Health Costs
Hospital Charity Care: How It Works and Why It Matters
Our analysis finds that half of hospitals reported that the cost of providing charity care to patients represented 1.4% or less of their operating expenses in 2020, but the rates vary widely from hospital to hospital.
We examine the role of hospital charity care programs in helping patients who cannot afford their care. We also try to answer some frequently asked questions, including: how much charity care do hospitals provide?; which patients are eligible for charity care?; what are the requirements related to charity care for nonprofit hospitals?; how do Medicaid and Medicare help hospitals afford charity care expenses?; and how did the COVID-19 pandemic affect charity care?
Emergency Department Visits Exceed Affordability Threshold for many consumers with private insurance
This analysis uses 2019 insurance claims data from large employer health plans to assess the total and out-of-pocket costs of emergency department visits, overall and by diagnosis and severity level. It also looks at which services contribute most to the costs of emergency department visits.
- Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Outpatient telehealth use soared early in the COVID-19 pandemic but has since receded
Telehealth use skyrocketed during the early months of the pandemic. While it has since decreased somewhat from that high, it still represents a much more substantial share of health care than before COVID, this KFF-Epic Research analysis finds.
- CosT Sharing
Many households do not have enough money to pay cost-sharing typical in private health plans
This analysis assesses whether people can afford to pay cost-sharing amounts common with private insurance plans. It finds that large shares of non-elderly households do not have enough liquid assets to meet typical plan cost-sharing amounts.
- Health Workforce
What Impact Has the Coronavirus Pandemic Had on Health Care Employment?
This chart collection takes a deep dive into employment data to analyze how jobs and wages in the health sector shrank and recovered during the coronavirus pandemic.
2022 Employer Health Benefits Survey
This 24th annual benchmark study finds workers at smaller firms on average pay nearly $2,000 more out of pocket toward family coverage than workers at larger firms. The report captures trends in deductibles and other plan details, and employers’ experiences with mental health and telemedicine.
National Health Spending Explorer
This interactive Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker tool allows users to examine five decades worth of data on health expenditures by federal and local governments, private insurers, and individuals.
Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs
This brief summarizes our recent polling on the public’s experiences with health care costs and the consequences of high costs on the uninsured and those with lower incomes.
How ACA Marketplace Premiums Are Changing by County in 2022
Premiums for ACA Marketplace benchmark silver plans are decreasing on average across the U.S. in 2022. However, premium changes vary widely by location and by metal level, including premium increases in a number of counties and plans.
