News Release Archives

Medicare Advantage Plans Denied 2 Million Prior Authorization Requests in 2021, About 6% of Such Requests

Feb 2, 2023

News Release

Medicare Advantage plans denied two million prior authorization requests for health care services in whole or in part in 2021, or about six percent of the 35 million requests submitted on behalf of enrollees that year, a new KFF analysis finds. Prior authorization is intended to ensure that health care services are medically necessary by requiring providers to obtain approval before a service or other benefit is covered. While prior authorization has long been used…

The Public, Including Women of Childbearing Age, Are Largely Confused About the Legality of Medication Abortion and Emergency Contraceptives in Their States

Feb 1, 2023

News Release

More than six months since the Supreme Court issued their Dobbs decision which overturned Roe v. Wade, there is widespread public confusion about the medication abortion pill and whether it is legal at the state level, according to the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll. The poll also finds many are unsure about the legality of emergency contraceptive pills, sometimes called morning after pills or “Plan B,” and whether the pills can end a pregnancy. Across…

Two KFF Analyses Explore the Demographics of People Jointly Enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid As Well As Program Enrollment and Spending for This Population

Jan 31, 2023

News Release

The 12.5 million people who are jointly enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid include some of the poorest individuals in the U.S. with some of the highest health needs, requiring disproportionately high spending from both programs to support them. Two new KFF analyses examine the demographics of this population as well as the latest data on program enrollment and spending. These data can help inform federal and state policy discussions about ways to improve coordination and…

Rates of Long COVID in the U.S. Have Declined Since June of 2022

Jan 26, 2023

News Release

The share of people who say they have had long COVID has declined since the summer, according to a new KFF analysis of self-reported data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among people who have ever had COVID, the share who say they currently or have ever had long COVID declined from 35% in June 2022 to 28% in January 2023, finds the analysis of data from the CDC’s Household Pulse Survey. The…

As States Prepare to “Unwind” the Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Provision, Past Patterns Show That Most People Who Are Disenrolled from Medicaid Become Uninsured for All or Part of the Next 12 Months

Jan 25, 2023

News Release

Roughly two-thirds (65%) of people who were disenrolled from Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in a recent year became uninsured for all or part of the 12 months that followed, a new KFF analysis finds. The analysis of enrollment data from the 2016-2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) suggests that many of the millions of people across the U.S. who are expected to lose Medicaid following the end of the pandemic-era continuous…

KFF’s Kaiser Health News Launches Weekly “KHN Health Minute” on CBS News Radio

Jan 20, 2023

News Release

KFF’s Kaiser Health News (KHN) is launching a weekly one-minute health information segment for CBS News Radio stations that will help millions of listeners stay informed and make better health decisions. CBS News Radio began offering the KHN Health Minute to its more than 700 affiliate stations weekly on Jan. 12. The brief segments will include a broad range of health stories and consumer information reported by KHN’s nationwide team of health reporters. Listeners can…

Leading up to the 50th Anniversary of the Now-Overturned Roe, New KFF Brief Presents an Analysis of Current Legal Challenges to State Abortion Bans

Jan 20, 2023

News Release

As the nation marks the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court of the United States landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which the Supreme Court overturned, 14 states have active litigation challenging state abortion bans and restrictions. A new KFF brief explains how individuals and organizations suing to block the bans are framing their legal challenges based on different state constitutional protections and state laws now that the battleground over abortion rights rests with states. The…

Recent Studies Show That Medicaid Expansion Has Improved the Financial Performance of Hospitals and Other Providers, In Line With Prior Research

Jan 18, 2023

News Release

A KFF synthesis of recent studies finds that Medicaid expansion has been beneficial to the finances of hospitals and providers, driving decreases in the share of uninsured patients, increases in Medicaid-covered patients and declines in uncompensated care. By financing coverage for low-income people who are likely to otherwise be uninsured, Medicaid expansion provides potential economic benefits to the health care providers who provide care to that population. Studies suggest that hospitals experienced higher reimbursements and…

About 5 Million Uninsured People Could Get ACA Marketplace Coverage Without a Monthly Premium – But They Would Have to Enroll Soon

Jan 10, 2023

News Release

About 5 million uninsured people across the country could get coverage through an Affordable Care Act Marketplace health plan with virtually no monthly premium if they enroll soon, a new KFF analysis finds. In most states, open enrollment runs through January 15, with tax credits available to help eligible low- and middle-income people afford coverage. Those tax credits would offset the full monthly premium for the lowest cost plan or plans for millions of uninsured…

Most State Medicaid Programs Intend to Keep Pandemic-Era Expansions in Telehealth for Behavioral Health Services and Are Adopting Strategies to Address Workforce Shortages in Behavioral Health

Jan 10, 2023

News Release

Two new KFF analyses examine how state Medicaid programs have utilized telehealth to increase access to behavioral health care during the pandemic and the strategies they are employing to address workforce shortages in behavioral health. The studies come as the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act legislation requires the federal government to issue telehealth guidance by the end of 2023, and the omnibus spending bill that Congress passed last month included several provisions affecting behavioral health…

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