in their mandates. The COVID-19 pandemic challenged and revealed gaps in global health governance systems, prompting stakeholders to reevaluate existing frameworks and discuss new agreements aimed at addressing future pandemics. To help inform these discussions, we evaluate existing global health agreements to assess…

How Will the Prescription Drug Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act Affect Medicare Beneficiaries?

Jan 24, 2023

Issue Brief

The brief provides a quick explainer of the prescription drug provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law on August 16, 2022 and presents new estimates on how many Medicare beneficiaries could be helped by those provisions.

Explaining the Prescription Drug Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act

Jan 24, 2023

Issue Brief

The Inflation Reduction Act includes several provisions that will lower prescription drug costs for people with Medicare and reduce drug spending by the federal government. This brief summarizes these provisions and discusses the expected effects on people, program spending, and drug prices and innovation.

State Policies for Expanding Medicaid Coverage of Community Health Worker (CHW) Services

Jan 23, 2023

Issue Brief

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are frontline workers who have close relationships with the communities they serve, allowing them to better liaise and connect community members to health care systems. States may authorize Medicaid payment for certain CHW services under state plan or Section 1115 demonstration authority. States may allow or require managed care organizations (MCOs) to provide CHW services or include CHWs in care teams. Many states use CHW services to address the health needs…

Legal Challenges to State Abortion Bans Since the Dobbs Decision

Jan 20, 2023

Issue Brief

This issue brief presents an overview of the legal challenges presented in state courts since the Dobbs ruling in June 2022 and highlights some of the novel strategies that are being used to defend access to abortion in states that have enacted abortion bans.

What to Know about Medicare Spending and Financing

Jan 19, 2023

Issue Brief

This brief provides an overview of Medicare spending and financing, based on the most recent historical and projected data from the Medicare Trustees and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The brief highlights trends in Medicare spending and key drivers of spending growth, including higher enrollment, growth in health care costs, and increases in payments to Medicare Advantage plans.

What Does the Recent Literature Say About Medicaid Expansion?: Economic Impacts on Providers

Jan 18, 2023

Issue Brief

This issue brief updates prior KFF literature reviews by summarizing 24 studies published between April 2021 and December 2022 on the economic impact of Medicaid expansion on providers.

FAQs on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Coverage in Medicare

Jan 18, 2023

Issue Brief

These FAQs review mental health and substance use disorder coverage and cost sharing in Medicare and discuss recent policy changes related to coverage of mental health and substance use disorder treatments.

A Look at Strategies to Address Behavioral Health Workforce Shortages: Findings from a Survey of State Medicaid Programs

Jan 10, 2023

Issue Brief

State Medicaid strategies to address the behavioral health workforce shortage fall into four key areas: increasing rates, reducing burden, extending the workforce, and incentivizing participation.

Telehealth Delivery of Behavioral Health Care in Medicaid: Findings from a Survey of State Medicaid Programs

Jan 10, 2023

Issue Brief

This issue brief reports findings from KFF’s Behavioral Health Survey of state Medicaid programs about policies and trends related to telehealth delivery of behavioral health services.

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