States Obtain Special Waivers to Help Unwinding Efforts
This brief discusses state uptake of special waivers aimed to mitigate procedural disenrollments during the unwinding of the continuous enrollment provision.
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What Are the Implications of the Recent Elimination of the Medicaid Prescription Drug Rebate Cap?
Policy WatchThis policy watch explains the Medicaid prescription drug rebate cap, examines how many drugs might be impacted, and explores the implications of recent manufacturer responses for Medicaid programs and enrollees.
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What to Know About the FDA’s Recent Decision to Allow Florida to Import Prescription Drugs from Canada
Policy WatchFlorida’s plan to import certain prescription drugs from Canada represents the first time the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted authority for a state to safely import prescription drugs from another country. This policy watch analysis unpacks some frequently asked questions related to state of Florida’s importation plan, including potential obstacles to implementation, who will benefit from any savings, and what types of drugs will (and will not) qualify for importation.
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An Update on ACA Medicaid Expansion: What to Watch in North Carolina and Beyond
Policy WatchThis policy watch examines the implications of North Carolina's Medicaid expansion as well as key issues to watch there and across other states.
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Who Decides When a Patient Qualifies for an Abortion Ban Exception? Doctors vs. the Courts
Policy WatchWhile all eyes were on Texas and the recent case of Kate Cox, a woman seeking a court order allowing her abortion under an exception to the Texas abortion ban, the conflict could have played out in many states. The risk to doctors is so high that many doctors are hesitant to provide life-saving abortion care unless the threat to life is imminent.
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The New Help for Medicare Beneficiaries with High Drug Costs That Few Seem to Know About
Policy WatchThis policy watch highlights a change coming to the Medicare Part D drug benefit that will cap Part D enrollees' out-of-pocket drug costs, beginning in 2024, resulting in savings of thousands of dollars for high-cost drugs - a change that recent KFF tracking poll results show few older adults know about.
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Employers Use of Center of Excellence Programs as a Pathway for Behavioral Health Services
Policy WatchThis post explores the prevalence of employer-sponsored health plans that use Center of Excellence (COE) programs as a way to provide enrollees with specialized care for behavioral health services. One in 10 large employers (with at least 1,000 workers) offer such programs now.
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Considerations for Covering Over-the-Counter Contraception
Policy WatchIn October 2023, the Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services issued a request for information to gather public input about the potential benefits, costs, and implementation considerations of requiring private health insurance plans to cover OTC preventive services and supplies without a prescription. This policy watch addresses key considerations for the implementation of insurance coverage for non-prescribed OTC contraceptives based on the lessons learned from KFF’s 2023 study of Insurance Coverage of OTC Oral Contraceptives.
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What to Watch in the 2024 ACA Open Enrollment
Policy WatchWith the start of the 2024 Affordable Care Act open enrollment, the Marketplaces have been operating for a full decade and are heading into their eleventh year. This policy watch outlines changes to watch out for during 2024 Open Enrollment.
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Signing Up for Marketplace Coverage Remains a Challenge for Many Consumers
Policy WatchAs open enrollment begins for Marketplace plans, this Policy Watch provides information about consumer experiences with Marketplace sign up from the 2023 KFF Consumer Survey. Data from the survey show that Marketplace sign up has been a challenge to many consumers---often more complicated than enrollment in other kinds of health insurance. The Policy Watch also spotlights efforts to address common enrollment problems such as option overload and transitioning to Marketplace coverage from other forms of coverage.