News Release Archives

A Year from 2020 Election, Polling in Four Former “Blue Wall” States – Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – Finds President Trump Is Voters’ Biggest Motivator

Nov 7, 2019

News Release

Progressive Stances on Fracking, Medicare-for-all and Border Detainments May Turn Off Swing Voters A year ahead of the 2020 presidential election, President Trump is the biggest defining factor for voters in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin – more often in a negative than a positive direction, finds a new partnership survey from KFF and The Cook Political Report of more than 3,000 voters across the four previously considered “Blue Wall” states, including at least 745…

Medicare Beneficiaries Spent an Average of $5,460 Out-of-Pocket for Health Care in 2016, With Some Groups Spending Substantially More

Nov 4, 2019

News Release

The average person with traditional Medicare coverage paid $5,460 out of their own pocket for health care in 2016, according to a new KFF analysis and interactive tool. This $5,460 includes about $1,000 in out-of-pocket spending for long-term care facility services, averaged across all traditional Medicare beneficiaries. Such services are used by only 5 percent of beneficiaries in traditional Medicare. For the 95 percent of beneficiaries living in the community, average out-of-pocket spending on health…

300+ FAQs Help Consumers Understand the ACA Marketplaces as Open Enrollment Begins

Oct 28, 2019

News Release

Ahead of the annual Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period, the time during which consumers can shop for health plans or renew existing coverage, KFF has updated and expanded its searchable collection of more than 300 Frequently Asked Questions about open enrollment, the health insurance marketplaces and the ACA. Designed to help consumers and the navigators, brokers and others who assist them, the FAQs cover a wide range of topics including eligibility for subsidies,…

U.S. Leads All Donors in First Comprehensive Assessment of Funding for Ebola Outbreak in DRC

Oct 25, 2019

News Release

The first comprehensive summary of donor funding for the response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo estimates that at least $546 million was provided by donors from August 2018, when the outbreak started, through September 2019.

Analysis Finds Record 3,148 Medicare Advantage Plans Will be Available in 2020

Oct 24, 2019

News Release

A record 3,148 Medicare Advantage plans will be available across the country as alternatives to traditional Medicare, a new KFF analysis finds. That’s up 15% from last year’s 2,734 plans and results in a typical beneficiary having 28 plans available to them in their local market for the 2020 Medicare open enrollment period, which began Oct. 15 and runs until Dec. 7. About 22 million Medicare beneficiaries - a third of all beneficiaries - are…

List Prices Increased As Much As 9 Times Faster Than Inflation for 20 of the Top 25 Part D Drugs, Suggesting Potential for Savings Under Proposed Inflation Rebate Policies

Oct 18, 2019

News Release

A new KFF analysis finds that the list prices for most of the top Medicare Part D drugs by total spending increased as much as nine times the rate of inflation (1.7%) between 2016 and 2017, suggesting recent Congressional proposals targeting such increases could generate savings for Medicare and Part D enrollees. The analysis finds 20 of the top 25 drugs, all of which were brand-name medications, had price increases between three and more than…

State Budgets for Fiscal Year 2020 Include Total Medicaid Spending Growth of 6.2 Percent on Average, Even As Enrollment Remains Essentially Flat

Oct 18, 2019

News Release

States budgeted for total Medicaid spending to increase at a faster pace than enrollment in fiscal year 2020, driven in part by rising costs for prescription drugs, provider rate increases and higher costs associated with caring for the elderly and disabled, according to KFF’s new 50-state Medicaid budget survey. The 19th annual survey of state Medicaid directors finds that officials expect total Medicaid spending to climb 6.2 percent while enrollment remains virtually flat, up 0.8…

Poll: About Half of Public Supports a Ban on Both Flavored and All E-Cigarettes, Though Most Young Adults Are Opposed

Oct 17, 2019

News Release

With more than 1,000 lung injuries and two dozen deaths nationally associated with vaping and e-cigarettes, a new KFF poll finds a narrow majority (52%) of the public supports a ban on the sale of fruit- and other flavored e-cigarettes, while 44% oppose it. When asked whether all e-cigarettes should be banned, including those that aren’t flavored, the public is almost evenly divided, with 49% favoring such a step and 47% opposing it. Majorities of…

Many Community Health Centers Report That Immigrant Patients Are Declining to Enroll in Medicaid or Renew Their Coverage Amid Concerns About Changes to Public Charge Rules

Oct 15, 2019

News Release

Nearly half (47%) of community health centers report that many or some immigrant patients declined to enroll themselves in Medicaid in the past year, according to a new KFF survey, and nearly a third (32%) of centers say that some patients dropped or decided not to renew such coverage. Interviews with health center staff report similar findings and indicate that fear and confusion surrounding recent immigration policy contribute to these changes. The findings come at…

Visualizing Health Policy: US Public’s Perspective on Prescription Drug Costs

Oct 15, 2019

News Release

This Visualizing Health Policy infographic examines public opinion on prescription drug costs in the United States (US). Over the past 20 years, US drug spending has increased by 330% compared to a 208% increase in total US health expenditures. A large majority (78%) of the public see drug company profits as the top contributor to higher health care spending. Lowering drug costs is the public’s top health policy priority for the US Congress. While most…

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