News Release Archives

Many Privately Insured People with Diabetes Could Save Money if Congress Caps Insulin Costs

Mar 24, 2022

News Release

Several legislative proposals in Congress propose a $35 per month cap on what people with health insurance would have to pay out of pocket for insulin, a life-saving hormone taken regularly by many people with diabetes to maintain their health. Such a cap could provide financial relief to at least 1 out of 5 insulin users with different types of private health insurance, a new KFF analysis of insurance claims data finds. In the large…

Despite Efforts to Prevent Out-of-Pocket Costs for Rape Kits and Services by the Violence Against Women Act, Some Women Still Face Charges

Mar 18, 2022

News Release

In the United States, more than one in three women experience sexual violence in their lifetime. Despite the intent of Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) to protect survivors from out-of-pocket spending stemming from rape kit collection services also known as a medical forensic exam (MFE), many women face health care bills because they seek those critical services. A new KFF analysis of a sample of private insurance claims from large employers finds that two-thirds (66%)…

States Are Planning for the End of the Continuous Enrollment Requirement in Medicaid After the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Expires, But Many Have Not Made Key Decisions

Mar 16, 2022

News Release

As states plan for the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the resumption of eligibility redeterminations and disenrollments when the continuous Medicaid enrollment requirement is lifted could lead to coverage disruptions and losses, according to a new KFF 50-state survey. The requirement, a condition of states receiving enhanced federal Medicaid funding during the pandemic, has helped drive Medicaid and CHIP enrollment to a record 85 million people, an increase of 19.1 percent since the…

Telehealth Continues to Account for More Than a Third of Outpatient Visits for Mental Health and Substance Use Services Well into the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mar 15, 2022

News Release

A new analysis from KFF and Epic Research finds that telehealth visits for outpatient mental health and substance use services went from virtually zero percent in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to a peak of 40% in mid-2020 – and continued to account for more than a third (36%) of such visits in the six months ending in August 2021. The telehealth boom for mental health and substance use services far exceeds the increase…

1 in 10 Adults Owe Medical Debt, With Millions Owing More Than $10,000

Mar 10, 2022

News Release

Americans Likely Owe Hundreds of Billions of Dollars in Total Medical Debt A new KFF analysis of government data estimates that nearly 1 in 10 adults (9%) - or roughly 23 million people - owe medical debt. This includes 11 million who owe more than $2,000 and 3 million people who owe more than $10,000. The analysis is based on data from the 2020 Survey of Income and Program Participation, a nationally representative survey that…

4 in 10 Workers – and 6 in 10 of Those with Low Incomes – Say They Missed Work During the Omicron Surge Due to COVID-19 Illness, Quarantine or Closure

Mar 10, 2022

News Release

The surge in COVID-19 cases triggered by the omicron variant led to widespread work disruptions, with about 4 in 10 workers (42%) – including 6 in 10 of those with lower incomes – saying they had to miss work at least once in the past three months because of a COVID-19 illness, quarantine, or closure, a new KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor report shows. Among all workers, a quarter (26%) say they missed work because they…

Rethinking the Use of Race in Medicine

Mar 8, 2022

News Release

The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a spotlight on racial disparities in health and health care, but disparities are hardly new. They have been driven by longstanding inequities within and beyond the health care system that are rooted in racism. KFF Vice President Samantha Artiga, who directs the Racial Equity and Health Policy Program, in this new video discusses how the medical system continues to use race in ways that may perpetuate disparities, including through provider…

Combined Federal and State Spending on Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Totaled $116 billion in FY 2020, Serving Millions of Elderly Adults and People with Disabilities

Mar 4, 2022

News Release

The federal government and the states together spent a total of $116 billion on Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) in FY 2020, serving millions of elderly adults and people with disabilities, a new KFF analysis finds. Medicaid is the nation’s primary payer for such services, which include assistive technology, personal care to help people with bathing or preparing meals, and therapies to help people regain or acquire self-care and independent living skills. There is…

Large Shares of the Public Worry about the Consequences of Both Ending and Keeping COVID-19 Restrictions, with Partisans Largely Split on Which Direction is Most Concerning

Mar 1, 2022

News Release

As federal, state, and local authorities move to roll back COVID-19 restrictions, a new KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey finds many people ready to get back to normal but a public also nervous about the potential consequences. Large shares of the public are worried about the implications of both keeping and easing pandemic restrictions – with partisans split on which direction worries them the most. Overall, majorities say they worry about the potential consequences of…

New KFF Analyses on Women and Medicaid: State Family Planning Benefits and Contraceptive Provision

Feb 17, 2022

News Release

Medicaid, the state and federal health coverage program for low-income people, finances family planning services for millions of women across the nation. National statistics, however, can mask important state-level Medicaid policy and utilization differences. Two new KFF state-level analyses have just been posted that provide up-to-date coverage policies and practices as well as new data on contraceptive provision under Medicaid. Medicaid Coverage of Family Planning Benefits: Findings from a 2021 State Survey Based on findings…

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