Policy Watch Archives

New Alzheimer’s Drugs Spark Hope for Patients and Cost Concerns for Medicare

Jul 6, 2023

Policy Watch

The 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

Jun 22, 2023

Policy Watch

Many 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?

May 31, 2023

Policy Watch

As 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

May 30, 2023

Policy Watch

This 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?

May 18, 2023

Policy Watch

In 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

May 1, 2023

Policy Watch

Recently 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.

Update on the Status of Medication Abortion and the Courts

Apr 21, 2023

Policy Watch

This policy watch explains the April 21, 2023 United States Supreme Court's ruling on Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, a case challening the FDA's approval of mifepristone, the medication abortion pill.

Ending the Public Health Emergency for Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services

Apr 19, 2023

Policy Watch

This policy watch explores the potential implications of ending the PHE for Medicaid HCBS programs.

Q & A: Implications of Two Conflicting Federal Court Rulings on the Availability of Medication Abortion and the FDA’s Authority to Regulate Drugs

Apr 8, 2023

Policy Watch

This policy watch explains the two conflicting rulings on the provision of mifepristone issued by two separate District Courts on April 7, 2023, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA and State of Washington v. United States Food and Drug Administration.

Q&A: Implications of the Ruling on the ACA’s Preventive Services Requirement

Apr 4, 2023

Policy Watch

This post summarizes some of the key issues related to the U.S. District Court's March 30 ruling in Braidwood Management v. Becerra, which imposes new limits on the government's ability to enforce preventive service requirements nationwide.

Topics

Policy Research

Polling

Health News

Data & Features

For Media

About

View the Latest: Policy Watch

Filter