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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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As the first doses of the new COVID-19 vaccine are delivered to health care workers and other early recipients, many Americans are eager to know not only when the vaccine will be available to them but also whether they will be able to get it at no cost. The answer is that providers are not allowed to charge patients who get the vaccine, at least during the public health emergency, KFF experts write in a…
As winter sets in and COVID-19 cases and deaths reach records in most parts of the country, more Americans say they wear masks every time they leave home now (73%) than said so in May (52%), a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. A small minority (11%) say they wear masks only some of the time or never. This group is more likely to be white (70%), male (65%) and Republican (54%). In addition, 7…
The first Americans were vaccinated today as COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed across the country. A new KFF review of states’ releases and statements about their vaccination priorities finds that most states are following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations for the highest priority group (health care workers and long-term care residents), with some choosing to start with one of the populations in the first weeks as…
Republicans and Black Americans are More Likely to Be Hesitant but Even Among These Groups Reasons Vary KFF has launched a new COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor to dive deeply into the public’s views about the vaccine and experiences getting it for as long as the pandemic lasts. First results released today show that Americans’ enthusiasm for getting a COVID-19 vaccination varies substantially across groups, with Republicans and Black Americans among those most hesitant. Overall, 71% of…
This month the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adopted a recommendation that health care workers and long-term care residents should be the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine once it is authorized or approved by the FDA. A new KFF analysis estimates there are 15.5 million people working in health care settings who have direct patient contact, 1.2 million nursing facility residents and another 800,000 assisted living facility residents nationwide. These 17.6 million…
President-elect Joe Biden campaigned on major health reforms, including building on the Affordable Care Act, better managing the COVID-19 pandemic and lowering prescription drug costs, but a narrowly divided Congress could stifle efforts to enact such major legislation. The Biden administration instead may choose to move forward on a variety of policy changes administratively, without Congressional action, to achieve some of the same goals. A new KFF resource outlines more than 50 potential administrative actions…
A new KFF survey of obstetrician-gynecologists (OBGYNs) offers insight into how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the provision of sexual and reproductive health care, including the growth of telehealth and the ongoing challenges and limitations of such medical visits. Key findings from the survey, which was conducted from July to September 2020, include: The majority of OBGYNs worry that patients who have experienced delays in sexual and reproductive health care will face negative health consequences…
For the third straight year, more insurers are entering the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces and expanding their service areas, creating more options for consumers seeking to buy their own insurance for 2021, a new KFF analysis finds. The analysis finds 30 insurers joining the marketplace across 20 states, and another 61 insurers are expanding their services within states that they already served. More than a third of counties (1,207, or 38%) will have more insurers…
With hopes that a COVID-19 vaccine or vaccines will be proven safe and effective soon, state and local public health authorities will play a critical role in ensuring the efficient distribution and administration of the vaccine. To assess the readiness of these local governments to take on these responsibilities, KFF reviewed the preliminary vaccine distribution plans submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month by the states and the District of…
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has awarded KFF’s Kaiser Health News and The Associated Press one of its top journalism prizes for a joint investigation that revealed the diminished state of the U.S. public health infrastructure in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The AAAS gave the news organizations its Gold Award in science reporting for “Hollowed-Out Public Health System Faces More Cuts Amid Virus,” an investigation that found that the…
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