More On Health and Politics: The Peculiar Timing of Republican Health Policy Plans April 9, 2024 From Drew Altman In this column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman examines the conservative Republican Study Committee’s sweeping proposals to remake Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act and their potential to make waves in this year’s elections. Whether former President Trump ignores, embraces, or repudiates their ideas will be key.
Is Medicaid Too Big to… Block Grant? March 26, 2024 From Drew Altman In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman examines how the politics around the Medicaid program have changed as it has grown much larger and more popular, making it even tougher to block grant the program to cut federal Medicaid spending and hand it off to the states.
The Symbolic Manipulation of Health Issues in Elections March 15, 2024 From Drew Altman KFF President and CEO Drew Altman explains why data and facts, policy plans and lists of accomplishments do not connect with many voters. Understanding the symbolic dimensions of politics and issues is critical for experts. We can reach a share of the public with facts and data but need additional strategies to reach everyone, including storytelling and trusted messengers.
It’s Not a Health Care Election, But Health Issues Might Still Add Up February 28, 2024 From Drew Altman In this column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman explores the potential for some health care issues—including abortion, drug costs and other affordability challenges—to influence enough voters in swing states to make a difference in this year’s presidential election.
Why Affordability Is the Big Tent February 20, 2024 From Drew Altman In this column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman explores why the public’s concerns about out-of-pocket health costs make health care affordability the health policy issue most likely to resonate with voters across the political spectrum.
The Shifting Sands for State Medicaid Programs Lurking in Our Data February 12, 2024 From Drew Altman KFF President and CEO Drew Altman examines the coming squeeze on state budgets and state Medicaid programs, stemming from declining federal matching funds, weakening state revenues, and competing state priorities, and the challenges it poses for states seeking to strengthen their programs and try innovative new approaches.
Questions I Get About the Standards and Practices for Organizations in an Era of Misinformation and Declining Trust January 29, 2024 From Drew Altman In this column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman explains the organization’s role in providing independent, authoritative policy analysis, polling and journalism and provides an overview of the standards and practices in place to maintain credibility in an era of declining trust and rampant misinformation.
The Two Health Care Cost Crises January 18, 2024 From Drew Altman In this column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman explores the nation’s twin health cost crises of affordability, especially for people who are sick and need a lot of health care, and national health spending, and why the solutions often work at cross purposes.
The CBO Report That Didn’t Roar January 4, 2024 From Drew Altman In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman discusses a recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)’s payment and delivery demonstrations have cost Medicare money, and what it means for the future of value-based payment.
Countering Health Misinformation, By the Numbers December 12, 2023 From Drew Altman In this column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman examines the threat posed by health misinformation and opportunities to combat it by relying on the messengers the public trusts most for health information, which includes doctors and local television news sources.
