Will Where You Live Determine Access and Coverage of Emerging Anti-Obesity Drugs?
The U.S. Midwest and South regions have higher average obesity rates among adults. What does this mean for access and coverage of prescription drugs for weight loss?
Home Policy Watch Content Type
View the Latest: Policy Watch
Filter
-
-
Do State Decisions to Prioritize Renewals for Medicaid Enrollees Who are Likely Ineligible Affect Early Disenrollment Rates?
Policy WatchSome states are prioritizing Medicaid renewals for enrollees flagged as likely to be ineligible. Early data from Arizona, Idaho, and Pennsylvania show disenrollment rates for flagged enrollees are higher than for other enrollees. This analysis considers why different state approaches to renewals may explain some – but not all – variation in disenrollment rates across the U.S.
-
New OIG Report Examines Prior Authorization Denials in Medicaid MCOs
Policy WatchCongress asked the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to investigate whether Medicaid MCOs are providing medically necessary health care services to their enrollees. OIG found that Medicaid MCOs had an overall prior authorization denial rate of 12.5%–more than 2 times higher than the Medicare Advantage rate. Prior authorization denial rates ranged widely across and within parent firms and states. After a prior authorization request is denied,…
-
What are the Implications of New Anti-Obesity Drugs for Racial Disparities?
Policy WatchThis policy watch discusses some of the potential implications of the new anti-obesity drugs for racial equity.
-
New Alzheimer’s Drugs Spark Hope for Patients and Cost Concerns for Medicare
Policy WatchThe Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to Leqembi, a new Alzheimer's drug, on July 6, 2023. This updated policy watch focuses on the implications of Medicare coverage of the drug for program spending as well as equity and affordability issues for beneficiaries, and the potential for the Inflation Reduction Act to address the spending impacts. It also covers additional details from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services about patient registries.
-
A Year After Dobbs: Policies Restricting Access to Abortion in States Even Where It’s Not Banned
Policy WatchMany states without bans have abortion restrictions—such as gestational limits early in pregnancy, mandatory waiting periods and ultrasounds, bans on telehealth for abortion care, parental consent requirement for minors—that create significant barriers to access.
-
What Do the Early Medicaid Unwinding Data Tell Us?
Policy WatchAs states begin to unwind the COVID emergency continuous enrollment provision and resume Medicaid disenrollments, early data from a handful of states – highlighted on KFF’s regularly-updated Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker -- reveal wide variation in disenrollment rates.
-
Postpartum Individuals Are at Risk of Losing Medicaid During the Unwinding of the Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Provision, Especially in Certain States
Policy WatchThis policy watch discusses Medicaid unwinding and how enrollees who qualified for Medicaid through the pregnancy pathway are at risk of losing Medicaid coverage, particularly those living in states who have not implemented Medicaid expansion and have not extended postpartum Medicaid coverage.
-
What Could New Anti-Obesity Drugs Mean for Medicare?
Policy WatchIn this piece, we discuss Medicare coverage of obesity treatments, the potential cost implications if Medicare covers anti-obesity drugs, and how the Inflation Reduction Act could potentially address these cost concerns.
-
Half of All Eligible Medicare Beneficiaries Are Now Enrolled in Private Medicare Advantage Plans
Policy WatchRecently released data show that Medicare Advantage, the private plan alternative to traditional Medicare, now covers half of eligible Medicare beneficiaries. As the role of Medicare Advantage grows, so will interest in understanding how well the program serves the increasingly diverse group of enrollees who receive their Medicare coverage from private insurers.